A very busy weekend of auctions, sports and writing. On Friday night I attended a student party in aid of the new UCLH cancer research building, and ended the evening with a small auction that raised just over £2,000. I spent most of Saturday morning writing, and as Cambridge rugby team were playing in Tynedale, and I was doing an auction at Wimbledon in the evening, I had to satisfy myself with the catching the odd sporting fixture on tv. Just as I was about to leave for SW19, the result of the Cambridge match flashed up on the screen: Tynedale 21 -CRUFC 20. I didn't leave in the best of moods.
I've never done an auction at the All-England Club before, so entering the hallowed grounds on a dark, cold, October evening, had a very different feel from attending the Championship in balmy mid-summer. The auction was in aid of St Raphael's Hospice, and raised £33,000 for that worthwhile charity. The highlight of the evening was a moving speech by Dr Marie Joseph, the Medical Director, explaining the work that the hospice does for those with terminal illnesses. Not an edifying subject you might think, for a dinner audience, but Dr Joseph's sincerity and decency made my job as auctioneer a few minutes later, so much easier. Thank goodness for people like Ms Joseph.
On Sunday morning I watched the Andrew Marr show and was appalled by his interview with David Cameron. Personal questions such as, how much are you worth, should not be part of an interview in the first place. I only wish Mr Cameron had replied, are you suggesting that if you are wealthy, you cannot give service to your country? And I was equally disappointed by Mr Cameron's reply about being a member of the Bullingdon Club. Very few of us would care to have our worst moments at university paraded on the Andrew Marr show - Mr Marr included - and why should Mr Cameron be ashamed of being a member of a club, when at that age he would still have been strongly influenced by his schooldays. It's now 20 years later, and it must be clear for people to see simply by the number of times he's visited all part s of the UK, that he is interested in other peoples problems, and wishes to serve. I think I should also add that I believe Mr Marr's questions to the Prime Minister the week before were equally offensive. It is interesting to watch this charming Renaissance man - who, by the way, is paid more to conduct his interviews, than Mr Cameron is as Leader of the Opposition - think that it's his duty to turn into a rottweiler on Sunday mornings. Sir David Frost never thought it necessary to behave like this, and still managed to get front page headlines in the Times and Telegraph the following day. Sir David is often under-estimated as an interviewer, perhaps because his technique was to prise it out of you, rather than hit you over the head with a hammer. If this is a foretaste of what we are to expect in the run-up to the next election, it's not very edifying.
I've never done an auction at the All-England Club before, so entering the hallowed grounds on a dark, cold, October evening, had a very different feel from attending the Championship in balmy mid-summer. The auction was in aid of St Raphael's Hospice, and raised £33,000 for that worthwhile charity. The highlight of the evening was a moving speech by Dr Marie Joseph, the Medical Director, explaining the work that the hospice does for those with terminal illnesses. Not an edifying subject you might think, for a dinner audience, but Dr Joseph's sincerity and decency made my job as auctioneer a few minutes later, so much easier. Thank goodness for people like Ms Joseph.
On Sunday morning I watched the Andrew Marr show and was appalled by his interview with David Cameron. Personal questions such as, how much are you worth, should not be part of an interview in the first place. I only wish Mr Cameron had replied, are you suggesting that if you are wealthy, you cannot give service to your country? And I was equally disappointed by Mr Cameron's reply about being a member of the Bullingdon Club. Very few of us would care to have our worst moments at university paraded on the Andrew Marr show - Mr Marr included - and why should Mr Cameron be ashamed of being a member of a club, when at that age he would still have been strongly influenced by his schooldays. It's now 20 years later, and it must be clear for people to see simply by the number of times he's visited all part s of the UK, that he is interested in other peoples problems, and wishes to serve. I think I should also add that I believe Mr Marr's questions to the Prime Minister the week before were equally offensive. It is interesting to watch this charming Renaissance man - who, by the way, is paid more to conduct his interviews, than Mr Cameron is as Leader of the Opposition - think that it's his duty to turn into a rottweiler on Sunday mornings. Sir David Frost never thought it necessary to behave like this, and still managed to get front page headlines in the Times and Telegraph the following day. Sir David is often under-estimated as an interviewer, perhaps because his technique was to prise it out of you, rather than hit you over the head with a hammer. If this is a foretaste of what we are to expect in the run-up to the next election, it's not very edifying.
2 Comments:
dear mr archer
i have not seen any interviews of mr marr
but can imagine from your writings
try to see one mr karan thapar grilling anyone in his program called "the devils advocate"
the last to be pulverised by him was mr nandan nilekeni, the co-founder of infosys, in his new role as chairman of a department created to give every indian a unique identity
I like your interview with Sir David Frost at Aljazeera, Mr Jeffrey.Its quite interesting and entertaining for us.You still have lots of emotional style like youngsters.Please post that video here for other readers.GOD bless you Mr Jeffrey.
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