A Touch of Peter

Plonked in front of Mastermind last night.  John Humphries announced the specialist subjects somewhat elliptically at the start - including some 'Novels with a Northern Charm".  Anyway, I immediately thought we were going to get searing socialist realism and family melodrama.  The poverty-stricken 1930s East Ridings perhaps.

But no. 

Instead, the subject turned out to be "The Brandon Family Novels of Peter Tinniswood" and I - in some amazement - immediately started smiling.

And as the questions flew, about Uncle Mort, ointment, Glossop, mint imperials, allotments, cheese and pickled onions, Birkenhead, Count Jugular, manking about, and so forth, my grin grew wider and wider.  And everyone else on the telly was smiling too - including John Humphries and the contestant (one Diane Hallagan, assistant accountant)

I first read the novels after watching the TV series (I Didn't Know You Cared) in the 1970s, with Robin Bailey marvellous as Uncle Mort.  The books - A Touch of Daniel, Mog, Except You're a Bird, and I Didn't Know You Cared  are the ones I remember most - were wonderful, weird, rich and humorous.  Listening to a scattered array of questions on Mastermind brought them all back to me, with immense pleasure and no little joy.

So thank you Diane Hallagan, assistant accountant, for choosing that topic and causing so much enjoyment.

And now I'm going to have to have a ferret around to see if I can find any of them to re-read.