Competition: Mr Jingle

In Competition No. 2670 you were invited to catapult Mr Jingle into the 21st century and have him deliver an anecdote.

Alfred Jingle, the lean, green-coated stranger, makes his first appearance in Chapter Two of The Pickwick Papers and immediately steals the show with his ‘lengthened string of …broken sentences, delivered with extraordinary volubility…’ You captured him at his exhilarating and life-enhancing best, having him expound on, among much else, the joys of modern travel, the political and economic landscape, and the hell of out-of-town superstores (‘exhausted — very’.) As one competitor wrote: ‘Hoorah for Mr Jingle! Does any other character come zinging so instantly off the page?’ John O’Byrne, Susan Therkelsen and Adrian Fry impressed, but didn’t quite make it into my top five, who are printed below and rewarded with £30 apiece. Top of the form overall is Basil Ransome-Davies, who gets the bonus fiver.