I've been thinking of making a will. The idea is that I get
a friend to make one first, leaving everything he's got left to me and then I
reciprocate. Last to go in inherits everything, sort of thing. Actually
I think it would make a good TV drama, with each of the heroes turning villains
and trying to bring about the other's early demise. It
could end with them both dying together, drinking themselves to death as they
plan what they're going to do with the other's fortune. The
difficulty is twofold. First, you have to find a friend who will leave you enough
to make it worthwhile, and second you've got to have something worth leaving. One
of my friends has got the Beatles' autographs from her hanging-around-the-Cavern
days. Well, I've got Phil Collins' signature and though he wrote the name Sophia
Loren on the back of the Genesis album I'm sure it's worth something. I've
got a photograph of Tommy Hutchinson scoring for Manchester City against Spurs
at Wembley, little realising he would later score an own goal and that the equaliser
would force a replay and Spurs would win. I never did get round to getting him
to autograph it though. I have another friend with a very
rich uncle. Now if I could get the timing right, the uncle would leave him a fortune
just before he popped his clogs and it would all come to me. That's neat, but
he's neither a Genesis nor a Manchester City supporter. I
don't know anyone who owns a big finca in Ibiza or even a season ticket
at Old Trafford, which may be worlds apart, but they both have a certain cachet. It's
a shame you can't leave each other memories. I could swap a week or two of mine
in Hawaii for somebody's experiences in Nepal, for instance. And
I've got three years of sobriety for someone's time in a French wine cellar, if
there's anybody out there. I've been prompted to come over
all commercially minded by winning a tenner on the English lottery this week.
I was only three numbers short of a fortune. I did look at the Spanish lottery
at Christmas, but it was far too complicated for me. Do you really have to share
your number with half of Majorca? And why is it called Once? Talking
of Christmas, I thought I should let you know about the progress of the Giant
Stilton. I've finally cut it into portions after giving it a further six weeks'
maturation in an outhouse and I can report it has improved by the minute. In fact,
I can tell you it is now superbly moist and crumbly and goes terrifically with
a ripened pear, some unsalted butter, celery with the soil still on the roots
and a digestive biscuit. It is one of the real treats of an English Spring, where
we might not have almond blossom but we can find real pleasure in eating something
that smells of old socks. Shame about the lack of port, but it is historic and
you can't leave that in a will.
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