When tomorrow comes

I like to slip quietly into the New Year without too much fuss.  A nice glass of red, a good book, and some mellow music.  Since you ask, this year it was a decent bottle of Chianti, Pies and prejudice; in search of the North by Stuart Maconie (Ebury Press 2007), and a compilation of Nat King Cole Classics.  I think we'll probably return to Mr Maconie and the "Northern Lad" theme in future blog postings.  In the meantime, his book has some good stuff about public libraries in Crewe and Wigan (page 44 etc), a fine piece in praise of Bury Market and Katsouris Deli (page 154 etc), and a few words about a library in Oldham (page 171 etc).  Then he disappears towards Saddleworth Moor and Yorkshire, the daft sod.

Anyway, back to New Year's Eve ... when at one point, I was scanning idly through the entertainment on offer on the telly and discovered that on the Sky Family Movies Channel it was possible to see in the New Year while watching The Librarian: return to King Solomon's mines!  Doubtless this was screened as a nailed-on ratings blockbuster ("Sky Family channel tops New Year viewing chart as millions tune in to The Librarian")  Or was it screened because the good people at Sky knew that everyone would either be out partying or slumped senseless in front of Jools and his ghastly Hootennanny?

No matter, it's good to know that Sky sees The Librarian as wholesome family entertainment suitable for times of collective celebration - perhaps, one time it will be added to the hardy annuals of the holiday season, like It's a Wonderful Life and re-runs of the Morecambe & Wise Show.  Or perhaps not.  It's also good to know that Stuart Maconie (a man of impeccable taste if his writing and Radio Two DJ-ing is anything to go by) likes libraries.  I don't think Mr Maconie would like to be bracketed with the Murdoch media empire - but the combination of Stuart and Sky gave me a nice warm glow (which wasn't entirely caused by the Chianti) as we moved into the New Year.

So I just thought I'd share that warm feeling with you - as well as commending Stuart Maconie's book to anyone out there who (like me) believes that the epicentre of the known universe is a modest mill town in south-east Lancashire.