大象传媒

From comedian & writer Paul Kerensa:

Chris, you and I have had quite a ride 鈥� we鈥檝e paused, we鈥檝e thought, we鈥檝e geared up, we鈥檝e thanked something it鈥檚 Friday. It鈥檚 been a joy to join you, but especially to listen, because alongside delicious guests and musical superstars, you have paused and thought and philosophised, more than anyone.

This show鈥檚 generosity and family and warmth, feels straight out of my all-time favourite novel: A Christmas Carol. So influential a book, it even gate-crashes a certain Shakespeare sitcom this Christmas, I hear.

On first release, Dickens鈥� tale literally made people who hated Christmas, go out and buy turkeys. It made factory owners give workers the day off. And I only discovered last week: after its success, Dickens helped found Great Ormond Street Hospital.

I鈥檝e mentioned here before, that place saved my life 鈥� born as I was, with some of my innards being unusually鈥� 鈥榦ut-ards鈥�. My condition was unfixable till a few years before I appeared. So without their pioneering healthcare 鈥� and, I鈥檝e just learned, without Scrooge 鈥� I literally may not be alive.

Charles Dickens lived a few doors down from the hospital. He campaigned for it, and at a couple of dinners, he fundraised a six-figure sum in today鈥檚 money. He changed opinions, when hospitals weren鈥檛 for those starting life, but those near its end.

Not just generous, but enabling and encouraging others to be generous too 鈥� Dickens echoed Tiny Tim鈥檚 observation, God bless us, every one. I reckon if we鈥檙e asking God to bless everyone, he puts people in place to make that happen.

With Carfest and the vast spondoogles you鈥檝e raised for Children in Need, for today鈥檚 Tiny Tims, it鈥檚 no exaggeration to say you鈥檝e done the Dickens. Generations from now, those repercussions will keep repercussing 鈥� just as I鈥檓 only here now because of the donations at those 150-year-old 鈥楧ine & Dickens鈥� fundraisers.

You鈥檝e made us all want to go and metaphorically buy turkeys. But I鈥檒l also raise a glass of Olly Smith-recommended beverage to the listeners who鈥檝e given 鈥� enabled and encouraged by your-good-self. And surely if we all pass that on, inspiring others鈥� generosity too, then 鈥楪ood Evans鈥�, that is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving.

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