Crushing defeat stirs memories for Brown
What would Gordon Brown describe as his most treasured memory to an Alzheimer’s disease sufferer? It’s not as tasteless an exercise as it sounds.
The PM agreed to share an “unforgettable moment” to support a new Alzheimer’s Research Trust campaign about memory loss.
Mr Brown relives “a happy memory from almost 27 years ago, before I became a Member of Parliament. I have seen it repeated on television many times since, but nothing can replace my memory of experiencing it myself.
“I was in the Spanish town of Seville in 1982, at my first World Cup finals, to watch Scotland play Brazil. The atmosphere was terrific, with the Brazilian fans keeping up the constant samba beat on their drums.
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“No one gave Scotland any kind of chance. But in the 18th minute the Scotland defender, David Narey, crashed the ball into the top corner from outside the box to give us a 1-0 lead. We went wild” [Gordon going wild?], “and we dared to dream that we could beat the famous Brazil.”
After a soaring start, of course, it swiftly went sour and Brazil thrashed the Scots 4-1. Not a metaphor for Mr Brown’s premiership, surely.
Gary Lineker, the Match of the Day presenter, is getting married on Friday to the model Danielle Bux. Like any self-respecting groom he has scheduled his nuptials around the football — he is off air for a week as his rivals at ITV1 screen England’s next two games.
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In his new book, I am an Artoholic, the usually reticent Charles Saatchi addresses his disillusion with Damien Hirst. “He is a deeply gifted artist, a genius among us, but he’s had a bad run of shows over the past few years,” writes the great collector. “All great artists have an off patch, and he’s having his. Usually when that happens, artists try too hard and the results look effortful and overblown. But I’m sure his next show will be a winner.”
Would you rent your apartment to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi? Joan Rivers was enthused after receiving an inquiry about her $25 million Manhattan pad. “The Libyan Ambassador called my [broker] and offered over $200,000 (£124,000) a week so he could use it for entertaining,” the comedian reveals. “I thought it was great. I said I would give half the rent to Lockerbie.” This may have been the sticking point that nixed the deal.
The Face: Carmen Ejogo
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A humble West London upbringing has done nothing to diminish the stratospheric rise of the actress Carmen Ejogo.
The 35-year-old, whose part in Sam Mendes’s feelgood road film Away We Go is already attracting praise before its release at the end of the month, rarely saw her father as a child, while her young mother took cleaning jobs to get by.
But Ejogo won a scholarship to a private school, presented her own satellite video show at the age of 16 and later took roles in The Avengers movie and Kenneth Branagh’s film Love’s Labour’s Lost.
Now ensconced in Brooklyn with her actor husband Jeffrey Wright and their two children, Ejogo has not lost sight of her origins and recently admitted to still romanticising her upbringing, especially her love of London’s cultural “melting pot”.
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Postscript
After attending Edward Kennedy’s funeral, Sarah Brown needed a Twitter feed. “Have borrowed Boston UK Consul-General’s computer to tweet quickly but now heading straight back to UK.” Fortunately Phil Budden, the diplomat who rode to her rescue, cites “government and technology” as his special interests.
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