And speaking of decades, Auden could write quite reasonably of the "low dishonest decade" that was the 1930's. He penned this in 1939, and one might see a kind of prescience in his remarks, even in retrospect. That decade was book-ended by the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and World War Two in 1939. In between saw the rise of fascism and its appeasement by Western powers, the Spanish Civil War and the lingering hangover from The Great Depression. That's quite a load for a decade to bear, though the one that followed saw the bulk of a world war fought out, the deployment of atomic weapons and the beginning of the Cold War. Who's keeping a count on the dishonesty?

I don't know how the last decade fared in this race to the bottom, but I wish Clive James has been around to offer his witty commentary on it. Alas, his passing leaves a gap that is unlikely to be filled anytime soon. Even though he had not been active in this way (on TV) for a decade and a half, I can hear his voice making light of the Trumps, Putins and Johnsons, and much else besides.

And finally for this first day of the bright new decennium, JJ returned safely home from her harbour cruise on MV Dilapidation. I cannot find this ship listed anywhere, nowhere is a name apparent, only a mysterious number adjacent the bridge. Apparently it cost $800 a pop for this particular jaunt, but fortunately JJ and her friends were gratis. She said that the fireworks were magnificent. Alas, I missed even the TV broadcast - fast asleep was I!


Preparing for departure, though thankfully, not for the open sea.