In his popstar days before he became a vicar, Richard Coles tried to use his platform to fight inequality. The Communards alumnus told an event in Saffron Walden about a press conference they held in Paris where he had nobly declared: “Wherever the oppressed are, we are too.” This humility was only slightly dented by the journalist who then piped up: “I sat behind you on Concorde yesterday.” However, Coles, below, insisted that he was not flash. When the band signed to London Records and were offered any gift they liked, he spurned a sports car and asked for a Hotpoint washer-dryer. “It was the most durable thing I got from pop music,” he said. “Other than tinnitus.”
Ian Hislop was recently approached by a son of Mohamed Al Fayed, who asked if the Private Eye editor wanted to buy Punch magazine. It folded in 2002 but the Fayeds own the name. “He was really charming,” Hislop says. “And I thought: ‘Blimey, I wasn’t very kind to your father so this was good of you.’” Sadly they couldn’t agree on the price. Hislop insisted he wouldn’t go above a quid.
Purple Ronnie the MP
Ronnie Campbell, who was Labour MP for Blyth Valley for 32 years, has died at 80. Campbell attracted affectionate teasing in 2008 when he agreed to wear purple in the Commons to support the first National Fetish Day. Asked by a local journalist to name his favourite fetish, Campbell cheerfully replied: “I must have a thousand but probably horses.” When it was explained that this was to do with sexual kinks, an aghast Campbell said he thought it just meant a “worry”. Lucky he wasn’t in the whips’ office.
Russian roulette
Russians once came to Gordon Brown’s aid when his plane had to make a landing in Madagascar on the way from a finance ministers’ meeting. Ed Balls tells Political Currency that their need to refuel was frustrated by some local heavies, who demanded a bribe. This was tricky for the British chancellor as he had just signed an anti-bribery accord. They were saved by the arrival of an Aeroflot plane. The heavies decided that the Russians may be easier to tap and, while they were away, Brown’s pilot filled the tank and took off without clearance or paying for fuel. “We did a runner,” Balls admits.
During her time as James Bond’s boss, Dame Judi Dench sought the advice of the real head of MI6, or C. Sir Richard Dearlove told LBC’s Nick Ferrari that it was the most enjoyable lunch of his career. He explained the important stuff, like how to give 007 a withering look, and then gave Dench a gift: a mini spy camera engraved with “From C to M”. It had been made in East Germany. From Prussia with love?
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Perfect panto princess
The actor John Savident, who has died at 86, was in Coronation Street for many years, where he played the romantic butcher Fred Elliott, a Lancastrian Foghorn Leghorn. Keen to share stories on set, he once told the scriptwriter Gareth Roberts about an encounter in a West End off licence, where he was sure he had worked with the woman in front. “Lovely to see you,” he told her. “How’s work? Doing panto this year?” His questions got an icy “no” and she left with him wondering what show they had been in. Then the penny dropped. It was Princess Margaret.
