12 forgotten novels,journalism, formerly Times theatre critic - now Theatrecat.com. R4 presenter & loyalist 40+yrs, thrown out 2017

moving around
Trading is something I’ve genuinely grown to enjoy over the past while. I’ve taken some time to give it a try, just sharing some of the progress I’ve made. @CorrinaSinclair Your insights helping me allot. I’m really grateful for the support ☺️
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God Bless Jacob Rees-Mogg
The English are a mongrel people, not an Aryan master race.
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My Brand new car 🤩 paid for in full. After spending a while on my vision board, it’s finally become a reality. Massive thanks to my mentor @CorrinaSinclair for the guidance along the way. Truly grateful for the opportunity to work with you ❤️
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Trading’s something I’ve really gotten into over the past while, and I’m glad I can finally share a little of the progress. I opened a few trades during the recent crypto bull run. @CorrinaSinclair your insights have helped me allot. You’re truly an amazing person
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Why are none of these warring commentators ever mentioning that Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed would very likely have lived if - like their useless protection guy - they had worn their seat belts?
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Libby Purves retweeted
Here’s what the media doesn’t tell you about the caricature of Israel you have in your mind. In less than two hours, over 7 million Jewish Israelis will mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Some will go to synagogue. Some will go to the beach. Nobody will drive unless they have to. Many will not eat or drink for 25 hours, religious or not. Then you have over 2 million Arab Israelis who will go on with their lives as usual. Many will not drive in mixed cities out of respect for their Jewish neighbors. Nobody will drive in Jewish neighborhoods. And the hospitals will only be filled with Arab doctors and nurses to let their Jewish colleagues observe the day at home. (The opposite happens on Ramadan.) Not long ago I went out to run a few last-minute errands before the holiday begins. Every Arab I interacted with – at the dry cleaners, in the supermarket, in the elevator – wished me an easy fast. Every one. It happens every holiday. Any holiday. Their holidays and ours. This is the real Israel. A country filled with Jews and Arabs that get along better than anywhere else on this planet, that nobody shows you because it’s simply not newsworthy. It’s everyday life. To all those who observe – have an easy fast. גמר חתימה טובה
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Good points can't see why any berk would take them out of context!
Perhaps worth saying that this short video clip of me talking about my book has been taken out of context. I don't think fascism and illiteracy are connected. But I do think there is a fascism + radio/cinema connection.
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Well, I put it more tactfully earlier today, but....
Earl Charles Spencer has absolutely no right to be righteous about King Charles when he has treated his own wives and daughters disgustingly. The Earl has fathered seven children across three different women, leaving behind a chaotic trail of fractured families, serial infidelity, and cold discardment that makes the King look like a saint. The sheer hypocrisy of him taking the moral high ground over the King is staggering—while the King had one messy, public divorce, the Earl has spent decades making a mess of multiple households. He behaves like the ultimate defender of family values, but behind closed doors, the reality is a masterclass in how to alienate every woman in your life. The horrifying extent of how Earl Charles Spencer has treated his wives behind closed doors paints an even darker picture of serial betrayal, emotional cruelty, and a complete lack of empathy. If people think the first breakdown was bad, the deeper details of his three failed marriages are truly shocking. 🧵 The cold, hard breakdown of how he treats the women in his life: 💔 The Wives & Sordid Affairs: Victoria Lockwood (First Wife / Mother of 4 children):  Humiliated her at their first anniversary dinner by publicly announcing their marriage was failing. During their brutal 1997 divorce, court papers alleged he conducted up to a dozen extramarital affairs. Most sickeningly, Victoria’s lawyers alleged he cheated on her with at least 10 different women during the five months she was confined to a clinic fighting for her life against anorexia and substance abuse. The "Alienation" Plot & Best Friend Betrayal:  He allegedly uprooted Victoria and their children to South Africa under the guise of "escaping the media glare". In reality, court papers alleged the move was to cover up his aggressive pursuit of South African model Chantal Collopy—whose husband later sued Charles for "enticement and alienation" of his wife's affection. Furthermore, Charles was savagely beaten by his former best friend, Darius Guppy, after it emerged that Charles had tried to seduce Guppy's wife while Guppy was serving a prison sentence. Caroline Freud (Second Wife / Mother of 2 children):  Blindsided and abruptly discarded her in 2007. Caroline was left completely heartbroken and "shattered" when he walked out. He reportedly embarked on a fresh affair with an American television presenter while their youngest child was a mere four months old, completely abandoning his family responsibilities for the next thrill. Karen Gordon (Third Wife / Mother of 1 child):  Used her for emotional support through the heavy toll of writing his childhood trauma memoirs. The exact moment the book promotion ended in 2024, he dumped her. Explosive High Court documents revealed he had been carrying out a secret, long-term affair since 2021 with Dr Catrine Jarman—the archaeologist he brought to Althorp—blindsiding Karen with a divorce text just weeks after a romantic Valentine's Day message. Karen accused Charles of orchestrated "bullying" and highly insensitive behavior as their marriage dissolved, hounding her with legal actions while she was dealing with the devastating grief of her own father's failing health. He then went to a literary festival with his new girlfriend and openly insulted Karen to the media, publicly bragging, "It really is nice to be with someone who wants to do stuff... someone who is dynamic and interested." Charles Spencer acts like a righteous saint on television, but his actual life is a masterclass in how to alienate, cheat on, and abandon every single woman who ever loved or depended on him. Don’t get me started on what he did to Princess Diana. It is disgusting what he wrote to her in 1996, calling her horrible things and refusing to let her stay at the Althorp estate. He also has basically no relationship with his three eldest daughters and couldn't even be bothered to go to their weddings. He is a vile, chauvinistic, pompous cheat.
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Fascinating. And makes the point about alimony: Spencer is not a man with a record of making wives happy and secure…
Earl Spencer’s claim that the King said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana’s death reflects the family view of the royals as “vulgar mud bloods”, says Michael Gove. “[John] will have regarded his daughter as marrying down when she consented to ally herself with Charles.”
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Recommendationsfrom theatrecat.com of shows still running - Woody Sez (one more week), A month in the country at Donmar, and Tartuffe @MaryleboneTHLDN both running into October.
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Libby Purves retweeted
Ethnic cleansing must be unequivocally condemned.
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Sounds like a plan
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Libby Purves retweeted
Wishing a Shana Tova to all celebrating Rosh Hashanna, the Jewish New Year, tonight, may your apples be ever honeyed. And wishing everyone, everywhere, a peaceful, healthy and happier year. Have a wonderful weekend. See you monday.
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Libby Purves retweeted
WOODY SEZ is back in London, @ubsoho (off Peter St) until the 19th. And theatrecat.com recommends you go and see it, and meet America's lost soul again. Woody Guthrie sez, go. Both Thursdays include an impromptu hootenanny if you take your instrument with you...
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Libby Purves retweeted
Huzzah for @InterTheatre at @MaryleboneTHLDN and TARTUFFE REMIXED, elegantly and hilariously, with a trouserless Rylance too. Rvw up, theatrecat.com, and well done to @DarrenRaymond , again\!
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Heard rantings against Emma Barnett's interview with Kemi Badenoch. Thought I had better listen. Oh dear. The ranters were right. This is not how a BBC Today presenter should conduct the nightly 0810 with an opposition leader.
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Libby Purves retweeted
The Proclaimers speak for a nation when they say of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, “those fucking bairns who Rowling made massive fortunes for… you would have thought someone would stand up and say, “We live in a free country!” 👏👏👏
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