The End Of The Pier Show

I am ashamed to say that I have been less than immediately alacritous in announcing a relatively new arrival chez Gee, although she did get a walk-on part in an earlier post. Here it is –

Her name is Lulu. She is nearly 3, and came to us six months ago (!) from friends who were unable to look after her, through pressure of work. She is a cross between a Jack Russell Terrier and a Dachshund (Dachs Russell, anyone?).

As you can imagine this a dynamite combination.

Lulu is loving and loyal. Although rather fierce with other dogs, she is intelligent and eager to learn, and is calming down under the benign influence of Ronnie (now aged 12) …

Ronnie, on receipt of the news that we shall be about to commit perambulation. Recently.

… and as she came to us when Heidi was still with us, she received some Golden Retriever calmness vibes. When Lulu first arrived, Heidi woke up, gave Lulu a lick, and went back to sleep. Taking all three of them for a walk simultaneously all together and at the same time was, how shall we put it … fun.

It seems like only yesterday when, as a young, slim fellow with hair, I took part in the iconic TV series University Challenge. My team, the University of Leeds, dispatched a college from Oxford and another from Cambridge, before wiping the floor with University College Swansea by 415 to 70, one of the highest scores ever. We were eventually knocked out by Dundee, who went on to win the championship. Here is the mighty team of the far-off days of 1983.

Very little video survives of University Challenge from those days, but I have a rare clip of us in action here:

Imagine my surprise therefore when I was invited back for another go. For the past nine years, University Challenge has had a short series at Christmas featuring notable alumni – and now, me. I can now reveal that I’ve been up to Salford Media City to join this Happy Few, this Band of Brothers, and so on and so forth in like fashion. And here we are!

After much thought and changes-of-mind I have decided to leave OT and set up shop elsewhere.

I stress that my reasons for leaving have nothing to do with my friends and colleagues at OT for whom I have only the greatest respect and affection. Some of them I count among my closest friends and have been sources of a great deal of support at difficult times.

My new gaff will be a private, members-only affair. It’s not quite ready yet, but if you’d like to join, please send me an email, though if I do not know you personally you might expect a grilling.