>or the obviously well educated, well travelled and well-read man who is responsible for the plays which bear the name of Shakespeare

There is also the view that a collection of writers got together in the pub to write and whenever they thought that they'd turned out something decent they called it Shakespeare - that might well account for his inability to spell his own name consistently.

I also love Tom Stoppard's idea in the script of "Shakespeare in Love" that all his best plots came from Marlowe.

Will we ever know the truth? Whatever the answer, April 23rd is as good a day as any to celebrate the Bard - the Scots have Burns Night, so I think that we should have a big party every year, any excuse really.

By the way Maverick, do the Welsh have a special Dylan Thomas day?