Rugby (Union) and fannish thoughts

[nineveh_uk]

In the previously-mentioned universe in which Harriet Vane’s detective novels are made into a TV series (hopefully more faithfully than your average Christie adaptation), someone will have to be found to play her detective, Robert Templeton.

[Robert Templeton] was a gentleman of extraordinary scientific skill, combined with almost fabulous muscular development. He had arms like an orang-utan and an ugly but attractive face. She took conjured up his phantom before her in the suit of rather loud plus-fours with which she was accustomed to invest him, and took counsel with him in spirit.

I can now announce that that man is French rugby union player Sebastian Chabal. If this was Harriet’s vision of the archetypal great detective, no wonder it took her a while to reconcile herself to fancying Lord Peter Wimsey, who undoubtedly spent his first two terms at Eton having his head stamped into the mud every time he was forced, white knees trembling, out on to the field.

Still perfecting my Yuletide sign-up plans. Question, if twenty-one people have already volunteered to write Wimsey fanfic, why the hell aren’t they doing it the rest of the time?

Comments

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Whereas Denver would have ADORED it.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I bet Denver played the wall game, too.

Popping home at lunchtime enabled me to check a bit of transcribed Thones, Dominations MS and the news that Denver's prime use to his little brother was preventing his being molested in the showers (I paraphrase a bit). I see Peter as holding up his own on the sports front at prep school, bolstered by being good at cricket and otherwise happy to run about kicking things as much as your average 9 year old, but coming a cropper faced with a gang of hefty Eton adolescents who actually take the whole thing seriously, and before you know it he's been knocked down a couple of times, made some unpopular remarks, and is Flimsy Wimsey.

My sister is a very slight rugby player, so it can be done, but she is also tall, unconcerned about filth, and was pulling doors off their hinges aged four.

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Denver's prime use to his little brother was preventing his being molested in the showers (I paraphrase a bit).

Ho yuss, I definitely detect some paraphrasin' goin' on there.

Does Flim come from Flimsey? You learn something new every day. Makes perfect sense though. Okay, I'll buy it. As long as I am allowed to imagine that that Flimsey Wimsey took a Stalky-esque revenge on all molestery rugger buggers and face stampers.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I'm not paraphrasin' that much; courtesy of Uncle Paul "I fancy, too, he had escaped the grubbier manifestations of schoolboy sexuality - there at least his brother's fists would have been willing and able to protect him". Though one notes that if we thereby rule out one side of fagging, there may be scope for voluntary interest, esp. if one takes a Bill Clinton-ish view.

I like the idea of Stalky-esque revenge - a thirst for justice beginning with the rescue of some unhappy first year, pursual of the culprits, and a clever payback...

[azdak.livejournal.com]

"I fancy, too, he had escaped the grubbier manifestations of schoolboy sexuality - there at least his brother's fists would have been willing and able to protect him"

Wow! Good old DL, telling it like it is. I'm impressed (or was that JPW?)

there may be scope for voluntary interest, esp. if one takes a Bill Clinton-ish view.

You mean "I didn't inhale, and she didn't swallow"?


I like the idea of Stalky-esque revenge

Preferably involving a dead cat.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

DLS - it's in one of the bits that JPW left out.

You mean "I didn't inhale, and she didn't swallow"
I can only say "unk". But 17 year old Peter seems pretty much untouched by human hands as far as anything significant goes (17 1/2 yr old Peter, of course, being up for grabs).

Dead cat request noted.