Good timing?

It can't be coincidence.

On Valentine's Day, Findmypast.com sent me an email about how many new burial records they have, including details of Thomas Hardy's burial - the ashes in Westminster Abbey, Poets' Corner, and the heart at Stinsford, in Dorset. No he wasn't buried on 14th Feb, but on 11th January 1928.

The death of Thomas Hardy in 1928 resulted in much deliberation. His executor wanted him to receive a burial befitting his status and insisted upon his being interred at Poet's Corner, in Westminster Abbey. This decision seemed to directly oppose Hardy's own wishes, namely to be buried near his parents in his beloved Dorset. A compromise was reached whereby Hardy's ashes were set amongst the great and good and his heart was laid to rest in St Michael's Church, Stinsford, with his first wife Emma.

Either they, or I, or all of us, have a warped sense of humour. Or maybe it's the ultimate in 'romantic'?

And now for something quite different - here's my contribution to romance on a grand scale.

The Science of Attraction

Hey, don’t slag us off if we fail to find your mate.
It’s complicated setting up an online date.
Though the algorithm’s perfect, you are not.
You think you’re pretty cool, but he’s not so hot.

We try to match your neurochemistry,
align your psychometric similarity,
adjust our information by the dyadic scale.
It's a hell of a surprise if all that should fail.

When push comes to shove, will he be the one
who can make you laugh? Will he turn you on?
Will he light your fire, or rub your sacred itch?
If not, it's down to life, she's a perfect bitch.