Watched a TV tribute to journalist Alan Whicker who died in July, age 87.
As a kid I was riveted to his programmes which opened up unknown worlds before the birth of mass travel and social media.
The man’s range was amazing, interviewing everyone from Jet Set celebs to dodgy street traders, dictators to wife swappers.
His technique was warm and engaging yet he never failed to punch home the killer question.
He seemed a nice guy, too. A friend writing a travel article about the Channel Islands tried his luck and faxed Whicker for a quote. It came back immediately, exactly what was needed.
His reporting style was something revolutionary that can never happen again. The world has caught up with Whicker.
He was one of the reasons I went into journalism. I might still have an old blazer in a wardrobe somewhere.
Very enjoyable evening at Sunshine Arts book club in Hove, met some lovely people.
I was invited to talk about my new Danny Lancaster crime thriller, Rough Diamond, and enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation about books and writing.
As you write you know what you’re doing and why. But it’s only in response to specific questions that you really focus and whittle it all into concise explanations. It can be very revealing.
I’ve been invited back, perhaps for the launch of Danny4 – Rock Hard – at Christmas. Looking forward to it.
My wife, after months of planning, finally ventured into the matted biomass where our garden used to be.
Discoveries include the missing secateurs and, possibly, several species of orchid. No sign of the primitive tribe believed to live in the shadow of the Lost Plateau, formerly known as the compost heap.
The expedition continues.