Some time ago I had cause to attend a dinner where the entertainment of an after dinner speaker was supplied in the form of one Rev. Richard Coles. The name was not unfamiliar to me. Indeed I quite often hear his languorous tones on Saturday mornings as I drive to training. He co presents Radio 4's "Saturday Live," with Sian Williams.
Not having ever been a follower of popular music I was unaware that he had been a bit of pop star in another life. Apparently he was fifty percent of the 1980's duo, "The Communards." His calling to High Church Anglicism clearly came as a bit of a career shift, although I suppose that as a priest he still has the ability to perform and even dress up. I wonder what's new in humeral veils this season? So on second thoughts maybe the change in direction is not so extreme. On occasions he does come across as if he is playing a part.
As an after dinner speaker he was moderately entertaining, although I thought that he could have introduced more asides concerning the people that he has met. He dropped a few names, but there was no elaboration. Sometimes I did think that I was listening to a job candidate giving a summary of his life and career to date.
Probably not the automatic choice of speaker for a rugby club dinner, but he would go down a storm at the annual WI jamboree at the Royal Albert Hall. Just sufficiently off piste for that audience methinks.
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