Archive
Easy, Easy
Finally . . . ‘As Easy as Murder’ known in our house as Primavera 3, is out in paperback.
It’s available from now www.campbellreadbooks.com at 25% off cover price; bargain buy. And of course, every copy is signed by QJ. A click of the link on this page will take you straight there.
Day of shame
Another August 6 anniversary; 67 years ago today the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. I have family in and from that city, so it’s not something I should let go by unobserved. It may have hastened the end of the war, but I’ve always believed that its use against a civilian population was a war crime.
My mum
One hundred years ago today, Margaret Weir Bell, known all her life as Gretta, was born in Bellshill, Scotland. Thirty-three years later, she gave birth to me. Eleven years ago, she passed away. RIP, Ma.
Fascinating facts
Not even I could make this up: from this morning’s Herald, courtesy of Doug Gillon:
‘The hopes of the defending champion and world No. 1, the USA’s LaShawn Merritt, fell flat, unhinged by a hamstring injury.
Merritt, who served a doping suspension for a drug contained in a penis enhancement cream, walked off after 200m.’
Thorpedo
Speaking of being missed, someone who will be, by me at least, will be Ian Thorpe, who signed off from the BBC coverage at the conclusion of last night’s swimming session. All the way through, the Thorpedo called it as he saw it, and if his co-presenters (usually Gary Lineker) said something crass or stupid, he was very quick to put them right, and inject some balance, reason and common sense into the situation. It’s probably past praying for, but the decision-makers at BBC could do a lot worse than keep him around for rest of the Games. As a multi-gold winner, he’d have a lot to contribute. I’m sure that Mr Lineker would not endorse my suggestion; in my eyes that makes it all the more valid.
Go Greg
What a night! I am certain that we’ll be hearing and seeing lots of Jessica and Mo for years to come. I fear we’ll hear less of Greg Rutherford, who also had the night of his life. I hope I’m wrong, because of the three, he was the one who exceeded expectations, and also because he did what was, and will remain, easily the best reaction interview of the Games. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out on the iPlayer. A display of honest, outright happiness with not a tear in sight; not to be missed.
Poor Clare
I like Clare Balding. Usually she is a breath of fresh air on the public telly, when she’s dealing with subjects with which she’s familiar, mostly involving horses. But having her front poolside presentation of the Olympic swimming was a major mistake. Day one, she kicked off the Ye Shiwen controversy before the poor kid had time to dry off. Having got over that, just, she shot herself in the other foot last night by appearing to suggest that the brave Becky Adlington’s bronze medal had let swimmer and nation down. At the first opportunity, she was forced to apologise, abjectly on air, along with her co-presenter, Mark Foster, who had been drawn into it. Shame; I hope the damage to her BBC career isn’t permanent.
Jan Sterkenburg
You’ve read all of me and all of Ian Rankin, and you’d like recommendations? Okay. If you like historical works, try Michael Jecks. Contemporary, (or occasionally post-apocalyptic), you might look at Paul Johnston, a fellow Scot. Then there’s Michael Dobbs, who turns out excellent thrillers when he’s not busy being a Lord. Val McDermid never fails, nor does Alex Gray. Finally, Linwood Barclay is on top of his game right now. Enough to be going on with?
Come off it
I’m not a big fan of compromise government, never have been. When it results in a party with 57 Commons seats out of 650 trying to force through a piece of ill-considered electoral reform that has already been clearly rejected, I become a big opponent.
If the Lib Dems feel as strongly about the issue as they claim, they should withdraw from the coalition. Or maybe Dave should; minority government can work.
Danger
A friend of mine, an eminent figure in the financial services industry, made an interesting point in discussion yesterday. If he’s right, and invariably, he is, now might be the time to consider your bank shareholdings. Potentially, the rate-fixing scandal could open the door to enormously costly litigation by those who may have suffered losses as a result. If that happens and goes all the way, lawyers will be the winners and ultimately, bank shareholders will be the losers.
Yes
A welcome bonus from the Olympics; Denise Lewis on the telly. Lovely lady, class act.
Gone
RIP Maeve Binchy, a great story teller who’ll be missed by many.
KMA
I hesitate to offer advice to the Governor, but this is not the way to maintain good media relations.
She’s back, damn it
It’s the first of August, and I have a date. An old flame is coming back into my life.
Those of you watching BBC telly in the last couple of days may have seen a rather lurid Eastenders trailer, announcing the return to the soap of one of its old stagers, Sharon Watts. A tornado is about to hit Walford, it would seem. Trust me, that will be nothing compared with the effect of my annual reunions with Primavera Eagle Blackstone, née Phillips. I’ve never known a woman who can get deeper inside my head. She dominates my existence for every waking moment of each visit, and then buggers off leaving me to keep up the mess. Recently she’s had this fixation that Oz, her ex and the father of her fast-growing son Tom, isn’t really dead. Nonsense, of course, but she won’t let it go. She’s still in St Marti, while I’m stuck in Gullane, but that’s no hindrance to her. She’s on Facetime even now demanding attention. Got to go.
Quintin Jardine's blog 