Londoner's Diary: Brexiteers’ Angel slogan on a wing and a prayer

Staying neutral: the Angel of the North
Paul Ellis
15 March 2016

As statements go, it’s a pretty large one: over the weekend Brexit enthusiasts managed to project “Vote Leave: Take Control” on to Antony Gormley’s 175-foot Angel of the North in Gateshead. So what does the sculptor think about the anti-EU group fronted by Justice Secretary Michael Gove politicising his statue?

“You might imagine so,” harrumphed his assistant when The Londoner called. “He is discussing it with his legal team. We’re pursuing it and not commenting to the press at the moment.”

Vote Leave also projected pro-Brexit messages onto the Baltic arts centre on Tyneside, Edinburgh Castle and the white cliffs of Dover this weekend. Gateshead council, which oversees Gormley’s statue, said no permission had been sought from it. “It is absolutely not something we would have approved,” said its spokeswoman. “We don’t give permission for projections at any time.”

The message was also not something Gateshead supported, she added, especially since the angel may never have existed if not for the EU. “It’s somewhat ironic that both the Angel of the North and Baltic actually benefited from European regional development funding, along with many other important projects in Gateshead.”

The statue has been targeted before.Morrison’s supermarket used it in an ad campaign in 2014, and while the company had to apologise, no legal action was taken. French Connection and the Irish tourist board have also been offenders in recent months.

The person who picked up the phone from Vote Leave told The Londoner: “Someone else in the office was responsible for that, and they’re away today.” When they finally called back they wouldn’t confirm permission, nor say whether they’d heard from Gormley’s lawyers.

Perhaps Gormley should consult the Justice Secretary over it.

***

Londoners assemble: your votes for the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year 2015 have to be in by midnight. The seven-strong shortlist includes some fascinating tomes, such as Transvestite Vampire Biker Nuns from Outer Space: A Consideration of Cult Film, and Too Naked for the Nazis. We’re backing Reading from Behind: A Cultural History of the Anus.

We wait in hope for those final chapters

Natasha Fairweather has become the go-to literary agent for Tory big beasts but can she deliver on her promises? Last year she got a £500,000 deal for Boris Johnson at Hodder for a book on Shakespeare. Now it’s Ken Clarke’s memoirs for Macmillan, for £430,000.

Johnson’s is needed by the end of the year to coincide with the 400th anniversary commemorating the Bard’s death, while Macmillan wants Clarke’s this autumn. Macmillan may be worried by a remark Clarke made on Sky News that he would not take the money yet in case he did not finish his book. And in Boris’s case — between being an MP, Mayor and Brexit campaigner — where will he find the time?

Birthdays, a networking opportunity

What does Heather Kerzner do? She can hold a good birthday party, for a start. The Londoner was at Bellamy’s in Mayfair last night, toasting the health of hotelier Sol Kerzner’s ex-wife, pictured above at the French brasserie with her son Charlie Murphy and Bell Pottinger CEO James Henderson.

Also present was BBC presenter Graham Norton, pictured left with the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. It wasn’t a surprise to see David Furnish there either — Heather’s friendship with his husband Elton John is well-known — chatting to Mail on Sunday editor Geordie Greig, right. Also tucking into the birthday cake were property developer Nick Candy and tennis legend Boris Becker.

***

Farewell then, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, avant garde composer, who died yesterday aged 81. His passing reminded The Londoner of an incident in 2005, when police doorstepped the then Master of the Queen’s Music to ask about a dead swan found at his Orkney home. Unaware that killing the birds was a crime against Her Majesty, Davies offered the officers some swan terrine. He said the bird had died after flying into electrical wires but offered to “do porridge in the Tower of London”.

***

Title of the day: Norman Lamb MP has been made “champion” for endangered species. The Londoner thought Tim Farron was the one who’d been elected Lib-Dem leader?

Bring home the bacon

Michel Roux Jr has already followed his father, Albert Roux, into the kitchen, so it’s no wonder his piggy namesake is set to do the same. The Londoner was at the chef’s Parliament Square restaurant last night for the launch of The Craftsmen’s Dinner, a series of YouTube films made with The Balvenie whisky, which sees Roux meet specialist craftsmen who contribute knives, food and pottery to a unique dinner.

One clip saw him visit Grierson Organic, a farm in Perthshire, and christen a ginger pig with his own name. When owner Sascha Grierson came to present her clip, Roux couldn’t resist checking up. “How is Michel?” he asked. Grierson looked nervous. “He’s actually being prepared for slaughter tomorrow,” she admitted. “Do I at least get some rashers?” Roux wondered. “£14.50 a kilo,” Grierson smiled.

The first clip in The Craftsmen's Dinner series can be found here

Snoopy is so de rigueur

Back in January, a primary school head teacher risked revolution at the school gates by banning parents in pyjamas. Evidently the BBC doesn’t have such rules.

Yesterday Top Gear frontman Chris Evans looked sheepish after the Cenotaph row. He was, at least, comfortable, sporting a pair of Snoopy pyjamas. But he’s not the first: former creative director Alan Yentob wore a fetching pair of checked trousers that most would describe as pyjamas while visiting the Jungle migrant camp in Calais earlier this month.

Slightly scruffy, maybe, but bedtime couture did dominate the catwalk last year. So are Evans and Yentob just too stylish for us mere mortals to understand?

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in