Kate Ramsey

It takes in prostitution, JFK, communist agents, a British film producer, notorious British spies, Profumo, illegitimate children and a rather squalid death

And here it is....

A red paperback cover featuring a "negative" photo of the face of a stylish woman of the 60s. Title: The Novotny Papers by Lilian Pizzichini

Mariella Novotny was a very incidental character in the film Scandal that I was watching the other night. Saw this in the library today. Turned it over for the blurb and well, my goodness...

No, no, no. Mistletoe and wine can only lead to trouble.

Was there ever a better pairing than sunshine and time?

I've decided to have a Lucky Dip at the Library hour this afternoon. I will come home changed....

Morning Ian, you've done me a favour there as my Radio Times (goddammit) wasn't delivered this week and my RT app doesn't seem to be working! Two corkers there to record. Thank you.

I could have started the day listening to the Today programme but actually I started it with Radio 3 in the background and reading all about many people's love for Kind Hearts and Coronets
.... and that has made all the difference.

What has happened to The Affair on ITV1 I wonder? Supposed to be at 9. I was looking forward to that, 10 years too late...

Goodness me, Cathleen Nesbitt..... born in 1888 and a one-time lover of Rupert Brooke

It seems every Scandal must have its Mandy.

*Summerfolk

Was already feeling pretty delighted at having got tickets for asummerfolk at the National Theatre next week...
...and then I discovered ...Ruairi is in it....
#TheArchers

Last Word - Paul Conroy, Kenith Trodd, Astrid Llewellyn, Jo Purvis - BBC Sounds Matthew Bannister on a photojournalist, a TV producer, a sailor, a DJ.

A nice piece on Paul Conroy here.... in his own words
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Well I never. Just heard a news story mirroring something that happened to me 30 years ago! Guy woke up and his skin was blue. He took himself to A&E (I didn't).
In his case he'd been lying on brushed cotton sheets. In mine it was dancing & sweating profusely in a never-yet-washed blue-dyed t-shirt

@keefeglise.mastodonapp.uk.ap.brid.gy while I live, he won't die

To be fair there's probably a picture of me a bit like that, having lunch at Champneys.

And there was still a taxi driver who sits in the rank in Letchworth who is fully dressed as Elvis (an impersonator in his spare time).

Maybe. Certainly true about the Beatles but this is the third major film about Elvis in the last five years (okay, one of them was called Priscilla) so he's not going anywhere just yet. Met an 18-year-old a couple of years ago who was very interested in him.

Great admiration for Pavel Talankin. Mr Nobody Against Putin is a moving documentary and he's a brave guy. It left me feeling pleased to be able to feel compassion for his students, those young Russian boys, indoctrinated, conscripted and sent to Ukraine.
#BBCPM

Scandal is an interesting watch in our "Epstein" times. The intertwinedness of money, power, sex and espionage.
The interesting part, for me l, is at which stage the espionage bit comes into play.
Not the driving force in Scandal. It's opportunistic.

I pop in and out of lots of people's homes, young and old, in my working life and it used to surprise me how often there were bits and pieces of Elvis memorabilia scattered about. Still has such reach.

He was. To be fair he was probably ahead of his time dietary advice-wise.

Oh I think you're right. He was trying to discourage, not encourage it.

Listening to Matthew Syed's Sideways on Radio 4 and I'm idly wondering whether Alanis Morissette will follow up her... Ironic.... with....Absurd.

I believe the world divides into two types of people: those who can stand wet cuffs and those who can't.
I can't but my sister doesn't even roll up her sleeves one turn before doing the dishes. I can barely watch her...

When I'd only seen the first one I thought "oo, that guy who used to walk up and down Oxford Street must have retired to Ware".

Three Billboards Outside Ware, Herts:
Eat protein
Love eggs?
Tap and Go

I think the lesson here is never eat ANY chocolate when doing work that's frustrating.

As I put the 6th chocolate button of the last hour in my mouth I remember a conversation with colleagues on Wednesday when I told them that I was happy to keep chocolate buttons in the house because just one would satisfy.

NOW I believe in the theory of shoes carrying seeds (or whatever comes before seeds).