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June 24, 2006
Mr Grimsdyke
Peg Harker is a newcomer to the site and asks who are the characters.
The central character is Mr Percival Grimsdyke, the head of the public library service in Bloggington-on-Sea. This whole blog is his memoire.
There are many villains: Mr and Mrs Dumpling from Barsetshire who have removed all the books from their libraries and turned them into Recovery Centres; Mr Custard Cream and Mrs Thin Biscuit, who have recently publicly disgraced themselves by dancing a jig at the Conservative Party Conference; Mr Woolly Jumper the Minister and Miss Bo Peep OBE, of the Knitting Agency, who are often seen together. Mr Custard Cream is the head of procrastination at DLA (pronounced Delay) the Department of Libraries and Archives. The Minister is in charge of the Department of Commons Sense(DCMS), which is in a hole in the ground under Victoria Station. He has a degree in cross-stitch
The Countess of Lemon Curd and Lady Cheese and Tomato Sandwich RAF,KGB,MLA are new characters who will also play a role in the twists and tales of the life of Mr Grimsdyke. Look out also for the wise old Mr Elgar Atkins who has a degree in Karaoke and Perkins who is the library cat in the Dock Side Carnegie library in Bloggington.
We receive comments from many noteworthy people. Recently Miss Daisy in the Deckchair from Dewsbury has complained about my reference to Gambling.
Mr Grimsdyke is soon to reveal the Neapolitan history of Bloggington and its Mafia connections. Keep reading, Peg. Nice to hear from you- pass this round! I know about you. Being educated in a convent has done no harm.
It goes without saying that Mr Grimsdyke is the world's leading advocate for the idea that public libraries should have lots of books, be agreeable places to sit and be open as near to all the time as possible. He likes strawberry milkshakes.
Posted by Tim Coates at June 24, 2006 1:12 PM
Comments
Thank you Tim for your response. Such tee-hee characters.
I'm with Mr. Grimsdyke, and his views on public libraries. Though my perchant is for gin and tonics,rather than milk shakes. With his Neapolitan connections, I suspect he has the occasional campari and soda when he is in festive mood?
I intend to keep reading...
Posted by: Margo Harker at June 24, 2006 2:25 PM
They may be "tee-hee" to us, Peg, but to Mr Grimsdyke these are real people; and very misguided and difficult (or useless) they are; the villains, I mean. His life has not been an easy one. Read on.
Posted by: Tim at June 24, 2006 2:52 PM
For our American readers (hm, what am I? although I have been back in the States for 12 years, my morning generally starts with a pot of Assam, and toast with Marmite), we need to explain a strawberry milkshake. Here in the U.S. of A., milkshakes are made with ice cream. They have to be eaten with a spoon and have many, many calories to worry about. In England, milkshakes are made with milk. The milk is flavored (flavoured) with a syrup--presumably a commercial product, when it comes to strawberry, though I am sure that one could make a nice English chocolate milkshake with homemade chocolate syrup.
This blog is going to be a transatlantic venture, as we unite in our love of books and libraries and drinks variously.
Karen - you've been away far too long: rationing finished some time ago. I think this will cause an uproar, so I have posted it immediately. Mr Grimsdyke's Strawberry Milkshakes most certainly have ice cream in them.
Posted by: Karen Christensen at June 24, 2006 8:06 PM