Parliamentary Handbook Exchange 2024

 The Exchange and Society met at the home of patron in chief Leigh Sealy on the experience of his significant birthday, in Lenah Valley/New Town, on Friday 12th December 2025. There were a number of observers, enjoying the well cooked sausages and sauces provided at this 'experiential' luncheon. I observe people don't just dine or eat any longer, they go to a place for an experience. Well, tabled: Books - Parliamentary Handbook 1984 x 2 Last journal entry copy printed and distributed Waistcoat (not a book, but relevant to the subsidiary entity Wuhan Waistcoat Society) Port - to exchange Wine - goes without saying, but tis said. AGM opened at 1pm 12th Dec 2025 Present PA Kimber, JR Upcher, PJ Cook G L Sealy. Apologies, Curtly O'Farrell and Fenton Jones Food: steaks and port, cheese and biscuits, fine shiraz wine and beer, and the books tabled were   --- here end my notes of the day. My recollection is that they were all left with Leigh as those present were careless abou...

 Now, 2024, is the 40th anniversary year of the inception of the great institution 'The Parliamentary Handbook Exchange Est 1984'. At the most recent luncheon of the Society members, hosted by Paul Cook at the Athenaeum Club in November 2024, discussion centred around the absence of any written reviews of any of the books currently in circulation from the National Library of the Parliamentary Book Exchange. This must be remedied. As more and more books are being presented, normally on loan from the owner wishing to retain the (possibly) most valuable item in their library, it is becoming imperative that members of the PBE/WWS know which books to delve into, and which to discard. We must look after each other, and help by reading a book now and then, and providing a review for this e-journal. Of course, the opposite also has many advocates: don't review any of the books and certainly don't waste your time writing that which no one will want to read. I'm going to star...

 The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. Searching this morning, once again, for the meaning of liff, I returned to Douglas Adams's work on the topic, which is no more, nor less, than a dictionary of useful definitions for things previously undefined, using as the single word for each definition, the name of a town in England. The gentlemen of the Wuhan Waistcoat Society, incorporating the Parliamentary Handbook Annual Exchange met at PJ Cook's club for the 2nd event of this calendar year, on the 29th November 2024. A decided sense of * Farnham had descended on the men, with unfinished business at home, work and in preparation for further entertainments  Advised that it is already nearly Christmas - due to the number and amount of commercial sales of things which look somehow relevant to a festive celebration, discussion arose and the members agreed, that it was all too soon, too often, and bullshit. JRU attended and lazily undid and left open his Wuhan Waistcoat - in ...