Catholic London: It's Anecdotal

When a catholic priest tells anecdotes about well known and less well known people levitating around the power center of Britain, don't expect earth shaking revelations. Have some fun laughing about people you don't like anyhow and get some insights into some people you shouldn't like, but did so far. Sinners And Saints by Father Michael Seed was published by Metro Publishing. 

Mother Teresa

Father Michael Seeds is one of many catholic priests who have spent too much time with the high and mighty and too little with the poor and needy; ask Pope Francis. It is therefore hardly surprising that his collection of little stories involves a spate of names dropping. The book packed with amusing anecdotes involving power brokers in the united Kingdom. He makes it quite obvious: Power corrupts.
 
He shows up the sheer lunacy of religious people when relating to the dying days of Cardinal Hume. When announcing his coming death due to terminal cancer, Basil Hume received the answer: ‘Congratulations! That’s brilliant news. I wish I was coming with you.’ This came from the Abbot of Ampleforth. But as ecumenical advisor to the cardinals at Westminster, lunacy is the least of Michael Seeds' problems. Eccentrics, hobgoblins, and sleazes abound in his narrative.
 
There was someone called Ann Widdecombe, While still into politics (and before her reincarnation as a comic) she pulled a major publicity stunt with her conversion to Catholicism. She hid paparazzi in the crypt. She even managed to top that feat later on. Organizing an exorcism at the Home Office, she hoped to rid the rooms of the evil aura of Michael Howard who had ‘something of the night’ about him, after he left office.
 
Tony Blair was more circumspect with his sneaky conversion to Catholicism. He demanded that Michael Seeds enter through one of the ground floor windows at No 10 Downing Street to read mass to the Blair family in corpore. Alan Clark treated him as his servant priest. After once telling him that having talked to God he now felt completely at ease, he continued by showing him his collection of Nazi memorabilia.
 
Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to descend on London and demand a 30 room mansion for herself and her entourage; and would get it. Cardinal Hume said: ‘She always wants things and I always give them to her.’ Basil Hume himself is described by Michael Seeds as childish, petulant and immature while throwing tantrums when missing a football match due to his duties. And driving past No 10 Downing Street he would shout ‘Maggie out!’ But Cardinal Hume was known to never give anybody any lifts in his personal car (paid for by the faithful): ‘My car is not a taxi.’ So, how does Seeds know this?
 
There are numerous funny stories in between some plain names dropping, so the book is quite a good and amusing read. All of it obviously has to be taken with a pinch of salt, to put it mildly. Or as my grand-mother used to say: ‘Si non è vero, è ben trovato.’ (If it is not the truth, at least it’s well invented.)

Further reading
History Distortion With Criminal Intent
Eccentric Aristocrats' Stories
Roger Moore Biography

ITV Failed in Catching Tom Daley

ITV, usually in the lead when catching Tom Daley for a show, failed in getting him onto I'm a Celebrity 2013. Rumours have it that Tom Daley has turned down a £250,000 offer to appear in the most brainless show ITV has the honour of putting on every year. As it is also a show for has-been D-listers, I don't think Tom Daley should really be on it.

Tom Daley

While it had been repeatedly reported that the Olympic diving star said he would be up for a stint in the jungle, the offer was either not good enough, or the timing was just off as he has enough other commitments not least with ITV. And Tom Daley has been criticized in the past for not concentrating enough on his diving career.

And he already has two TV commitments to juggle around his diving. There is the second series of celebrity diving show Splash as well as a fly-on-the-wall documentary series. If you haven't seen Splash last time round, make time for it this year. While the celebrity diving is not too inspiring, the diving shows put on by the professionals are something not to miss out on.

But for Tom Daley to let other stunts go by seems a wise decision. Unlike most I'm a Celebrity contestants, his career is not over and he won't join the old age pensioners next year. So who are the non-entities that are rumoured to become part of the trashy display?

A former Apprentice winner by name of Stella English is set for the jungle after claiming to be broke. Seemingly she messed up on her job with Lord Sugar. I couldn't tell you more as I usually don't usually follow second rate celebrities except if they are really amusing.

“Stella’s basically claiming The Apprentice ruined her life, which would make great viewing if she dished the dirt. It would also be a good way for ITV to have a little dig at Lord Sugar and rival channel BBC,” a source told the Daily Star Sunday. “Although nothing is finalised yet producers are confident Stella will sign on the dotted line. It’s a great opportunity to ease her money worries and repair her image.”

Other names linked to this year’s series include Paul Gascoigne (a broke footballer if I'm not mistaken), Michael Le Vell (a minor actor in a minor TV series), and an Emmerdale actress by name of Lucy Pargeter (I was told she was Chas Spencer, one of the names would probably be from the TV series, one her acting name?) Who knows or cares.

There are more names bandied about. One of the thousand or more former X Factor singers on the list is Rylan Clark whose career has stopped after never taking off. There is also one Lucy Mecklenburgh from The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), one of the most pointless TV productions if you ignore I'm a Celebrity.

Further reading
Splash Line-up Next Round
Tom Daley Calendar 2014
Diving World Championship 2013