Nellibobs’ Friday Night no. 13 ‘Ashes to Ashes’

Mr Nellist recently celebrated his birthday - and like fine wine and great writing he's only getting better with age. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of his Aga cooker. So instead of blowing out candles, he's forced to blow the soot out of his nose. Unlucky for some...

For those of you who don't know, Brian Nellist writes the regular 'Ask the Reader' feature in The Reader magazine, and is a frequent contributor of fascinating essays and reviews. In the current issue, he considers the poetry of Tennyson. Details of individual back issues, and the treasure within, can be found here. And to whet your appetite, here's Brian's essay on Sir Walter Scott which appeared in the first ever issue: People Don't Read Scott Any More. ("Improbable is what the past looks like to the present which sees it the wrong way round, shorn of the logic that justified it at the time.")