My middle name is Campbell. There, I've said it. It's a name I hate. I always got the mickey taken out of me at school for it. Every time I was called it, I wanted to react, but managed not to. So don't expect me to cry many tears over THIS.Kids can be very cruel, can't they? Another shortlived nickname I had at Saffron Walden County High School was 'tortoise' - seemingly because I ran like one. Yes, I know, tortoises don't run, but apparently I stick my neck out when I run. There was a simple solution to that one. Stop running.
So what was your nickname at school, and how did you live it down?
Look on the bright side Iain - at least your first name isn't Alastair.
ReplyDeleteI had two.
ReplyDeleteOne was Big D., as those are my initials.
The other was Bruiser. I have no idea where this came from but it stuck...
They called me “Bod.” Because I looked a bit like Bod.
ReplyDeletePenfold and it gave me issues for life
ReplyDeletemy friend at school, (long time ago) had campbell for a surname. All she ever got was soupy, my surname is mcguinness so I got ginty, or big ginty cos I am quite tall. I hated it.
ReplyDeleteGlad when I got married and got rid of it.
Then my husband worked the night shift - and he became known as the devil.
Theres no end to it is there?
Completely off (your) topic but I met a guy who worked at the Cambells factory in Kings Lynn about 5 years ago. He had no qualifications or particular skills but earned in excess of 30K per annum by working all the hours God sends.
ReplyDeleteIt is one reason I am a conservative. He makes a choice to work longer. His choice. If he lived in France with a 35 hour week he would earn 12K a year.
The benefit of sweat equity.
Beef Burger, due to my surname :/, but Paul is right, it can always be worse
ReplyDelete'Murray Mints'
ReplyDeleteMy surname is Murray and I was a teenager when 'Murray Mints' used the 'you can never hurry a Murray' tag line on their adverts. An unusually cruel twist of fate for someone not particularly gifted at sports....
"Womble", because I was small (like a womble) and supported Wimbledon.
ReplyDeleteI loved it.
For those of us who have the Gaelic or at least a smattering of, Campbell means twisted or crooked mouth. Could be seen as quite appropriate for someone in politics
ReplyDeleteAnd Cameron means crooked or twisted nose
My surname is Spinella.
ReplyDeleteIN Italian a spinellO is a joint.
So you can imagine what I went through in high school in Italy.
Ironically, or perhaps because of it, I have never toked or in any way injested marijuana in my life.
Iain
ReplyDeleteYou are sounding a lot mor relaxed of late and you appear on the lighter side.
Why is this? ( its good)
Mine seemed to change from school to school. I was "Flyer" because I was a fast runner and because of my surname (Starling) at Middle School, but then became "Tweety",again because of my surname and because I never shut up at High School.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when Iain Dale's blog was considered a 'must-read'. Anything but, now. I read only out of amusement, and for confirmation that he has now become the Sarah Kennedy of blogging. Vapid. Tedious. Introspective.
ReplyDeleteIf it isn't a plug for an appearance on Is Anyone Watching TV at 3.20am, a 'survey' masquerading as how many mind-numbing categories can you think of, a thinly-veiled "I still love David Davis", or some mindless attempt to stimulate a thread with a question like "What was your nickname at school", then it's posting stories from other blogs and people. I don't see much original any more.
I can only see that as all his other career options seem to be withering on the vine, a career on Radio Norfolk beckons. But the Alan Partridge slot has already been taken ...
Bye then. Missing you already. Funny how more and more people are reading, eh? Still, can't please all of the people etc etc...
ReplyDeleteNot Worth Reading - Funny how all the socialist trolls read exactly alike. It's as though they write from a template. There's no substance in their posts; and never anything new, unexpected or entertaining. Their language is leaden and drab.
ReplyDeleteBye bye, Not Worth Reading. With all these readers keen to join in discussions, it was getting a bit crowded around here, so you will free up a space for someone with something to say. Have a fairly OK Christmas.
That's fine, Iain. But then quantity has never been the same as quality has it?
ReplyDeleteI just think in the interests of Trades Descriptions that you better change your slogan from "political commentary, analysis and gossip from the heart of Westminster" to something else.
It's a shame, because I used to enjoy your blog. I've never posted before today, so the fact I feel strongly enough to do so (out of sadness rather than malice) is something I like to think might give you a moment's pause for thought - rather than dismissing me. I was just expressing my disappointment at the turn you seem to have taken. You just seem to have lost your way a little. Let's hope you find it again in your magazine which I look forward to reading. I very much enjoyed "George" so I have high hopes.
Incidentally, if Keith Simpson really has read all those books over the last year, maybe that's why few have heard of the frontbencher!!
Well, as I said, it is impossible to please everyone. I do take negative comments seriously. You don't actually say what you would like to see more of. You seem to not like the personals stuff if I have read between the lines correctly, but this is a diary, and most people seem to like some of the more whimsical stuff I produce as well as the normal political comments.
ReplyDeleteDo tell me what you would like to see me do different.
I think I've already implied I'd like to see more from the original mission statement, and a bit less of what I satirised (rather cruelly, maybe) in my first post.
ReplyDeleteJust had a look back at December 2006 to remind myself what I used to enjoy - there was much more politics, a lot less 'daily life' anecdotes, a bit more of what you thought rather than requests for what we thought - believe it or not, I find your views more interesting than random anonymous correspondents!
Just a few thoughts.
We can all recognize when someone is busy; blogs go through fallow periods as much as farmland does, or should. Iain's no less who he was. He's just taken on the task of turning his ship around, and that can be distracting.
ReplyDeleteIf I thought he was losing his edge, I'd say something offensive. That usually works.
Iain - I like your 'human' posts. They help people to understand what you're all about.
ReplyDeleteWhy should you only discuss 'serious political issues' all the time? How many people do that in real life??! Not many.
I bet you most politicians and leading intellectuals are busy watching 'Strictly Come Dancing' as we speak...
Some people are just so dour...
I like your spirit - keep up the good work.
Oh Verity, you've quite made my day by calling me a "Socialist troll"! No-one has ever called me a socialist before - I'm a Conservative to the marrow of my bones, party member, frequent candidate, etc. etc. etc. et al. It's a comfort that if and when the revolution comes, I'll know I'll be quite safe masquerading as a socialist whilst I put glass in the workers' butter.
ReplyDeleteAs for my writing style, I think I'll make "He's leaden. He's drab" my new slogan - post-modern ironic and all that.
Raincoaster's point is a fair one that maintaining a blog at the level Iain does is fairly time-consuming - and that quality does suffer if other things distract - like a new magazine. Perhaps it might be worth asking if a few less posts a day would be a bad thing?