I've started so I'll finish
Twelve hours ago I knew far less than I do now about dinosaurs, Greek mythology, the High School Musical films, Julius Caesar, The Simpsons, the first Plaid Cymru MP Gwynfor Evans and what sound like incredibly exciting but bloody books about demons and spies along with any number of subjects that appeal to today's bright young things.
By young I mean ten year olds vying to become this year's Mastermind Cymru champions. I now know rather more about all of the above, helped along by the fact that I have all the answers written on the card in front of me.
Some will get a lot right but no-one will get everything right. Every single one of them will all be glad when it's all over ... which brings me back to the Welsh language LCO and the row it has stirred. Ah yes, I've started so I'll finish. I'm not referring to the comments following yesterday's posting, though - as is traditional on this blog - nothing gets you going into your corners, seconds out, like the mention of 'yr iaith'.
No, I'm talking about the fury amongst members of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that the Secretary of State saw fit to announce a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee to discuss their report on plans to devolve power over language legislation to the Assembly before the report had seen the light of day. Not on.
Peter Hain's desire to "get the dirty washing done before recess" was one thing as one angry voice put it but he'd shocked everyone by jumping the gun.
The first anyone knew of a debate before the Welsh Grand next month was an announcement on the Wales Office web site. Not on again. The ink on the Select Committee's report will hardly be dry by July 8th so Welsh MPs will barely have had time to consider it. Mr Hain might be "under pressure from language campaigners, from the CBI, from his own side, from all sides but ..." his fellow Welsh MPs had been "stunned" by the way he'd played things.
A statement this afternoon from the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Hywel Francis makes that icily clear: "I have informed him he will need to consult with me and the opposition parties before a Welsh Grand Committee can meet to discuss my Committee's Report."
There's tellin' 'im.
As a colleague put it the other day Mr Hain is very, very pleased to be back in office and is very, very keen to get on with things. On this occasion, just that little bit too keen by the looks of it. The debate before the Welsh Grand has been postponed.
The new date? Pass.
I'm Betsan Powys, Â鶹Éç Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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