The Hoodoo Strikes After All

Charlton 1 Leicester C. 2

I suppose it is all about complacency. On the days of the Third and Fourth Rounds of the Cup, Charlton bloggers, contributors to chatlines and the like, were all being very careful to placate the gods, not tempting fate, and all remarking on the fact that Charlton do not do well in cup competitions against opposition from lower divisions.

Unfortunately, having successfully placated the gods twice, we all assumed that they'd be on our side against Leicester, for no-one mentioned lower-league opposition, though the Inspector had the grace to be slightly apprehensive. And that's when the gods struck. The Inspector's page links to reports, if you're interested.

So there we are. No repeat of the Burnley - Charlton final of 1947, though Burnley did not lose to the dreaded Blackburn this afternoon, as I had assumed they would, so will at least be in tomorrow's draw for the Sixth Round. More on them later in the week.

I have been very busy updating the database of all the books in my flat - about 4,000 of them I think. I have a database set up with name, author, a code number inside a system of my own invention for the type of book, and, most importantly, which shelf it is on, each individual shelf having been allotted a 2-digit code (not actually marked on them though). It was a great luxury, five or six years ago, to be able to tap the name of the book or author into the database and find what you wanted, instead of spending up to two days heaving piles of books all over the place in search of something which you turned out to have lent someone. However time has gone by; new books have been bought and others shifted around; books have gradually not been put back where they belonged, and I realised last summer that the database was practically useless as a guide to where things were, so I decided to bring it up to date. For months, piles of books have been lying about the place awaiting logging, or relogging, and reallocating, and each weekend I mean to start in, and somehow I have never managed it, until finally, one morning in the middle of last week, following a 1½-hour search for something I suddenly needed to read again, the first three volumes were added to the system, and since then I have hardly been able to stop. It is fascinating and tremendously satisfying. The only problem is that books are unearthed which have to be re-investigated, and others come to light which haven't even been read yet. However, as problems go, this is one I can live with.

I have been so busy with the books that I omitted to report an exciting last-minute victory last Monday for our extremely depleted team, missing the two who were being quizmasters, and one flu victim, and supplemented only by our colleague and occasional reserve, Liz. Well done, all of you. And a pat on the back for me while I'm at it.

The team of young English people are still taking their weekly defeats reasonably well, though they are now talking about being the quizmasters soon, and setting a quiz "aimed at a young audience". I cannot imagine what this might consist of, as in my experience young people know remarkably little (I occasionally set quizzes for my students at the Centre, so I can prove this to be true) about anything. I'll keep you posted.