Don’t knock clever kids

CONGRATULATIONS to victorious Child Genius 2017, 12-year-old Rahul Doshi and even more vigorously to his passionately driven father IT manager Minesh.

Some may pour scorn on a chap who says: “It’s crunch time,” to a pre-teen, but no-one could doubt their father/son bond, the love and respect the pair feel for one another and Minesh’s determination to dedicate every ounce of energy and strategic technique to furthering his boy’s bid for glory. Cynics love to pretend there’s nothing special about being a blisteringly bright child. They take pleasure in saying it all comes out in the wash, and gifted kids don’t turn into especially clever adults. It’s a toxic mixture of jealousy and nastiness. Rahul’s achievement is immense. No-one can ever take away his hard-won title.

He is poised to achieve even greater things and I, for one, will remember his name, his 52-card feat of memory, his fabulous tie, waistcoat combos and his dazzling smile while I await news of his further successes. GOOD old Kate and her good old coat. The Duchess of Cambridge always strikes a perfect balance between being headline grabbingly fashion forward and recycling old favourites. The Royal Family’s recent appearance at a service at Balmoral is close to the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. Kate’s commonsense told her this was not the moment to model a stunning new designer outfit, so she trotted out a brown wool Hobbs coat first seen in 2012. Not only did it suit her down to the ground, it kept the cold at bay and the focus on family unity not frivolous frocks.