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Ecclesiastical Eccentrics
Justin Welby, recently and It was in this presiding and preaching
understandably, complained that media role that his verbal idiosyncrasies
representation of CofE clergy is became legendary. He is reputed to
belittling and based on rather cheap have described God as ‘a shoving
caricature. He cited Jane Austen's Mr leopard’; he accused a lazy
Collins and the Vicar of Dibley. Had he undergraduate of ‘tasting a whole worm’;
read the Revd Fergus Butler Gallie's he claimed he would be travelling to
‘Field Guide to the English Clergy’ he London by ‘the town drain’; he allegedly
would have discovered that the reality of told Queen Victoria, ‘I have a half-
clerical achievement far warmed fish in my bosom’; he
outstrips its fictional portrayal; told a lady latecomer to one
many a Victorian Vicar made of his services, ‘Madam, your
his mark as lepidopterist, pie is occupewed’. As Warden
paleontologist, orchid he rashly proposed a toast to
collector, apiarist ... or even ‘the queer old Dean’; he once
Antarctic explorer! There announced a hymn as
were in addition some ‘Kinkering Kongs their titles
endearing eccentrics. take’; he (allegedly!) remarked
One such was Revd Dr that he would refuse elevation
William Spooner, Dean and to ‘the Louse of Hordes’ were
later Warden of New College, it to be offered.
Oxford, (1844 – 1930) whose Nonetheless, he was held in
name has passed into the Revd Dr William Spooner such affection and esteem that
English language as a hugely a large portrait in oils hangs
entertaining figure of speech. He was today in his beloved Kew Knowledge.
born albino with very poor eyesight, but Where is his like today?
he was clearly very bright. He was the
first boy not educated at Winchester to Ian Barge
attend New College, to which he won a with grateful thanks to
double scholarship in 1861. He was Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie
ordained priest and appointed Dean in
1875.
Talking of Epiphany …
I was telling my brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and
three boys the myrrh for the infant Jesus. Clearly giving
story of the it a lot of thought, my six-year-old said,
Nativity and how "Mum, a Wise Woman would have
the Wise Men brought nappies."
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