Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

At the risk of boring readers to death, I had THE most wonderful day yesterday.

A belated birthday gift was Afternoon Tea @ Fortnum & Mason, & it was perfectly lovely, or in those weirdly juxtaposed words of plinop, very fun.

Some other fun too which I must regale you all with. 

First up - NO GOOGLING -Fortnum & Mason is a PLC. But do you know who owns F & M, & what is odd about that?

Most surprising. Betcha can't guess.

[TightEnd]

it's private i believe?

same people as own most of AB Foods? Garfield Weston's company?

[tikay]

So, wandering down Piccadilly yesterday morning, a little doorway has this sign above it. Must be some famous peeps go there, right?




And a little old silver-haired man was entering the front door. I don't really watch much telly, but I insta recognised him. Much shorter than I imagined, probably because he has, like Nirvana, reached the shrinking age. Old people do shrink you know. 

I had no desire to meet him, & yet, for some reason, I got a little "ooh, look who it is" tingle.

Quite a career he has had, too, must be minted.

Insta gave him 9/10 for famousness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Cryer




Has how own website, too.

http://www.barrycryer.co.uk/

Describes himself as "incredible entertainer" & "a true comedy legend". Deducted 4 points for arrogance & lack of humility.

Deducted 2 more points as he failed to recognize me.

Strange how I get a little thrill from seeing people like him. I was at the Cafe De Paris in Monte Carlo a year or so ago, & John Cleese was on the next table, I was chuffed to bits.

At work last week, Helen Chamberlain stopped to chat with me, we had worked together 7 years ago, & I saw Phil Thompson last Friday, & we chatted about stuff.   

Not sure what the "famous" fixation is, but it does give me some kind of kick.

OK, that's the name-dropping sorted.

[tikay]

it's private i believe?

same people as own most of AB Foods? Garfield Weston's company?

Yup, the ultimate owners are a charitable Foundation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_Weston_Foundation

Note also......

In April 1951, Canadian businessman W. Garfield Weston acquired the store and became its chairman following a boardroom coup. Since Garfield Weston's death in 1978, the store has been run by his granddaughters, Jana Khayat and Kate Weston Hobhouse and the Managing Director is Ewan Venters.

And.......

In 1886, after having bought the entire stock of five cases of a new product made by H.J. Heinz, Fortnum & Mason became the first store in Britain to stock tins of baked beans.

[tikay]

Walked past this place too - had to go in.

Click to see full-size image.

I judge bookshops by how many books I buy.

I went to the new Foyles a few weeks ago, much better laid out than the old one, but still impossible to find what I wanted, & I emerged with just one title.

My "system" is to buy a max of 6 books per time, but I pick up all the books that interest me, & then cull the list down to 6.

I had to choose from a shortlist of 23 books yesterday.

It claims now to be Britain's biggest bookshop. No idea if that is true, but it's my new No 1.

The Super Six I chose follow. Bet you can't wait.

[Tal]

Biography of Benjamin Franklin? Magnus Carlsen? Des O'Connor?

[horseplayer]

Ken Paynes Autobiography?

Kevin Blakes book?

Glad you had a good day

[tikay]

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[Jon MW]

Walked past this place too - had to go in.

Click to see full-size image.

I judge bookshops by how many books I buy.

I went to the new Foyles a few weeks ago, much better laid out than the old one, but still impossible to find what I wanted, & I emerged with just one title.

My "system" is to buy a max of 6 books per time, but I pick up all the books that interest me, & then cull the list down to 6.

I had to choose from a shortlist of 23 books yesterday.

It claims now to be Britain's biggest bookshop. No idea if that is true, but it's my new No 1.

The Super Six I chose follow. Bet you can't wait.

I think it's the biggest by area - the Waterstones on Gower Street is meant to be the biggest bookshop by shelfspace

Those two and the old Foyles were my 3 favourite bookshops in the country - I've only been in the new Foyles once since it opened and that was for a talk thing rather than shopping so I haven't quite had enough time to judge it yet

[tikay]

The two books it was hardest to resist, & will be top of the list next time......

Click to see full-size image.

Has there ever been a more professional, accomplished, hard working & versatile Sports TV anchor than Claire? Bred for the job, too.

[MANTIS01]

Do you really enjoy seeing the fella beaten up so comprehensively, even if he was a bit dumb to start such a thread?

Hmmm, pretty sure I'd jump in on the side of the odd man out. More villains makes for better sport right? Anyway a load of zit-faced bedroom dwellers calling some guy "fish" or "pooftah" isn't really my idea of getting beaten up comprehensively so I guess my empathy level for such things is not as high as yours.

However, you must admit the viewing public just loved those aggro threads. Every time we had an aggro thread bubbling away they were jam-packed with gawping spectators. You guys have been very active in driving out trouble members or deleting aggro threads and now the forum is a calm sea of tranquillity. Another significant traffic generator was live updates which also appear to have been managed out of Blonde because the sponsor doesn't "require" them. And you think the forum is now on the wane? Go figure.

[DaveShoelace]

Not sure what the "famous" fixation is, but it does give me some kind of kick.

I can only imagine you would have a small 'sex wee' if you had seen Richard Branson, as I did, this week.

This was the highlight of my life in famous person terms, can you name em Teeks?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[DaveShoelace]

The two books it was hardest to resist, & will be top of the list next time......

Click to see full-size image.

Has there ever been a more professional, accomplished, hard working & versatile Sports TV anchor than Claire? Bred for the job, too.

True Dat. I am always amazed at the breadth of her sporting knowledge, no matter how obscure the sport, she is always encylopedic in her non-autocue skills.

[Tal]

Just research isn't it? Problem is we get so used to seeing people who've done the sport we are watching but have barely read the morning paper on the way in to the studio.

Why shouldn't presenters be able to challenge the pundits?

[TightEnd]

The two books it was hardest to resist, & will be top of the list next time......

Click to see full-size image.

Has there ever been a more professional, accomplished, hard working & versatile Sports TV anchor than Claire? Bred for the job, too.

I think she is brilliant

Doesn't quite seem to work on Channel 4 racing though, from which i gather she is leaving at the end of the year

Probably better on "marquee" sport like Olympics. Much loved gravitas, which the BBC presenters can do so well