Saturday, June 21, 2008

Lord Bonkers' Diary: Remembering Sugar Ray Michie

Wednesday

Boxing News arrives and with it the sad news that Sugar Ray Michie has died. Anyone old enough to recall rising in the small hours to warm up the wireless and listen to one of her title fights live from Madison Square Gardens will be immensely moved.

If, in all honesty, she took a couple more fights than was strictly good her, the ‘boozer’ she took over when she eventually retired was immaculately run and widely considered to serve the finest pint of Smithson & Greaves north of the Bonkers’ Arms.

Sugar Ray’s greatest virtue is that she was as honest as the day is long in the clear Argyll summer. At one time, The Mob took a close interest in rural Scottish politics and it was widely known that more than one by-election candidate had “taken a dive” after being threatened by powerful gambling interests.

There can be no better epitaph for Sugar Ray than to say that not a breath of this scandal ever attached itself to her name.

Tuesday: Brian Paddick's campaign song

Monday: Lembit in the fountain

No comments: