A Spectator's Notebook

El Fit, refreshed and again in the best of form after a break from duty on medical advice, Sir Christopher Soames returned to his post in Brussels this week. His record as an EEC Commissioner has been one of outstanding success. Having served the Community with such distinction, it is not surprising that many at Westminster would like to see him back in .parliamentary politics. He is, so to speak, a "nattiral" member of the Conservative front bench — the very embodiment of a future Foreign Secretary.

But first he must be tempted, and then he must secure a seat. Mrs Thatcher could easily tempt him, if she wished, for Sir Christopher is still a parliamentarian at heart. Moreover, he is well-disposed towards Mrs Thatcher, and she to him. This is equally true of his relations with her deputy, Mr Whitelaw. A seat could surely be found for him without too much ado. Carshalton, perhaps — Mr Robert Carr's constituency? But this is probably too soon, too pressing, with Mr Carr's ennoblement. There will be others — among them Mr Selwyn Lloyd's constituency in Cheshire.

What is indisputably true is that the Tories would be stronger with Sir Christopher's return to the House of Commons. They ought to ensure that it actually happens.

Pope Paul VI, at seventy-eight, is painfully afflicted by arthritis, so it is inevitable that during 1976 we shall hear recurrent rumours about the identity of his successor. The truth is that there is no obvious candidate, and the next Conclave will be a difficult one. There will be more electors than ever, for the Sacred College of Cardinals numbers 120 members, from forty-six countries; of these, eighteen are already aged over eighty and will be excluded from taking part. Apart from the serious debate over what type of papacy is needed today, there is so much uncertainty over who will be the next Pope that Roman pundits are having recourse to the Prophecies of Saint Malachy, attributed — probably falsely — to a mediaeval Irish monk.

According to this farrago, the next Pope will be "De medietate lunae" (of the half moon), which sounds excessively obscure. Devotees of the superstition claim that Malachy got it right for the last three Popes — Paul VI (prophesied as Flos Florum, flower of flowers — he had lilies on his coat of arms), John XXIII (Pastor et Nauta, pastor and sailor — Pope John rode on gondolas in Venice), and Pius XII (Pastor Angelicus). But which of the possible papal candidates, the so-called papahili, has any connection with the crescent moon? Only two, apparently.

Cardinal Paolo Bertoli knows the Arab world, for he served several years as Papal Nuncio in the Lebanon, and recently visited that unhappy country on behalf of the Pope in order to encourage peace negotiations. Then there is Cardinal Corrado Ursi, the Archbishop of Naples, who went to Istanbul last month to represent the Pope at ceremonies held by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for the tenth anniversary of the lifting of the mutual excommunications and anathemas which separated the Western and Eastern Churches in the schism of 1054.

Oddly enough, both cardinals fit the Roman popular saying that popes are alternatively rotund and have an "r" in the family name, and thin without an "r" in the name. Following the logic of this whimsy, the succession from Pius XIII onwards would be Pacelli, Roncalli, Montini, Bertoli or Ursi. So the folklore seems to be against the candidatures of Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio or Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli, or the most favoured non-Italians, Cardinal Jan Willebrands, Primate of Holland and head of the Vatican Secretariat for Christian Unity, and Cardinal Franz Koenig, Archbishop of Vienna.

0 The railways seem more and more determined to discourage race-goers from travelling by train. On Saturday the latest race train to Newbury left Paddington at 10.38 a.m. The journey is scarcely an hour, leaving travellers with an hour at the course before the first race. By some anomaly, the train the day before — when the first race was also at 12.30 — left London half an hour later.

But that was encouragement itself compared to New Year's Day. The only train to Cheltenham left London at 9.10 (presumably for those who wanted to take it direct from their revelry); it reached the course fully an hour and a quarter before the first race, the same interval as elapsed between the last race and the return. Perhaps British Rail are in collusion with the racecourse caterers.

At least those two courses still have their own railway stations (although that at Cheltenham is not always used). Too many of the old stations have gone. The result can be dismal; at Goodwood it is possible to queue for more than an hour on a sweltering afternoon for a bus back to Chichester station.

0 Unreported, unrecorded, Mrs Thatcher went this week to a private dinner at Peterhouse given by the Master, Professor Graham Clarke. She was the guest of Maurice Cowling, the most interesting of all today's Cambridge historians. After dinner in the Combination Room at Peterhouse she met more than 100 notabilities, representing both town and gown, engaging them for nearly two hours in what everyone agreed was an exhilarating exchange.

The country's architects, planners and builders are in a defensive mood, as well they might be. In last Saturday's Telegraph an engineer and a mayor replied separately but with equally wounded feelings to Mr Christopher Booker's well-documented complaint that Great Britain had chosen to celebrate 'Heritage Year' with an 'orgy of destruction of listed buildings.'

Now, in Monday's Times, comes a letter from the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Mr Eric Lyons is entering the

The

Spectator January 10, 1975 controversy begun in The Times several weeks ago, and referred to here (Notebook, December 6). A number of architects, it will be recalled, were dismayed that Mr Crosland had refused permission to demolish a listed building te make way for a new one. Mr Lyons deplores the fact that these questions of demolition are considered abstractly, on the intrinsic merits of the existing building: no 'regard to the quality of replacement' is paid.

One is tempted to ask, do not he and his RIBA

colleagues recognize their luck? Judged on their own merits many old — even listed 7 buildings might be thought worthy of demolition. But when compared to what experience tells us is likely to replace them they becorne sacrosanct. If the point is not clear, the lover of architecture may be referred to recent work h) two of the signatories of the original Time! letter: by Sir Frederick Gibberd in the Strati°, and by Mr Erno Goldfinger at the Elephant and Castle — not to mention Mr Lyons's own contribution to the townscape at Worlds End: 0 The New Year's Greetings in the Morning., Star made comical reading — or poignant, you prefer. One couple wish their friends a '1976, of Left Unity'; for another, 'only the best is god° enough for the workers' next year; a thtrd extends seasonal hopes for Left Progressive policies. A number of trade union leaders alse favour the Morning Star as a proper place for their greetings — Mr Bob Wright of the A1JEW' Mr Joe Gormley of the Mineworkers, Mr Ke,Y5; the General Secretary of SOGAT. So does Syd Bidwell, Labour MP for Southall.

Turning from this jollity to the same claY's

Times, we found Mr Bernard Levin remindin.g us what 'Left Progressive policies' mean Ins practice: the imprisonment and death 01 inconvenient citizens, the framing of clergY: men on preposterous charges, the mutilation °I toys sent by an exiled political dissident to his children still inside the Soviet Empire. But the happiness has various definitions.

The events of the last few years at Williarn

Tyndale school have been undeniably bizarr!, but scarcely more so than the public inclnirYc which has been revealing them. The inquirY now in its tenth week. Mr Robin Auld QC, the learned counsel presiding, undoubtedly knoWs what he is doing, as should be expected for a fe.e . of £100 a day. Is it indelicate to suggest that in future such fees should be on a sliding-down' wards-scale, thus inducing an even greater sense of urgency?

The New Year's Honours list, so far frorn being dull, as some of the duller onlookers felt, was rather agreeable. In our own sphere three knighthoods are especially welcome: those awarded to Denis Hamilton, Harry Boyne and Francis Boyd.

Mr Hamilton, the distinguished Editor-in"

Chief of Times Newspaper, is knighted for his, considerable services to the Arts. No conflic". there with Times tradition: he is honoured 1119" as a journalist (though he richly deserves it) lao; for other reasons. Mr Boyd belongs to the Id for academy of Guardian writers, Mr Boyne to th Daily Telegraph. Both are to be numberedn among the best of political correspondents recent years; and both are among the nicest ocii men. We can all salute Sir Denis, Sir HarrY and Francis.