Box Clever

Happy Boxing Day! 

And welcome to the perennial argument over why it's called Boxing Day. 

There are two main competing theories (though others do exist). 

The first relates to the European tradition - dating back to the Middle Ages - of placing an alms box in the narthex of Christian churches to collect donations for the poor. This, in turn, may have its roots in the late Roman/early Christian era when alms boxes placed in churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of St Stephen which falls on the same day as Boxing Day (and is commemorated in the carol of Good King Wenceslas). On this day, it is customary for the alms boxes to be opened and the contents distributed to the poor. 

Or ... 

It may be all to do with so-called 'Christmas boxes ' - the custom of tradesmen/women collecting gifts of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. The oldest evidence for this is in the Oxford English Dictionary (1830) where Boxing Day is defined as, 'the first weekday after Christmas day, observed as a holiday on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas box'. Meanwhile, the term 'Christmas box' dates back to the 17th century and is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19th December 1663. The custom is probably linked to an older British tradition where the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. 

Whatever the origin, Boxing Day should be a day when we think about those who are in dire need of help. So, on this day, even if you are heading out to the sales, consider a donation to a homeless charity or a food bank. 

You'll be a better person for doing so and you'll feel good too.

Meanwhile, all over the UK, people will be celebrating the day in their own unique ways. In Somerset, the Keynsham Mummers will be performing their annual play.

And in Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, today's the day of the annual Barrel Rolling Race. 

And over a hundred swimmers in Aberdeen will be braving the icy waters of the North Sea in fancy dress at the Nippy Dipper Boxing Day Dip.       

There are so many other events going on around the UK - why not check if something is going on near where you live?

It has to be more fun than fighting among the Boxing Day sales crowds.

Cabinet of Curiosities - Day 26

We'll celebrate Boxing Day with an item I've never unboxed - my collection of Horrified B-Movie Victims.

I bought this in 2008 at Comicon in San Diego. It's such a fun item - you simply set up the figures to look as if they're running from some terrifying monster and then provide the monster. It could even be a giant you! If you want to see what the figures look like in close-up click here.

Incidentally, if you're a fan of comics, fantasy art, gaming, TV and film then do save your pennies and try to get to Comicon if you can. You only need to go once as it's overwhelming. I went with a mate and we spent three days walking around the event and still didn't see everything. You will, however, see cosplayers by the thousand. They really go for it for Comicon and we saw everything from the sublime to the ridiculous and everything in between. Here is just a sample:

Nadelik Lowen (as we say in Cornwall)!

Have a fantastic day today! 

Or else.

Cabinet of Curiosities - Day 25

A very merry Christmas to you all!

And it seems appropriate to use this item - a QI bauble from the on set Christmas tree.

  
We all got given a bauble as one of our crew gifts one year and it was hugely poignant for me as I wrote that year's Christmas show. 

Writing the Christmas show was always a challenge. Every series of QI is based on a letter of the alphabet - we started with Series A and we're currently nearing the end of the alphabet with Series T currently showing. What will QI do after Series Z? Who knows. Stephen Fry used to quip that we'd start on the numbers. 'That'll take us on a few years', he'd say. 

But the letter theme goes deeper that just the series. It's fractal. Each episode is also themed around the series letter. And each question too. So, for example, for Series M I wrote an episode called Monster Mash. And the questions featured minotaurs, molochs, megapodes and mythological beasts among other things. 

And that's why Christmas shows were tricky - after 20 years (so far) of Christmas shows, the number of quite interesting facts not already covered offers slim pickings - let alone having to find a connection to the series letter. I therefore started looking a little bit left-field for my Noel episode (series N). And I found some Novelties and Nostalgic parlour games. 

My research led me to this lovely little book. Many of the games listed had great potential but the book's titular game gave me the perfect idea for a segment on the show.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

   

I'll admit that some of my colleagues were unconvinced. QI is a rightly acknowledged as a smart TV show where people learn things. This, they said, seemed a bit 'dumbed-down'. But I convinced them to go with it as there was plenty of other smart stuff on the show. And, besides, it was Christmas - what better time to have a little bit of silly fun. 

I'm glad I convinced them as it's often mentioned as one of viewers' favourite segments. 

It was also the year that Sandi Toksvig had some Nisse - Danish elf - hats made for the cast (and you can see the blue baubles hanging on the trees behind them in this photo) and she gave me one of them after the show as a keepsake. It comes out every Christmas - sometimes even on the daily dog walk 

So, please, have yourselves a few games of Are You There Moriarty today and have a really fantastic Christmas!

Christmas Eve, Devil's Bells and Ashen Faggots

Many things are going on today - quite apart from it being Christmas Eve.

In the parish church of Dewsbury, Yorkshire, a team of bell ringers will be Tolling the Devil's Knell. That means ringing the tenor bell known as ‘Black Tom of Soothill’. Starting at around 10.30 pm, the bell-ringers toll the bell once for every year since Christ was born – it takes a while to get through but it is meticulously counted and the final stroke is timed for midnight. Legend has it the practice began in the 13th century when Thomas de Soothill, a local baron, killed a servant boy. As penance he gave a bell to All Saint’s Church and ordered it rung every Christmas to remind him of his crime. After midnight Black Tom is rung once more to remind the Devil of his defeat by the birth of Christ and to protect the town from evil for the coming year.

You can watch all 2015 peals rung in 2015 by clicking here if you're so inclined but here's a shorter video:.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Yorkshire, The Poor Old Hoss of Richmond will be on its rounds. T’Owd ‘Oss (as he is locally known) is a hobby horse with a real horse-skull on a pole. He is accompanied by a group of mummers in huntsmen costumes who sing his special song and bring him back to life with a blast on a hunting horn when he 'dies'. The day begins with a morning get-together of the participants at a local pub and most of the action takes place around the Market Place area, in and out of the pubs and the bank. There is a special session at the Town Hall aimed at children which will hopefully keep the custom alive and kicking for future generations. The custom is believed to have pagan origins, with known records dating back to the Seventeenth Century. In the lead up to Christmas, the group also tour local villages. 

Further south in the West Country we find the Dunster & Axmouth Ashen Faggot. The Ashen Faggot is a large log bound with withies (a flexible willow stem used in basket making and other things) which is burned indoors in the hearth. A sip of alcohol - I highly recommend a warmed home-made sloe gin - is taken as each withy breaks in the flames. The practice still survives in country pubs notably the Lutrell Arms in Dunster, Somerset,  and the Harbour Inn at Axmouth in Devon and in both these cases, the burning normally takes place on Christmas Eve (in some other locations it takes place on January 5th or 17th which are Old Christmas Eve and Old Twelfth Night respectively, if you adhere to the pre-Gregorian calendar). At Dunster their faggot consists of twelve thick sticks bound in a bundle using ash withies and the Dunster Carol is sung while it burns in the vast fireplace. It’s a revived custom dating back to the 1930s but with much older roots. At Axmouth a six-foot-long faggot is constructed in a bundle of hazel twigs. As the faggot burns carol singing and recitations take place. 

And here's the wonderful Shirley Collins singing the Ashen Faggot Wassail:

Happy Christmas Eve!

Cabinet of Curiosities - Day 24

Today's curiosity consists of two very special books.

First up it's a signed copy of The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd.

I was very lucky to meet Douglas a few times before his ridiculously early death. The first time was at the premises of Save the Rhino, a charity that he believed passionately in and for which was proud to be a founder patron. His only non-fiction book (and my favourite book of all time) Last Chance to See had been published the year before (1990). It was co-authored with naturalist Mark Carwardine and I had a first edition hardback copy that I asked him to sign. 

I went on to meet him a few more times and, at one of those occasions (at the now sadly defunct Museum of the Moving Image) I asked him to sign my copy of The Meaning of Liff.

Tragically, Douglas then left us in 2001.

Because of my connection to several people who worked with him I was invited to the first Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture at the Royal Institution in 2003. It was hosted by Stephen Fry, featured a lecture by Professor Richard Dawkins and in the audience were people from all walks of Douglas's life, including half of Pink Floyd and the Monty Python crew. After the event, I had the chance to chat to a few other guests including Douglas's widow Jane, Dave Gilmour, Terry Jones and Stephen Fry. Stephen, in turn, introduced me to John Lloyd and we got on famously. In due course (and on publication of my first book, for which Stephen kindly wrote a cover quote), John invited me to contribute to the QI annuals and, ultimately, to the QI books and the TV and radio shows. And, of course, I asked John to sign my copy of The Meaning of Liff, so his and Douglas's signatures were finally together, albeit written a decade apart.

And then, in 2009, Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine embarked on a journey (and TV series) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Douglas's Last Chance to See adventure. I was, by now, a fully-fledged member of the QI team and one of the show's primary writers. You can therefore imagine my delight when Stephen told me that Mark was coming along as a guest to watch us record an episode at the London Studios. Mark was a lovely chap to chat to in the Green Room and, yes, of course I got him to sign my 1990 copy of the book - 20 years after Douglas had signed it for me.

As a footnote, I'll also mention that Douglas's daughter Polly worked as an intern on the TV show around that time. She's a remarkable young woman and we're still in contact to this day.

So, today's curiosities are two very special signed books written by some very special people.

But there is one more special book to come ...

Tom Bawcock’s Eve

There are certain times of year when I wish I still lived in Cornwall. The homesickness sets in around the first few weeks of May, for example (see here). And this time of year also brings on the urge to head for 'home'. Especially with Montol (see here) a couple of days ago in Penzance and Tom Bawcock's Eve being celebrated in Mousehole and Newlyn tonight.

According to local legend, the people of Mousehole were close to starving on the night before Christmas Eve. Fierce storms had kept the fleet moored in harbour and there was no fish to eat. But brave Tom Bawcock put to sea despite the danger and managed to land a fine catch. His act of heroism save dthe village and is commemorated annually. The story is re-enacted in the harbour, the streets are illuminated with the famous harbour lights, there is a lantern parade, and a special local delicacy called star gazey pie is served - a fish pie with a pastry crust through which a small school of fish gaze up at the diners and the heavens above. 

You’ll also hear a  song about Tom’s brave act. It starts like this:

'A merry place you may believe, 

Was Mouzel 'pon Tom Bawcock's Eve. 

To be there then who wud'n wesh, 

To sup o' seven sorts o' fesh.'  

I lived in nearby Penzance until I was 11 and we always went along to see the lights at Mousehole and Newlyn. 

I will confess, though, that for years I thought they were singing 'Tom Ballcock'. It was an honest mistake - there were no song sheets as everyone locally knows the song and it was decades before the internet. 

As I've said before, folk memory is long and Tom Bawcock supposedly performed his heroic deed in the 16th century.

How fantastic is it to still be celebrating him - and the entire Cornish fishing industry - some 500 years later.

Happy Tom Bawcock's Eve, folks!