A hectic day yesterday which began with an appearance on BBC Breakfast News with Bill Turnbull and Kate Silverton. They had both clearly read Paths of Glory, which once again made the interview so much more interesting. Back to the flat to do a phone interview with Radio Sport 927 Melbourne which was followed by Reuters TV. A break to have lunch with Ivan Fallon, Chief Executive of Independent News and Media, who was fascinating on the problems major companies are going through at the present time and his conviction that the next six months won't get any better. I then had an interview with Matthew Lynn of Bloomberg, who has just had his first novel published. How well I remember those days when Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less arrived in the bookshops. Jonathan Cape published 3,000 copies at £3.50 each, and only just managed to get rid of them. I wish him luck.
I rushed off to the opening of the Fernando Botero exhibition at the Thomas Gibson Fine Art Gallery, which was so crowded that I'll have to return and enjoy the pictures at a later date. I found the legendary artist standing in a corner of the gallery chatting to a beautiful woman, only to discover that she was the Colombian Ambassador. Am I getting old? No, I'm not! I left them to go to the London Marriott Hotel to address the Society of Old Friends Centenary dinner. During the last 100 years, they have been addressed by H G Wells, John Buchan, Dorothy L Sayers, Enoch Powell and more recently...Ken Livingstone. Got home around midnight, and watched the terrible news coming out of Pakistan. Eight police killed and seven members of the Sri Lankan cricket team injured. If terrorists will attack cricketers, no-one can consider themselves safe in the future. A good day ruined.
I rushed off to the opening of the Fernando Botero exhibition at the Thomas Gibson Fine Art Gallery, which was so crowded that I'll have to return and enjoy the pictures at a later date. I found the legendary artist standing in a corner of the gallery chatting to a beautiful woman, only to discover that she was the Colombian Ambassador. Am I getting old? No, I'm not! I left them to go to the London Marriott Hotel to address the Society of Old Friends Centenary dinner. During the last 100 years, they have been addressed by H G Wells, John Buchan, Dorothy L Sayers, Enoch Powell and more recently...Ken Livingstone. Got home around midnight, and watched the terrible news coming out of Pakistan. Eight police killed and seven members of the Sri Lankan cricket team injured. If terrorists will attack cricketers, no-one can consider themselves safe in the future. A good day ruined.
7 Comments:
reminds me of the troubled times the english cricketers must have had when they cut short the indian
tour and returned. many commented on the act as cowardice. i want them all to look at the state of the sri lankan team. its easy to comment from the sidelines. the escape was by the proverbial whisker!!!
I do think it was a very moneatrily motivated Lalit Modi, when he condemned the English team for returning back, in the middle of the India tour. Even they were on their way to Mumbai the next day. Who knows they could have potentially been in the middle of it.
The Sri Lankan team in indeed very lucky to have survived this attack, although they did not come out unscathed.
Just a quick note to say thanks for a cracking evening last night at the Old Friends.
I really enjoyed your company at Trevor's table, even though I remain unconvinced that cricket has 'any' sporting merits and is merely an excuse for combining drinking and sunbathing (but it's impossible not to be saddened by the the traumatic turn of events in Pakistan).
As a reminder, if you get a chance to have a listen, I suspect that you'll really enjoy the 12th Man CD (available from Amazon or to download) it really is "laugh out loud" good.
Good luck with the new book - your enthusiasm was very infectious and I very much look forward to reading it in the near future.
Once again, thank you
Steve
I have already received the new book through pre order in Delhi. Indian shopping sites have also become professional!! I saw it all over in Khan Market today in Delhi.
Best of Luck!!
its true, cricket will never be the same again.
i read the sneak preview chapter...pleased to know that the movie is also on track....but I now have a gut feeling that the next venture for Mr. Jeff Archer will be the stage...looking forward to a great play from you
Hi Jeffrey
I bought Paths of Glory just yesterday and started to read it after work at 8. Needless to say that I couldn't put the book down and when I did finally put it down...I had finished it.....it took me 4 and a half hours flat...but in the end it was all worth it....I thought that the book was simply brilliant though I love your short stories better....When is the next book due....Can't wait to get my hands on it
An ardent fan
anonymous - delighted to hear you enjoyed the book. I will be working on a new set of short stories as my next project.
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