I’ve had an email from someone surprised to see Elizabeth and I enjoying Havana cigars in the smoking room of JJ Fox, the oldest cigar merchant in the world, in our recent Xmas message (video, 27:13). Maybe he’s the one person among 69 people who’ve voted on it, and downvoted it.

He politely requested an assurance that the cigars hadn’t been purchased with J4MB funds. Not that I owe the man that assurance, given Elizabeth and I draw no income from donations and party membership subscriptions, but I thought others might be wondering the same thing, so I’m pleased to confirm that Elizabeth and I paid for them, at a combined cost of £30.10. We thought, “It’s Xmas, it’s been a good year, let’s celebrate!”

When I had rather more money than I do today – up to about 10 years ago – one of my few luxuries was buying political cartoons. One of the few I still own is a cartoon by Dave Brown, then as now the cartoonist for The Independent. I bought it in an exhibition – “The Rogues’ Gallery Exhibition” – at The Political Cartoon Gallery in London, in 2007 (the store no longer exists, sadly). The key to the cartoon is, obviously, the similarity in the pronunciation of “Iraq” and “Tie Rack”.

I still have the catalogue for the exhibition, both the (framed) cartoon and its catalogue remain in pristine condition. An image I’ve just taken on my smartphone:

The picture references William Blake’s God Judging Adam (1795):

I’m looking for a reasonable offer for the picture, along with the associated catalogue. Approximate dimensions:

Visible image: 33 x 23cm
Frame: 57 x 47cm

Please contact me (mike@j4mb.org.uk / 07967 026163) if you’d like to make an offer for the picture. Reserve price £500.00. Thanks.

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