Ephraim Hardcastle
Court Circular lists seven staff accompanying Charles and Camilla on their Greek trip, including a private secretary, a medic and two communications officials. But there were others in the royal party – a valet, a dresser and a travelling yeoman figure to ensure all HRH’s medals were present and correct. Mercifully, it was an overnight jaunt. Would a full-blown royal tour require a larger plane?
THIS week’s Good Friday – the most solemn day in the Christian year – is not marked in the BBC1 or BBC2 schedules. The closest thing to a religious programme is a travel show about a ‘pilgrimage’ – to a mosque in Istanbul. The BBC’s religion editor Martin Bashir clearly has other matters on his mind.
DRAGONs’ Den’s Deborah Meaden, stung by Twitter trolls who make comments about her personal appearance, wants Government action to prohibit insulting tweets. ‘There should be a line where you say “You can’t say that to anybody”. I think there has to be some sort of regulation on it.’ Deborah, pictured, adds that she has developed a form of immunity: ‘so as long as you don’t call me stupid or a bad businesswoman then I am fine with it. If I was in a beauty contest, that would have relevance but I am not.’
CAMP Tory MP Michael Fabricant enthuses over British Airways’ £80 cook-at-home in-flight meal kits. ‘To enhance the BA experience,’ he says, ‘I might get a friend to dress up as a BA airline steward and have him mince up and down while I’m eating the meal, asking me if I’d like my cushion plumped.’ Adding: ‘I have a particular friend in mind...’ A job for West Midlands Mayor and Fabricant ‘life partner’ Andy Street, perhaps? sHIRLEY Bassey and Roger Daltrey are among performers marking the 150th birthday of the Royal Albert Hall recalling their performances there. What are Black sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne’s memories? ‘I know I played there a couple of times in 1971 and 1972,’ says Ozzy helpfully. ‘But I can’t remember a bloody thing from that decade.’
DELIGHTED that Channel 5 has rescued quiz show Eggheads – scrapped by the BBC – Jeremy Vine is having his teeth straightened. ‘I worried about metal train tracks flashing every time I smile – not least because of the character Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me. It turns out tracks are not the only option. I went for a system that’s virtually invisible,’ he says, recalling: ‘Incredibly, as a young lad I was in the care of a dental practice in Stoneleigh, Surrey, called Ruff and Askew.’