Meet Roger Boyes, he is a correspondent for The Times newspaper. His name is slightly unfortunate, but has maybe gone relatively unnoticed until this headline……………………… VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR CAUGHT UP IN SEX ABUSE SCANDALS by Roger Boyes, Berlin Correspondent for The Times.

I have emailed this article to most of you, but for those of you I haven’t, or for independent readers of my blog, click here for the full story.

Roger Boyes: Unfotunate name

Now I have heard some great names before, footballers called Paul Dickov and Peter Shirtliff, and a cricketer by the name of Saddam Hussian. In fact if you Google “funny names” on the Internet there are some great ones to be had, my personal favourites being Anil Dikshit and Mustapha Kunt.

However, what makes the name Roger Boyes so relevant, is the story in hand, it is a match so perfect, that initially you assume that it is a practical joke set up ready and waiting for April Fools Day. It is only when you read the article, and the seriousness of it, that you begin to realise that it was all just an unfortunate, but hilarious coincidence…….or was it?

You can imagine it can’t you, a busy day at The London Times offices, when a story pops up about yet another catholic sex abuse scandal. The editor picks it up and hands it to a colleague, who hands it down the line. No one is that interested, after all, abuse allegations in the Catholic church are now printed daily, just like the weather forecast.

Then someone picks it up. “Hold on this one isn’t in Ireland, this is Austria, where is Roger Boyes at the moment?”

“Roger is in Berlin…… why?”

“Why?…….look at his name for fuck sake, that’s why. We have to get Roger to do this, we just have to, look at it, it is set up like a forehand smash!!”

Editor Walks in.

“I’m sorry, no we can’t. As funny as it may seem, The Times, despite being owned by Rupert Murdoch, must be seen as a serious newspaper.”

“Pleeeeeeaaase, pleeeeaaase, pretty, pretty, pleeeeeease.”

“No!!!”

“Pleeeeeease“

“Oh fuck it, go on then, but I am having nothing to do with it.”

“Hi Roger how are you? Could you get yourself over to Vienna old mate, we have a little job for you……”