I hate my dentist - in fact he’s a rather nice chap called Rob - but I still hate him. This time it was only an implant, but I have to return next week to have the stitches removed. I was still in good enough shape to watch the Test Match, which seems to be heading for a draw, and to go to the theatre and see Michael Gambon in Eh Joe - a Beckett piece which I couldn’t make head or tail of.
On Saturday I drove down to Chichester to speak at the Literary Festival, and dropped in on the way to see Patrick Moore, who hadn’t been able to make our 40th wedding anniversary because he’s now housebound. Two hours of jolly fun. His first love remains cats - he has three, and a house full of photographs of other cats. His second love is cricket - we watched the Test Match together on his tiny tv, and his third love is astronomy - for which he has renowned world-wide fame.
I first met him on the QEII many years ago when he was giving lectures at midnight - Stars in the Skies - and I was giving talks on writing. He still has very strong political feelings, being a supporter of UKIP, hoping that they'll win a seat at the next election. Sitting in his study, surrounded by medals and awards, reminded me of the staggering life he has led. He didn’t go to university because at the age of 16 he told the authorities he was 18 so that he could join the RAF and be involved in the second world war. I suppose his greatest achievement - for laymen like myself - is that he was mapping the moon before computers were thought of, which is why NASA used him so extensively for the first landing. Fans will be delighted to hear that he is still tapping away on his 1908 Remington typewriter, which he refuses to replace with modern gadgetry. He describes me as archaic because I still write by hand, whereas he is simply prehistoric. If there is a lovelier, more decent man in England, I have yet to meet him.
On Saturday I drove down to Chichester to speak at the Literary Festival, and dropped in on the way to see Patrick Moore, who hadn’t been able to make our 40th wedding anniversary because he’s now housebound. Two hours of jolly fun. His first love remains cats - he has three, and a house full of photographs of other cats. His second love is cricket - we watched the Test Match together on his tiny tv, and his third love is astronomy - for which he has renowned world-wide fame.
I first met him on the QEII many years ago when he was giving lectures at midnight - Stars in the Skies - and I was giving talks on writing. He still has very strong political feelings, being a supporter of UKIP, hoping that they'll win a seat at the next election. Sitting in his study, surrounded by medals and awards, reminded me of the staggering life he has led. He didn’t go to university because at the age of 16 he told the authorities he was 18 so that he could join the RAF and be involved in the second world war. I suppose his greatest achievement - for laymen like myself - is that he was mapping the moon before computers were thought of, which is why NASA used him so extensively for the first landing. Fans will be delighted to hear that he is still tapping away on his 1908 Remington typewriter, which he refuses to replace with modern gadgetry. He describes me as archaic because I still write by hand, whereas he is simply prehistoric. If there is a lovelier, more decent man in England, I have yet to meet him.
7 Comments:
Hope your tooth is feeling better!
We've just returned from a cruise on the QM2 - shame you and Patrick aren't still doing lectures on there - I am sure they would have made interesting listening, although I imagine Patrick would have found the WWII lectures by Joshua Levine that we attended very interesting also.
love your Blogg Jeffrey.... you do cram so much into your days...... I am just near the end of reading your 3rd book on your prision diaries Heaven.... thank you for letting us know what it was like - certainly an eye opener into prison life!....
I wonder if your at Windsor Castle today at the Royal/celebrity charity cricket match?... My daughter will be there representing Asda. I know John Major & Tim Rice & David Frost are going to be there - thought you might be there too.....
kind regards
Karen.....
http://static.flickr.com/56/193853351_161970166e_t.jpg
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I cannot think of life without Patrick Moore.
I used to watch him in B&W on the television as a boy.
Wonderful man and so talented.
you still write by hand? how then do you blog:-)
Thank you Jacqui and Tom for your comments. No Karen, I couldn't attend the Windsor cricket match, but it sounded a very interesting afternoon. I agree with you Johnny norfolk, Patrick Moore is a national treasure.
Vikki - I still write everything by hand, and then pass it over to my PA, Alison, who puts it on the blog - in fact that’s exactly what we’re doing right now.
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