Last day in the old place. It’s a month now since the phone call from Bullingdon, the new minister’s special adviser, to tell me I’d got the job – seconded to be the first director of the new National Museum of British History! The heart of the British nation beating to the drum of the glorious past!
As I said in my interview: “Every tin-pot dictatorship in the world, every spying oppressor of its own people, every war-mongering invader of other nations, has a museum of national history so why not the English? (I meant the British, of course, but no one noticed.)
My little speech seemed to go down well with the panel. “Bravo!” said Lord B. “You have hit the nail on the head.”
My appointment is proof that key jobs in the arts truly are open to anyone with talent. It is only nine years since I left Oxford and I have little experience, yet the panel recognised my talent.
This afternoon colleagues from the plastic coins and industrial tokens department held a little farewell do for me and the champagne flowed freely. Everyone seemed absolutely thrilled at my getting this new job.
The director joined us and did a hilarious imitation of a Lady Di teapot, along with the deputy director as a Prince Charles mug.
The director even gave me a personal card of congratulation – a photograph of himself dressed as a Mesopotamian king from antiquity resting on snow-white cushions with his cat Saddam on his lap.
Inside he had crossed out the greeting “Happy Christmas” and in its place had written some wise words – “Every sword has two sides” – and then added in his usual jocular fashion, “Don’t expect your old job back.”
Illustration: Paul Bommer/Higgonsonhurst
As I said in my interview: “Every tin-pot dictatorship in the world, every spying oppressor of its own people, every war-mongering invader of other nations, has a museum of national history so why not the English? (I meant the British, of course, but no one noticed.)
My little speech seemed to go down well with the panel. “Bravo!” said Lord B. “You have hit the nail on the head.”
My appointment is proof that key jobs in the arts truly are open to anyone with talent. It is only nine years since I left Oxford and I have little experience, yet the panel recognised my talent.
This afternoon colleagues from the plastic coins and industrial tokens department held a little farewell do for me and the champagne flowed freely. Everyone seemed absolutely thrilled at my getting this new job.
The director joined us and did a hilarious imitation of a Lady Di teapot, along with the deputy director as a Prince Charles mug.
The director even gave me a personal card of congratulation – a photograph of himself dressed as a Mesopotamian king from antiquity resting on snow-white cushions with his cat Saddam on his lap.
Inside he had crossed out the greeting “Happy Christmas” and in its place had written some wise words – “Every sword has two sides” – and then added in his usual jocular fashion, “Don’t expect your old job back.”
Illustration: Paul Bommer/Higgonsonhurst
