The Barber Diaries: Vol. VIII

Tender Are the Powerful

October 10th 2022

Dinner at Stationer’s Hall with Bagpuss. Bagpuss is a large, pink and white stuffed cartoon cat; he is also a shrewd political observer, whose name carries weight in The City. Seated above a crystalline glass of Pinot Noir and a (yet untouched) plate of spaghetti carbonara; this cool customer gives nothing away. From what I’ve heard, and read, of his work: I do know that Bagpuss is an instinctive conservative with a quiet, but deep, respect for British sense of fair play and democratic institutions. “What do you think of Mrs. Truss?” I ask in a querying whisper. The beady, button-like black eyes fix me with an intense stare. I’ve sat down with many of the movers and shakers of global markets over the years and some would make the late Calvin Coolidge seem talkative; this takes the mickey. Suddenly, a response, in the distinctive high-pitched, enraged, squeaky voice of Bagpuss. “Look at her, I mean just look at her, it’s a bloody shambles;  she just hasn’t got a clue.” Gideon Rachman, an F.T old hand who wrote Easternisation, occupies the third place at our table; “Why are you speaking out of the corner of your mouth while pretending the cat is talking, Lionel?” Foiled again. “What are we doing here, Lionel?”