The Bishop of Southwark

I missed this delightful story from the Guardian in December; it made me laugh not least because of the fact that the Bishop had earlier left a reception at the Irish Embassy in London, bringing to mind my own many disgraceful exits from the Irish consulate here in New York (the consular staff have the advantage that they can stagger out after everyone else). Enjoy...

Follow that bishop!

The Bishop of Southwark today said he was having tests for amnesia following his infamous evening out at a Christmas drinks reception two weeks ago.

The Right Rev Tom Butler, one of the Church of England's most senior bishops, said it would have been "entirely out of character" if he had been drunk after attending a party at the Irish embassy in London.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme prior to delivering his regular Thought for the Day, he described a witness account of him throwing toys around the back of a stranger's parked and unlocked Mercedes as "very strange".

The bishop, who suffered a black eye during the evening and lost some of his belongings, told his congregation on the following morning that he had been mugged - a claim police are no longer investigating.

Today, he said he could remember nothing of the journey home after leaving the party, where he drank Portuguese wine. He said his Oyster travelcard records showed he used public transport from central London to his home in Streatham.

"I've had extensive medical tests, and they are going on. I remember nothing from the early time of the party until I got home ... it's very worrying, I still have amnesia," he said.

Asked about how much he had to drink, he told the programme: "It would be entirely out of character if I was drunk ... I really do defy anyone who's had too much to drink to make that journey."