In John Murray’s “Last Moments” Kingsley Amis whose complete stories have just been published by Penguin, looks back hilariously on a career of pricking pomposity and speculates whether he died ‘on the job’ or ‘falling downstairs’

He wrote says Murray solely to cause others discomfort and annoyance. He would however have roared with laughter to find himself sandwiched in this book of poems between John Wayne and King Lear.

Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo, Best. You can keep them all according to Sir Bobby Charlton. Nobody in his view tops the great Duncan Edwards, with whom he played prior to Edwards’ death following the Munich disaster. In John Murray’s book Last Moments (2011), Duncan Edwards ‘speaks’ from his hospital bed, regretting that he will never again wear the famous red shirt.

On the previous page the late Princess Diana reflects from her island upon the evening in Paris which lead to her tragic end. Diana and Duncan, two towering figures, in an unlikely and fascinating juxtaposition.

Enoch Powell, outcast, humiliated, peeps out from his resting place as a British Prime Minister finally sees the light.

David Cameron’s comments upon the extent of immigration into the UK may seem overdue to those voters who have mourned the departure of Enoch Powell’s brave and prophetic voice from politics 40 some years ago.

In my poem Enoch (Last Moments, 2011) one hears again his voice, stupefied by shock, asking: “What on earth have they done to my country?”.

Perhaps it is as well that the man who gave so much to his country was spared the sight of foreign criminals languishing in UK prisons and Muslims defiling the funeral services of British soldiers.

- – -

What were the Fuhrer’s feelings, with the Russians at his door and facing the imminent prospect of losing his life violently? How did he portray himself to Eva Braun denuded of power and authority? We shall never know, but in my poem Adolf (Last Moments 2011), I have portrayed him to the end as the dictatorial, testy corporal which he appears to have been. Does suicide demand courage? Almost certainly, although when the alternative is a lamp-post perhaps the decision takes itself.

- – -

Racegoers saw a monster on Newmarket Heath in the 2000 Guineas on April 30th, 2011, as Henry Cecil’s Frankel routed the cream of England’s three year olds in a performance that had the crowd applauding two furlongs from the winning-post.

Awesome is an over-used expression but even Sea the Stars in 2009 never won like this.

One horse did, but he had his brilliant career cut short by criminals while in his prime. I refer to the great champion Shergar whose experience I have put into words in ‘Last Moments’, a book of poems in which he shares the stage with other deceased luminaries including Marilyn Monroe, Lord Nelson, Damon Runyon and John Lennon.

We hope that Frankel proves to be a star of comparable proportions to Shergar.

- – -