Shortfinals – aviation and more!

By: shortfinals

Dec 02 2008

Tags: Australian, carnivorous plants, CMOT Dibbler, Discworld, England, knighthood, Lady Sybil Deirdre Olgivanna Ramkin, Literature, pop culture, science fiction, security guard, Sir Terry, sometimes the nicest things happen to the nicest people, Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent, The Night Watch, Unseen University, Wiltshire, XXXX

Category: British Isles, England, Great Britain, Literature, Terry Pratchett, Wiltshire

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I suppost that there is a tenuous connection between Terry Pratchett and I – about as tenuous as the connection between one of CMOT Dibbler’s pies and actual meat! We both lived in Wiltshire for many years (OK, so did quite a few thousand OTHER people), and I once had a job as a night security guard (shades of the Night Watch, here – sorry about the pun), in the building where Terry had his office. Alright, I’ll settle for ‘extremely tenuous’ then…..

Along with millions of others, I enjoy Terry’s writing – especially the Discworld novels – immensely, although you do have to have a basic knowledge of pop culture, science and European history to get the most from the layers of puns (like a comedic lasagne, really). The description of the harsh, baked, landscape of XXXX, and the inhabitants (the Australian analogue in ‘The Last Continent’) proved particularly enjoyable, with the Oz version of Unseen University being one of my favourites. I was extremely distressed to hear of Terry’s diagnosis – all we can do now is pray for (and work towards) a breakthrough cure; and soon. I hope the carnivorous plants are doing well……….

Ah, yes, and sometimes the nicest things happen to the nicest people; a knighthood, for one. ‘Arise, Sir Terry’, indeed! As Lady Sybil Deirdre Olgivanna Ramkin might have said (or bellowed, even), ‘Well done, that man!’