I just dug out one of my old Bibles - a much used (well no longer used) copy of The New Jerusalem Bible, given to me when I left Primary school on 15th July 1999. I was reminded to do so because a young lad at my parish has just finished Primary school, and will be enrolling at his new Secondary school in September. The Bible itself was presented to me by the Headmaster, after a kind of ''Mass of Thanksgiving,'' celebrated in the School Hall, and is all dog-eared and very frayed at the edges, I even had recourse to sellotape the binding together about three years ago. I can't say that I enjoyed Primary school all that much, although I did enjoy Mrs Grandon's trip to the Royal Opera House when I was in Year 4, and I shall certainly keep this Bible. Actually going through it, I found a prayer card with the likeness of the then new Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI (may his wrist heal swiftly), which a priest friend of mine brought from Rome shortly after his election.
J.R.R Tolkien translated the Book of Jonah for The Jerusalem Bible (and his was probably the only accurate and melodious translation) and was demonstrably rather embarrassed by it, as his aversion to being named among the ''principal collaborators'' proves from letter 294 of The Letters...
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