February 24th, 2012
A short verse in the style of EC Bentley to greet the news that Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream is due to be auctioned at New York, with an expected price tag of £50million.
February 21st, 2012
A short verse marking the recent spate of interest in the artist Lucien Freud who died last year, with major exhibitions planned and TV documentaries screened which dwelt on the enormous number of children Freud fathered, often with his models as the mother.
February 19th, 2012
A short verse welcoming the news that veteran pint sized comedian Ronnie Corbett has picked up his CBE from Her Majesty the Queen.
February 19th, 2012
A short verse celebrating the return to form of England batsman Kevin Pietersen who scored his first one day hundred since 2008 in a ODI against Pakistan yesterday.
February 17th, 2012
A short verse regretting the coalition horse trading that saw Les Ebdon appointed Boss of the ridiculous Office of Fair Access – with the intention of penalising universities that don’t do enough social engineering to suit his tastes.
February 16th, 2012
A short verse worrying about the growing nuclear capability of sworn enemy of the West, Iran.
February 7th, 2012
A short verse to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of our bestest sellingest novellist Chareles Dickens.
February 4th, 2012
A short Clerihew verse noting the decision to charge Energy Secretary Chris Huhne with contempt of court in relation to an alleged driving offence.
February 2nd, 2012
A short verse (which has to be read in an Edinburgh accent for the rhymes to work properly) noting that ex-RBS chief Sir Fred Goodwin has been stripped of his knighthood, despite having broken no laws and only being guilty of a catastrophic error of judgement,
January 31st, 2012
A short Clerihew to commemorate the life of popular boxing trainer Angelo Dundee who has passed away after a lifetime guiding great champions like Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammed Ali. He first met Ali (then Clay) when the latter was 15 and was immediately impressed by the young boxer’s abilities.
January 30th, 2012
A Clerihew commenting on RBS CEO Stephen Hester’s reluctant decision to give up his bonus following a campaign of media hysteria and class envy politics.
January 3rd, 2012
A short verse to mark the appointment of artist David Hockney to the Order of Merit, one of the greatest tributes in British public life. Already a Companion of Honour, Hockney must now be British art’s toppermost dog.
December 20th, 2011
A short verse lamenting the theft of one of Dame Barbara Hepworth’s masterpieces from Dulwich Park. The police think the thieves will melt down Two Forms.
December 19th, 2011
A short verse noting the passing of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il who starved his people, amassed one of the largest armies on earth and sustained his power with an elaborate and improbable cult of personality
December 16th, 2011
A few words in the form of a short verse remembering Christopher Hitchens, the writer, humanist, atheist and contrarian who died yesterday.
December 15th, 2011
A short verse marking the depressing announcement by the head of the IMF Christine Lagarde that the future looks like it will be “gloomy” for most economies.
December 13th, 2011
A short verse about the much-trailed announcement by scientists at CERN that they haven’t found anything conclusive in their search for the Higgs Bosun.
December 5th, 2011
A short Cleihew verse to mark the passing of proper poet and comic versifier Christopher Logue, who has died at the age of 85.
November 29th, 2011
A short verse noting that Portsmouth FC’s parent company Convers Sports Initiatives plc has gone into administration and that Russian Chairman Vladimir Antonov has left the beleaguered club.
November 28th, 2011
A short verse assessing how the varied and innovative work of film-maker Ken Russell, who died yesterday, will be remembered.
November 25th, 2011
A short verse noting the casting of actor Ben Whishaw as Q in the forthcoming Bond film Skyfall.
November 25th, 2011
A short verse on comedian Jimmy Carr’s defence of a series of close to the knuckle gags which have, not unexpectedly, caused offence in some quarters.
November 22nd, 2011
A short verse reflecting on the evidence given by Steve Coogan to the Leveson Inquiry into the conduct of the Press and its invasion of the privacy of many people in the public eye, including the creator of Alan Partridge.
November 21st, 2011
A short verse noting the different attitudes to the work of artist Damien Hirst, who has been awarded a retrospective exhibition in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall
November 20th, 2011
A short verse marking the death of Worcestershire’s Basil D’Oliveira, whose cricketing deeds had a wider beneficial impact in the land of his birth.
November 17th, 2011
A short verse dissecting the reasons for Martin Johnson’s departure as England coach amid foam-flecked fury at England’s moderate rugby, reluctant dwarf-tossing and accomplished drinking.
November 16th, 2011
A short verse noting the BBC’s decison to chop Shooting Stars from its schedule after nearly twenty years of silliness.
November 16th, 2011
A short verse to mark the passing of heavyweight boxing superstar Smokin’ Joe Frazier who endured repeated taunts and insults from his great rival Muhammed Ali with dignity.
November 16th, 2011
A short verse on the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic – the highest paid footabller in Italy and recent author of his modestly titled book I, Zlatan – with the Sweden football team. England beat Sweden 1-0. Zlatan hardly got a kick. O, Zlatan.
November 11th, 2011
A short verse reflecting on the tricky task ahead for the new Prime Minister of bankrupt Greece.
November 10th, 2011
A short verse lamenting the posturing, points scoring and outright sliminess of some of the members of the Commons Select Committee enquiry into the conduct of News International
November 9th, 2011
A short verse commenting on the expected resignation of Silvio Berlusconi from his long-held position as Prime Minister of Italy
November 9th, 2011
A short verse noting the economically-induced change of Greek Prone Minister amid a chaotic political scene in Athens.
November 7th, 2011
A short verse reacting to the news that the Home Secretary did not authorise the extension of a pilot scheme to relax certain border checks.
November 6th, 2011
A short verse to mark the retirement of the BBC’s football results announcer Tim Gudgin
November 4th, 2011
A short verse on the pronouncements of the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, regarding the future of Greece in the EU and the euro
November 1st, 2011
A short verse reflecting on the jury’s 10-2 guilty verdict in Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt’s trial for conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments
November 1st, 2011
A short verse analysing the complexities of the Greek debt crisis and attempts by European partners to prop up the Greek economy
October 28th, 2011
A short verse on the decision by the Iranian authorities not to carry out a sentence of 90 lashes on actress Marzieh Vafamehr for appearing in the film My Tehran For Sale
October 27th, 2011
A short verse on the resignation of Dr Giles Fraser from his post at St Paul’s over plans to remove protestors lawfully from outside the cathedral.