Deeper Than You Think

One of my favourite showbiz anecdotes concerns David Niven - actor, gentleman. And more than a little flawed*.

In the late 1960s before leaving his home in the south of France to go on a film shoot, Niven gave specific instructions to his builder for the dimensions of his new swimming pool. Thirty by twenty by eight.
When Niven came back the pool had been built to his exact requirements. Sort of.

Ever the Brit, Niven had been talking in feet. His French builder, however, had been listening in metres.

Niven would often boast that he owned the deepest swimming pool in Europe, if not the world.

George Benson (featuring Joe Sample) - Deeper Than You Think

* It was said of Niven that he had charm. But not to spare.

For one afternoon only

It's not often you can drop into conversation the fact that you're playing Earls Court. But that's precisely what I'm doing.
Tomorrow afternoon at 1.30, at the annual Great British Beer Festival, I will be speaking with Sue Nowak at a tutored tasting, A Slice Of Real Ale, where I will be gabbing on about Medd's Bread.

And, not unlike The Who, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones before me, it's sold out! I told you my bread would be world famous, didn't I?

I'll drink to that

Benson & Hedges

I'm interviewing George Benson later this evening for the paper. And no, this won't be the strapline we'll be using. But it would be tempting to ask the man if he was into topiary. Instead we'll probably talk about guitars and Give Me The Night. I'm ringing him at 6, so if there's anything non hedge related you'd like me to ask him, let me know. I've found this clip in the OGWT archives showing just how cool he was back in the day; that's Benson, not Harris.