Act 5 scene 1

Alas, etc. The wheel turns and the infinite jest brings us to Samhain once more. Forgive the grin, my Yorik is no man's son. I bought this plaster skull in Paris in 1977 and he sits on my bookshelves, cautioning me to enjoy the fun, for one day it will be over.

Halloween seems to have been a month long pumpkin party. Understandable in these times, to keep the kids entertained, but for those who actually honour the feast of death and passing its all gone a bit orange. So I don't feel bad for bringing a little unreal reality to the thing.

Stay safe, folks. The storms of the winter half of the year approach and with them an almost certain new lockdown. Look out for each other, from a distance but with care. Tonight I'll raise a glass - ok, another glass - to those who've gone on into mystery, and no-one needs to rush to join them.

Hail, ancestors of blood, of mud and of tradition.