A Dickens of a mess but we have Great Expectations
Sally Stevens • Published 8 Dec 2011 09:30
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The Royal Mint has just announced a new £2 coin to celebrate the 200th anniversary of one of out greatest authors, Charles Dickens.
Like all great artists, this Victorian giant's work is as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... That opening to A Tale Of Two Cities seems to sum up our present predicament. Every time we open the national newspapers or turn on the news we are threatened with a financial Armageddon or assaulted by news of violent death and strife abroad.
Yet it is the best of times, Christmas, and in our area there are moving stories of festive generosity, tireless charity fund-raisers, courageous people overcoming daunting odds and others who just make our lives a little brighter - including our own terrific success, the Toys & Teens Appeal. There's no doubt the country would be better run on the advice of Wilkins Micawber from David Copperfield: 'Annual income £20, annual expenditure 19s 6d (about £19.98) result happiness. Annual income £20, annual expenditure £20.0s.6d (£20.02) result misery.' And he went on to say: 'In short, you are forever floored.'
The Christmas Carol story of Ebenezeer Scrooge's redemption (wonderfully brought to stage by Tommy Steele if you get the chance to see it in Oxford in January) went a long way to defining the British Christmas. But Dickens' description of the wedding and Christmas party in The Pickwick Papers is a lot more fun.
At a school carol service this week the soaring voices and evident joy proclaimed the season's real message: Peace and Good Will. As Oliver Twist said: 'Please sir, can I have some more?' And as far as the rest of our problems is concerned, the new Dickens coin has another Micawber quote around the edge which will do me: 'Something will turn up.'
An image I can't get out of my mind is that of Alastair Campbell at the Leveson Inquiry. The former Daily Mirror political editor who boasted he used his job only to spread Labour propaganda, who idolised his crooked boss Robert Maxwell (a sort of Murdoch without scruples), and who became Blair's media attack dog, was lecturing the Press on ethics. Salvador Dali would have thought it too surreal for one of his paintings.
*Maurice O'Brien is on holiday
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 08 Dec 11
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