It was a privilege to share the planet with that man. We will miss him badly, but his work lives on. Indeed, the real world contines to imitate his prophetic fantasies with uncanny accuracy. Just close your eyes and imagine - Tony Blair as Neddie Seagoon ("At last - I am in control of the ship of state ... or the stout of shape ...or the shop of stews ... or something like that.") Peter Mandelson as Bluebottle ("Oh no, my Capitain, you have deaded me ...again!") John Prescott as Eccles ("Of course I know what time it is ...I've got it written on a piece of paper.") Geoffrey Robinson as Major Bloodnok ("It's all lies, I tell you - that money was a birthday present from Mrs Roberta Maxwell of 42 Balls Pond Road.") Ian Duncan-Smith as Grytte-Pype Thynne ("All right Neddie, just keep making a twit of yourself until the public gets bored with you. Then my friends and I will launch a swift coup d'etat, and sell off Britain's remaining assets to a merry band of multinational speculators, while vigorously waving the union jack and singing Rule Britannia".) Neil and Christine Hamilton as Henry Crun and Minnie Bannnister ("You can't get the brown envelopes any more, Min.") And so on ...

Thanks for all the laughs, Spike.

Wassail!