A Conversation for h2g2 Obituary Page

Sir Alec Guiness

Post 181

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Hugh Richardson was a diplomat who served in India and Tibet. I don't know very much about him, but he seems to have been a rather remarkable man. He was the first resident European in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital; where, against heavy odds, he succeeded in establishing close personal and professional ties with the Tibetan movers and shakers. He made himself unpopular with his former political masters by speaking out against the Chinese invasion, in Britain and at the UN. He is considered to be a uniquely qualified scholar of Tibetan culture... which is like authoring a description of the emperor's nudity, when most of the world's diplomats are busy conjuring Technicolor Dreamcoats.

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 182

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

That sounds like a pretty good obituary in itself smiley - winkeye


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 183

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Your endorsement is good enough for me.smiley - smiley

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 184

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

honoured smiley - blush


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 185

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Dunnit!

Somebody must have been singing that White Christmas song again: We've had about half a foot of snow this evening, so far... and it looks like there will be a lot more before morning.smiley - sadface

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 186

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Lucky you
Apparently our garden is completely waterlogged after all the rain, and there is no chance of a white christmas in Cornwall smiley - sadface


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 187

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Lucky me, indeed! I'm off work, because it took so long to dig out from under the drifts: There is more than two feet in some places. So now I have the day to play on my 'puter. It's like being a kid again.smiley - smiley

It was a very strange storm; I don't remember anything like it. It snowed like the dickens (sorry Charles) all night; but, later on, freezing rain started to fall, as well; and, sometime in the middle of the night, there was thunder... honest! It wasn't snow falling off the roof or the neighbours hotrod... it was thunder. Very strange.

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 188

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Oh you're soo lucky
*jealous*
I love winter storms.
But I will go and see the Mousehole christmas lights when I get home, and be all cold


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 189

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Winter storms are great when you're inside with a mug of cocoa; but they make getting around dangerous and not at all fun: The snow banks in our neighbourhood are already littered with the plastic whatsits that people think are cool extras to have on their cars in the Summer.smiley - winkeye

What are winters like in St Andrews?

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 190

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Well we've had pretty dry weather (unlike the rest of the country), apparently it's less likely to snow here than elsewhere in Scotland, something to do with being in a little pocket on the coast.


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 191

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

St Andrews isn't ruled over by an eccentric aristocrat who sacrifices virgins for the sake of the apple crop, is it.smiley - winkeye

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 192

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Dunno - not that I've heard.
I'm home for Christmas now, so cold, wet, grey, yukky weather all round.
And I brought a cold home with me *sniff*


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 193

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Oh, dear. I hope it clears up before Christmas, the cold and the weather.smiley - smiley

JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 194

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Ditto.
We have a Christmas party this week, and I don't really want to sneeze into the gingerbread I'm under orders to make smiley - sadface


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 195

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Do you make gingerbread people, or just regular bickie shapes?
JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 196

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

I make people, angels, frogs, stars, whatever shaped cutters I can find to get the most out of the dough.

This was gingerbread cake - only I forgot the baking powder (oops) so it didn't rise. It does taste ok though, fortunately smiley - smiley


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 197

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

That's what counts. I often felt that there is a definite need for really artistic gingerbread figures. The medium deserves some serious exploration. I don't think there is a Guide Entry on the subject either.smiley - winkeye

With the Christmas vortex drawing ever closer, and the whirl of distractions getting faster by the moment, I'll take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and a New Year (millennium really smiley - winkeye) full of plums.smiley - smiley

Cheers!
JTG


Sir Alec Guiness

Post 198

Swiv (decrepit postgrad)

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year yourself smiley - santa
Full of many gingerbread shapes, and sugar plum fairies.

Swiv


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