Skip to main content

Spoiling some good true life stories with facts

 My new book has escaped onto Amazon


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BRSDQJ7G?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

A disordered chronicle of my life and times including ins, outs, ups and downs with a smattering of my time as features and diary editor of Dublin's "Social and Personal" magazine, the 70's/80's equivalent of "Hello" magazine, long before Hello was even a glint in the publisher's eyes.

It is a book of life stories with a healthy/unhealthy dose of observance, satire and cynicism thrown in. So not exactly a traditional autobiography by any stretch of even the most fertile of imaginations.
It's all about the things I got up to, down to and sideways to, with an unhealthy dose of total irrelevancy thrown in.

It includes when we, as a family met one of Ireland’s most recognised TV personalities and became firm, family friends, their daughter being responsible for my unceremonious entry into the 4th Estate.

Off to the Canary Islands in the days before direct flights. Having lunch with my first real, live celebrity. How I received the best pieces of journalistic interviewing advice ever from Sir Peter Ustinov. A very surreal (is there any other kind?) interview with Spike Milligan. Having tea with Alice Cooper. Wondering if I had been given a missed “come on” message by Liza Goddard. Having a direct telephone line to speak to a Lord Mayor of Dublin. Being friends (only friends!) with a Miss Ireland. Being blown up in the Forum/Europa hotel in Belfast. Being at a “concert” (well a few songs on the piano in a deserted hotel lounge) for just 10 people given by Francis Rossi (Status Quo). Attending a Guinness (the Guinness) family wedding. Taking on an email scammer. Wondering whether we have all become not just bad writers, but bad readers. 


And then wondering if you can put up with my irreverent sense of humour. 


Not many can and do live to survive the ordeal.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The "Win a Million" free scratch card newspaper inserts

One of those three-panel "Win a Million" scratchcards fell out of my newspaper this morning. Not a major or in anyway newsworthy event in itself, but I must admit my surprise. I didn't think anyone bothered with them anymore, or, to be a little more technical, I didn't think anyone was taken in by them anymore. Firstly, it actually is printed on the bottom of each panel that "Every card has a set of 3 matching symbols, 2 matching symbols and no matching symbols". Right, so you are going to 'win', half-win and not win respectively. Then, while the prize list is somewhat impressive with 1x£1m, 1x£100k, 2x£20k, 3x£10k and other things like holidays, tablet PC's city breaks all the way down to 1000 "faux" fashion watches, 1000 salon  makeovers and 1000xVIP Thames cruises. Now should I be stupid enough to spend the £1.53 a minute for the 6 minute phone call to claim my prize (that's almost a tenner, for those of you without cal...
2 comments
Read more

Chancellor's letter of apology to Bob Diamond of Barclays

Thanks to my contacts at the new News International business "Phonetaps'R'Us", I was exclusively sent a copy of a letter sent to the Chief Executive of Barclays Bank, Bob Diamond, from the Chancellor yesterday. "Dear Bob Trusting you and yours are well. Listen mate. Sorry the F inancially S tupid A sses wrote to your bank yesterday to demand £290million as a fine. It's nothing personal, and just because your bank head office people are a bunch of dishonest, thieving bastards, I thought there was no reason to carry on that way and fine you. I made this clear to the FSA yesterday as soon as I heard the news. I told them that the taxpayer would have been more than happy to bail you out. And also. Look mate. Sorry you've had to give up your bonus this year. It must have come as quite a shock, and was a wonderful thing for you to volunteer to do. I only hope you've put something by from the £17million you received last year. No doubt the bank pay...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are Camelot dim, dysfunctional, liars or just plain greedy?

There can be no denying that UK lottery operators Camelot are on to a good thing. Especially the overpaid management. They have been reaping the benefits of the franchise for years now - a franchise that in essence, has been licenced by the government to print money. However, I can't quite make up my mind whether the management of the Lotto are dim, dysfunctional, liars or just plain greedy, although the cynic in me answers the question when I consider the chief Executive of Camelot was complaining last year that the annual bonus on her not inconsiderable 7-figure salary had been reduced (conveniently forgetting her 18 year sojourn to date at Camelot has produced a pension we mere mortals can only dream about. How about the poor soldiers, CEO Dianne Thompson, who come back from the far-east minus a leg and have to legally fight for compensation that doesn't even touch what you earn less than a month? And they don't receive CBE's for their troubles either !). Irres...
Post a Comment
Read more