In which the Editor experiences a frisson

The Editor - much to Lady Bracknell's dismay - has a great fondness for Tim Burton's moving picture, The Nightmare Before Christmas. (Mr Larkin recently had cause to sigh deeply in response to her distress when she temporarily lost the pumpkin charm from her mobile phone, and to agree with Lady Bracknell that her reaction to having misplaced a small piece of orange plastic was not that which might have been expected from a grown woman.) Imagine, then, the excited squeaking which ensued when she discovered that a full-size Jack Skellington walking stick has been produced, and may be purchased cheaply from this eBay seller or, at considerably greater expense, from starstore. (And, very probably, from a variety of other retail outlets too numerous to mention.)



The stick would be of very little practical use to the Editor, given that it has no crook and could thus not be draped over her wrist when she has temporary need for both hands to be free. And she is far from sure that it would support her not-inconsiderable weight. Neither of which considerations, of course, significantly reduces her temptation to buy one right now this instant minute. (Lady Bracknell has suborned her into taking dictation so that she will be kept busy until the initial rush of excitement has passed. Never let it be said that Lady Bracknell pays no heed at all to the welfare of her employees.)





At the other end of the scale entirely, those of Lady Bracknell's readers who have need of a handsome walking stick, and whose purses are bottomless, may find themselves salivating with desire over the work of Boris Palatnik, of which the splendid cougar below is but one example.