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  • 09.45 Emerge from sleeping bag.
  • 10.20 Emerge from tent.
  • 10.30 Make way from camping area to catch 12 .30pm recording of legendary Radio 4 panel game ‘Just a Minute‘.
  • 10.45 Arrive at arena. Wake up.
  • 10.50 Discover the Just a Minute queue is already about sixty-three miles long. The irony is not lost on me.
  • 10.52 Reluctantly join queue. Have never seen so many Radio 4 listeners in one place. Am reminded about those movie legends about The Wizard of Oz: during filming, the Munchkin actors were said to be so overwhelmed by the unprecedented availability of like-sized people they lost all inhibitions and indulged in lust-fuelled, gin-soaked orgies and “dwarf sex parties”. Remind myself that these are Radio 4 listeners: if they lose their inhibitions they’ll probably indulge themselves in a slightly-loopy, slightly-tipsy, letter-writing binge and hit the coconut macaroons like there’s no tomorrow.
  • 10.52 Remind myself that I, too, am a Radio 4 listener.
  • 11.00 Starting to get restless. I didn’t come all the way to Suffolk to queue in a field. Maybe I should contact You and Yours?
  • 11.05 Clare, Brother Younger and Chris arrive. They can’t believe I’ve come all the way to Suffolk to queue in a field. so I can watch a radio show. I can’t believe I’m trying to justify myself.
  • 11.15 Chris finds out that all the Just a Minute tickets have gone. Understandably enough, the queue is heard to grumble. This is done without repetition, deviation or hesitation.