Last Thursday, we watched the final two episodes of the 1979 BBC miniseries, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

It was a disappointingly small crowd that made it to the final one and through all three nights of it. I loved being able to see it again and the expectation of Thursday nights and Alec Guiness’ avuncular depiction of George Smiley.

I asked the fellow who had organized all this if he would be attempting to show Smiley’s People at a later date. While noncommittal, he left it open as a possibility (‘I have it,’ he said – meaning the DVDs).

I supposed that I could have just tracked down and ordered DVDs myself, but the experience of watching it on a larger screen and with a group and making it an ‘event’ was undeniably part of the pleasure.