Even after twenty years here, I remain constantly amazed and impressed by the quality of humour you find in the most unlikely places – places where it would simply not exist in other countries. You find it in the patter of stallholders in places like Petticoat Lane and in the routines of street performers – the sort of people who juggle flaming clubs or do tricks on unicycles and keep up a steady stream of jokes about themselves and selected members of the audience – and in Christmas pantomimes and pub conversations and encounters with strangers in lonely places.
