Sunday, October 07, 2007

Doughty Street Fiasco ( The Kampfner Interview)


Exhibit A


To: 'Paul Newman'
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 1:52 PM
Subject: RE: The Return of Blogger TV
Are you up for coming on Blogger TV? We have a space tomorrow…



Note the date and time of the above email, which I received yesterday from Iain dale. Now to me tomorrow generally refers to the day after the one you are in . For example on Saturday .‘tomorrow’ would be Sunday . I stand corrected . On Saturday ‘tomorrow’ refers to Monday . At least I think that’s the idea.
Unaware of the new ‘alternate day’ calendar , I dutifully picked out a few favourites blogs and trundled the two stops to Kings Cross .Skipping gracefully through beggars , prostitutes and thieves with a light heart and a tra la la I arrived at 18 Doughty Street about 15 minutes early or 24 hours and 15 minutes early by the ‘new reckoning.’

The plot thickened . Doughty Street continues over Guildford Road into Mecklenburgh Square . If you approach from Grays Inn Road therefore , you can either turn left or right into Doughty Street. If ,as I did , you turn right , there is nothing to tell you that you have left the celebrated boulevard before you reach number 18. In all ignorance , you have entered Mecklenburgh Square, and stand before the residence of John Kamfner, the Editor of the New Statesman, and Brown nose bore nonpareil
I assumed that the New Statesman’s Editor had an adjoining office and there being no choice, rang the bell . Johny boy ( my new chum ),was in a considerable bate when he answered the intercom. Oddly , he was not at all pleased to hear from a little Tory out to gloat at the Brown Bottling panto of a Sunday eve . I said “Is this the 18 Doughty Street ?” he replied “ No it isn`t , you’ve got the wrong place, cross the road”. His tone was heavy with the soul sicklied weariness of the Ancient Mariner . I suspect this is not the first such misunderstanding .

How marvellous that Ian has arranged things thus . Endless keen Conservatives playing unwitting knock down ginger on the Moloch to Brown`s Beelzebub . If I have irritated the flabby arsed vendor of prolix middle brow chatter the adventure can only be counted a success . I think I `m doing the blogger thing tomorrow . If so , I shall go and knock at the mouth-watering Georgina splendour of this canting socialist plutocrat again …perhaps more than once . I hope he sends his Butler down to see me off.


The New Statesman’s current cover page is “ Election fever” Beneath it is the invitation to discover “ What Che Means Today”…Now that’s a happening journal for you. Excellent article on the Bravery of running away “ by Martin Bright who , may well have had the nod on Brown`s “Italian “ moment .


Update : Dale responded thus
Paul, sorry, my body clock must have been wrong. ..... Kampfner is very annoyed at the number of visitors he is getting….!
There you have it newmania ,confidante of Lord Blog of Blogham and aquaintance to top editors will be appearing tommorow.

13 comments:

CityUnslicker said...

well. i shall try to watch and possibly use msn tomorrow.

Are you going to wear a loung suit or biker jacket?

Nick Drew said...

What japes !

Shall be glued to the tiny screen

(PS I believe YELLOW SOCKS are the correct form of dress)

(and cross-garters ...)

Newmania said...

My favourite play Nick which Mrs N and I watched "In the Park" last Summer


Biker jacket CU..or suit if I am late from work

Croydonian said...

Just my luck that sordid commerce interferes, and I will miss the debut of Newmania. Is an unexpecting world ready? The Significant Other will be watching, however.

Newmania said...

Ready to hide behind the sofa C

lilith said...

Boyfriend and I have just started on an epic voyage of watching the Sopranos (all six series). I felt terribly guilty last night thinking I must have missed Newmania whilst I watched episodes 3 and 4...Hope I catch you tonight or is that tomorrow?

Newmania said...

ha ha Lillith....I would stick with the Sopranos

Anonymous said...

It is essential to wear 'fancy dress' on Doughty Street I believe, though this does explain why I could not watch you yesterday - or Saturday according to the new system...

Newmania said...

I know ...I `m going as a dessicated French Aristocrat riven with syphilis in the last decadnet days of the court of Versaille

Philipa said...

Children stopped play in my hosehold. Glad you're on on a school night N.

An aristo huh? I trust it's representational of the governing elite. Rousseu's citizens were to be trained to 'will nothing contrary to the will of society'. where's my knitting??

Old BE said...

What time are you on N?

CityUnslicker said...

wwll you were very good and kept your nerve to say some funny things.

Well done sir.

I also pat myself for managing to fit a bit in against the odds and refraining from getting too involved via messenger.

Anonymous said...

How amusing, what a scream you are.

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