I was wondering whether Wole Soyinka even wanted the job, as he didn't submit a candidate statement, but apparently that can be ascribed to modesty. Oookay....

I found the following snippet from a Spectator-affiliated blog interesting:

Query to UK people on the ground--any chance someone can find out the current Ladbroke's odds on the race? The Guardian today publishes yet another article for Armitage, disingenuously giving the odds of two weeks ago, and on the basis of which giving him the palm.

Ideally this would be something official which could scan and which has the date. (If you need to place a bet to do so, I am happy to buy you a drink or three later...)

Of course, maybe the odds have gone back to their previous state for all I know.

Here's today's article in The Guardian/The Observer. A prime case of English solipsism.

Duncan

I just ran down to the shop - very weird outcome. Will finish this post when I can breathe after the uphill run...

And I'm back. First reminding my readers of my post of the 9th inst.... I finally gathered the guts to go into the betting shop (Ladbrokes) on the high street and put a bet on Alicia. It was fraught with difficulty. I am a husk.

Thrice have I peered in and crept away, but today there were fewer folk lurking between me and the desk lady, so I went in and asked, all bold and off-hand, whether I might place a bet on the Oxford ballot. "On what?" asked the desk lady, albeit quite kindly. I explained and said that I had heard that they were giving odds on the result and the lady had heard of no such thing.

She was charming and listened to my babbling about having read of their involvement and of the poem (Matt's post #123) but was interrupted by sweating punters who rushed from the TV screens brandishing crispies with seconds to spare. She said she'd check. I kept going out and coming back, each time with no result but less apprehension, until I finally went back to my house, dropped off the groceries and printed out the relevant page from the Sphere. The lady read it, laughed aloud, phoned head office and eventually said she could take my bet - at the current price. I handed over a modest stake and have a ticket to prove it.

I can now tell you that, today at 10:55:01, the odds were 2/1 and the kind, patient desk lady was called Hayley. Both are on the little toilet-paper ticket, the crinkly proof that I actually went into a betting shop all by myself.

Today, in my persona of Everybody's Auntie, I went back to the betting shop on the high street to place another bet to prove what today's odds might be. This time it was Ellie behind the counter. I know her in the real world, too and she owes me one for finding her dog when it was lost. She went through all the same procedures as Hayley did and I listened in as she went higher and higher up the chain of command, telling them about my earlier bet and all. The final answer was that Ellie could not take a bet from me because "we aren't covering it". So I've proved that they a) were and b) aren't any more. I asked if I could take a blank slip and one of their dear little pens to prove that I'd really been in and asked them face-to-face, and then I came home again (jiggetty-jig).

Sorry, Alicia; I really did try.

Hi Alicia,

As of 10th of June, Ladbrokes odds were 4/3, 5/1, 6/1 for Soyinka, Armitage and yourself respectively.

The link above is a Google cached copy of the page. That's because I can't find this page anywhere on their website, and their site search shows up nothing either.

I registered with the Ladbrokes website last week (on June 9) in order to ask them about odds, and they promised to calculate and email them to me within 48 hours, but didn't; although I do wonder if perhaps that was what prompted them to post new odds. I've just now chased it up with them and the advisor was again unable to give me any odds over the 'chat' facility but again promised to email me something in the next day or two. I shall post them here if I do get them.

If you can't view their page, William Hill's odds are currently at 13/8, 7/4, 4/1 for Soyinka, yourself and Armitage respectively.

best,

Matt

Voting has closed. A very big thank you to all who have encouraged, voted, canvassed, blogged, commented, placed bets, crossed fingers, lit candles, wished well, tweeted and shared. As the Greeks would say, I am deeper in your debt than I can possibly repay. Whatever the result on Friday, it has been an extraordinary adventure. Thank you for joining me on it.

Good luck, good luck, good luck. It would be just great to see you win it.

Well, I've got 50 quid on it, but the odds are only 2:1.
Still, I expect to win and have spent my winnings.
Seriously, I wish you success, Alicia, as the best candidate.

However it turns out, what fun to be part of it! Best of luck.

Susan

This whole process has been fascinating...and I hope it ends up the right way! Good luck!