Last night I was one of the fortunate few gathered in The Fleetwood Folk Club, there to witness (amongst other delights) Ron Baxter performing his one man Mummer's Play, quite spontaneously & apparently unrehearsed, but he got it bang on - words, delivery & several assorted and borrowed hats. This has set up Christmas just perfectly for me, even if the cold that has been plaguing my household these past few weeks seems to have decided today's the day...

So I'm off to bed with a hot toddy and a Phil Rickman novel, and a happy memory of a sterling performance by one of few individuals to whom I would apply the word genius without hesitation.