I bought a record today. It is Fairytale of New York and it is one of my favourite Christmas songs. I did it because there is a growing underground movement driven by the now-aged and ultimately doomed rebels among us to make it Christmas Number One.
Part of my admiration is that, despite his boozing and heroin and methadone and the cocktail cabinet of every other drug that conspires against recreation, his addictions, illnesses and – yes – looks, Shane McGowan had the love, respect and admiration of a girl who was able to write this on his death.
Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life. He has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese. I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures. There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world. Thank you… for your presence in this world, you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music. You will live in my heart forever. Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much. You meant the world to me.
So I’m off to Newbury to watch Celtic Art run in the colours of another departed friend, who was the antithesis of everything Shane stood for and achieved, and I miss them both. I shall have the poetry of Fairytale of New York humming gently in the background as we watch the brave and the good and the racing crowd and I’ll wonder if they know.
I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can’t make it all alone
I’ve built my dreams around you
11:45 FAIRYHOUSE:
AIME DESJY 2 pts e/w
1:05 Coral Committed To Safer Gambling Novices’ Hdl Cl3 (4yo+) 2m4½f RTV 12 run
JEU DES CHAMPS 2 pts e/w
1:40 Coral Racing Club Hcap Hdl Cl2 (4yo+ 0-150) 2m4½f ITV 11 run
IRISH HILL 4 pts Win – COBBLERS DREAM 2 pts Win
2:15 Bet In Race With Coral Intermediate Hcap Hdl (Reg’ As The Gerry Feilden) (Cl1 (4yo+) 2m½f ITV 8 run
UNDER CONTROL is too short
BAD 3 pts e/w
2:50 Coral Gold Cup Hcap Chs Cl1 (4yo+) 3m2f ITV 20 run
Possibly not the best field ever – the favourite is a perfectly reasonable selection.
COMPLETE UNKNOWN 4 pts Win – BILL BAXTER 2 pts e/w – GA LAW 1 pt e/w
3:25 Coral Get Closer To The Action Hcap Chs (For The Jim Joel Memorial Trophy) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-150) 2m½f ITV 6 run
MASTER CHEWY won on chase debut at Aintree and delivered an impressive second-place finish to Djelo three weeks ago. Despite a 6lb increase, he looks the most likely winner.
MASTER CHEWY 6 pts Win