The Dabbler is delighted to bring you an exclusive competition. Slightly Foxed – producers of ‘The Real Reader’s Quarterly’ – are giving away a free annual subscription to one lucky dabbler.
This is a real treat for booklovers – each issue of the Slightly Foxed magazine is packed full of witty, beautifully-written and highly personal reviews of great books both old and new. The very first article from the very first issue has appeared on The Dabbler here.
The competition is open to anyone anywhere in the world – you don’t have to be based in the UK.
How to enter
To be in with a chance, just fill in the blanks in this line of poetry by former Poet Laureate John Betjeman:
Childhood is measured out by_______, before the______
Email your answer to comps@thedabbler.co.uk, putting “Slightly Foxed” in the subject line. No need to include any personal details, but it would be helpful if you could indicate how you come to hear about this competition (eg. via another blog).
We will pick a winner at random and contact them to get their postal address etc.
The deadline is midnight (GMT) on Monday 1 November.
Bonus competition – improve on Betjeman!
We’ve also got a copy of the extremely funny new book Second Class Male, by friend of The Dabbler and the UK’s top Richard Madeley lookalike Stan Madeley, to give away.
This will be awarded at the editors’ discretion to whoever comes up with the best ‘improvement’ to the original Betjeman line – just put your funny/profound/completely ridiculous entries in the comments!
Childhood is measured out by the number of Turkey Twizzlers you can eat, before the X Factor starts
I want a harder question.
Z – Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?
The midnight deadline thing seems a bit menacing and won’t that bloke off the telly who’s not that bloke off the telly be a bit miffed when he finds out that his book is only the second prize.
As for the accusation former poet laureate, wouldn’t that suggest he was sacked, dead poet laureate, now there’s a steam train on a different line.
Childhood is measured out by the number of giggles before life hits the fan.
Yes, I Googled it first.
I’ve cleared it with Stan, Malty. He bought my argument that though his book has a lower monetary value than the SF sub, the award itself is more prestigious as you can’t just google the answer…
Childhood is measured out by hand, before the cherry pops.
I had to Google too, and I was disappointed with what I found. But was it Betjeman’s failing, or was it Google?
‘Prestigious’ is to devalue this prize, Brit. You don’t get genuine cabaret merchandise given away like this every day. The winner will also receive a pair of my sequinned squirrel-catching goggles and the telephone directory that my wife, Sandra (54), tore in half during last night’s performance.
Speaking of Sandra (54), she suggests:
Childhood is measured out by octaves before the testicles drop.
Hello!
Am I first female contestant? Does mine seem rather less risque? Well here it is anyway.
“Childhood is measured out by the ticking of the clock, the minutes still to go before the bell”
AliB (via Random Distractions)
Considering withdrawing my entry in favour of the Turkey Twizzler. Sheer poetry!
AliB
Childhood is measure out by [hidden – Ed], before the [hidden – Ed].
Guess who had John Betjeman as her poet for the English ‘O’ level at school? LOL! I still remember quite a bit – including pretty much all of ‘Horsey Mere’, which I still love.
Hi Jay
You were correct but you need to email comps@thedabbler.co.uk to win the Slightly Foxed prize (can’t give away the answer here!)
In these comments though you could ‘improve’ on Betjeman to win the Stan Madeley book.
Ooops! I’m s sorry, I wasn’t supposed to put the answer here, was I? Can you take it out so as not to spoil it for others?
Here’s my variation ..
‘Childhood is measured out by scrapes and sanctions, punishments and tears, before the day that parents dread, when role reversal clouds their ageing years”
I reckon that’s the frontrunner, Jay.
“Childhood’s ladled out with Cheerios, before it’s measured out with coffee spoons” *
* A T. S. Eliot reference. I claim my prize. 😉