BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Guessed
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 10:45 AM

spelling Grauniad dearers, don't forget the apalling (sic).

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 08:23 AM

Today the Guardian reprinted Mr K's letter in its own letters column "for the amusement of Guardian readers."

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Gervase
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 04:46 AM

Well, in Shakespeare's time, a nunnery was a euphemism for a brothel!
But as for Kaufman - Yeargh! There's something so bloody smug about the man, coupled with a permanent chip on the shoulder. I'd deem it an honour to be insulted by him, Kevin.
And as for running through Harlow clad only in a wimple, I'm afraid I've done worse - back in 1979 I was a student on the journalism course at Harlow college and did a sponsored streak in the pissing rain across to the police station and back to pay my last week's rent.
And the worst thing was, no-one bloody noticed!

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Cappuccino
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 02:42 AM

I think we're getting to the truth behind the name of that top-selling supermarket wine, 'Blue Nun'.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 02:28 AM

We were reading Hamlet at school once, using a rather strange edition, which contained the line "Oh feel me, get thee to a nuunery".....

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: paddymac
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 12:48 AM

Shades of "Sister Josephine".

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 10:23 PM

"Nun taken." Get thee to a punnery!

chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: GUEST,McGrath
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 08:14 PM

I believe these days Leonard Cohen is a Buddhist, so maybe the Dalai Lama might be called in as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Jeanie
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 07:42 PM

Funny you should mention it, Lanfranc, but I *have* been a nun, twice : a jolly Irish one in a horrendous play that no-one has ever heard of, and then in a production of Romeo & Juliet, where Brother John, for reasons of casting economy, turned transvestite and became a nun who looked remarkably like the lady who was Romeo's mum and only had 3 lines in Act 1. Sadly, they never let me keep the costume ... Leonard Cohen may be a Guardian reader, but I think he would have to have special dispensation from both the Pope and the Chief Rabbi. No ... this is definitely a job for McGrath.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 07:11 PM

Someone ought to say "No offence meant" and then I reply "Nun taken."

And here's the Private Eye Christmas cover, for those of you who don't get to se it. Gerard Kauffman probably wouldn't like that either.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Lanfranc
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 06:42 PM

The Sisters of Mercy, they are not departed or gone
They were waiting for me when I felt that I couldn't go on
They brought me their comfort and later they brought me their song
I hope you run into them, you who've been waiting so long

Is Leonard Cohen a Grauniad reader? - we demand to know!

Can't say that the prospect of Kevin running through Harlow "clad only in a wimple and a rosary" is one that I savour (nothing personal, old friend). Could Jeanie be persuaded to be his body double for such purposes?

Is Kaufman a buyer or a seller? Or just open to offers?

Alan (covert Guardian and Private Eye reader)

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Jeanie
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 06:12 PM

Thanks for reminding me about Sister Josephine, McGrath - I'd completely forgotten about her. Being the undercover nun that you are, it is clearly a song dear to your heart. Just in case you might be looking for new employment, I have just the place for you: Surrounded daily by 900 ultra-exuberant teenage Convent girls - a mere 20 minute drive from Harlow, too. The last full-time nun retired years ago. We did have a part-time one (we never did find out what she did the rest of the time), but she's gone now, too. You sisters are a dying breed. So maybe you could offer it up and see whether this is the answer to your prayers. As this is a teaching order, Guardian reading is, of course, obligatory.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 04:45 PM

As Jake Thakray might put it if he ever saw me "A right funny nun you are".

As I remember, the idea is also it might cut down your own purgatory. As well as making your time on earth a bit less fraught. Have nuns stopped saying it in the States? It's a good philosophy of life I think. Change what needs changing, but don't break your heart in the process, or if you can't change it.

But it's not perhaps too typical of the stereotype Guardian letter-writer. Which just shows that stereotypes are not too reliable.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 04:21 PM

Of course, "up the offer" would have a whole different meaning. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 04:12 PM

Well, last night I came across the phrase "offer it up," which reminded me of what the nuns used to tell us to do about anything bad we encountered. It was supposed to bail the Poor Souls out of Purgatory. At Mudcat, it's McGrath who uses that phrase. Is he an undercover nun, or something??
Or is he using my name in vain?
[grin]
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: wildlone
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 03:59 PM

In the last few years labour and socialism are no longer compatible.
dave

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:16 PM

You flatter him, Ian.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Cappuccino
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:02 PM

Good God, Paul, he does... apparently I'm part of "this rabble of Guardian journalists - Trotskyites writing for Liberals and/or Liberals writing for Trotskyites."

I usually expect to get flak for writing for the Christian press, not for the Guardian. And anyway, I'm neither a Liberal or a Trotskyite - I'm a born-again non-smoking bass-player.

Man's a raving loony.

- IanB

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 12:50 PM

derrymacash took the words out of my mouth. The bizarre thing is the man clearly thinks that he is some kind of a socialist, just because he's a Labour MP still.

Coming from Mr K, I take it as a compliment.

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: John J
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 12:15 PM

Hmmm, I wonder if he realises how many Guardian Letter writers voted for his party.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Aidan Crossey
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 10:12 AM

For Kaufman to use the word "gruesome" to refer to anyone else displays just how self-unaware he is ...

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: GUEST,Paul
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 10:03 AM

I'm afraid he does, Ian...

Subject: RE: BS: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Cappuccino
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 09:43 AM

Let's hope Kaufman doesn't say anything about those of us who write FOR the Guardian....!

- Ian B

Subject: Saw This & Thought of You, McGrath
From: Ringer
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 09:33 AM

From a letter in today's Daily Telegraph, London (Click Here, then click on "Undeserved Soubriquet" - for some reason I don't seem able to fire a link to the letter itself), from Gerald Kaufman, MP, I quote ...that most gruesome of all groups, letter-writers to the Guardian.... So, McGrath, who do we know who writes letters to the Guardian, hey? How does it feel to be in "that most gruesome of all groups"? **BG**