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| Hanif’s struggle with his
father |
“My old man would have hated this book”, Hanif Kureishi
exclaimed while at the London Review of Books last Thursday night.
He was there to talk about his evocation of his father Shannoo,
My Ear at His Heart, covering his own writing career and style.
“I’ve written a book about my Dad and his work, but it’s
got my name on it – he’d be furious,” he added.
His father died in 1991, as Hanif Kureishi sprang to fame with works
such as The Buddha of Suburbia, Love in a Blue Time and Intimacy,
often looking at the dark intimacies of family life in his work.
But he has increasingly become interested in his father’s writings,
which could be found on any bits of paper, scribbled on scraps like
takeaway menus and tax bills.
It resulted in My Ear at His Heart published towards the end of
last year.
Reflecting on the painful power struggle between them, Mr Kureishi
told Diary that he’d suffered feelings of guilt after becoming
a success with relative ease while his father – who had a lifelong
yearning to be a respected author – sank into a bed-ridden
depression.
He said: “I felt bad about my father being unsuccessful, but
at least he went on convinced that he was an undiscovered and unappreciated
talent while all my books were just dirty and rude.”
Bowl of contention
THE contradiction that lies at the heart of City Hall’s
provision of public toilets came brightly into focus this week.
Westminster Council is justly proud to have won the Loo of the Year
for Excellence Award at this year’s Loo of the Year competition.
But, as Diary has commented before, Westminster’s commitment
to public conveniences is erratic to say the least. The council’s
toilet chiefs – including Cllr Alan Bradley, the cabinet member
for street environment – have told this newspaper that they
are under no obligation to provide public toilets.
This is to justify 50 pence charges planned for many public conveniences.
Cllr Bradley has insisted that the council would never introduce
charges to the West End but charges are expected to appear at the
sites in the Embankment, in the Strand of Trafalgar Square, just
off Oxford Street, and near Piccadilly.
But when given the chance of collecting an accolade, you don’t
hear any complaining from Victoria Street.
Two council officers attended the World Toilet Summit in Belfast
last week to see Westminster scoop the award.
While the refurbished lavatory at Oxford Circus – taking two
years and costing £300,000 – did not win outright ‘Loo
of the Year’ no doubt it helped their overall cause.
Cllr Bradley was understandably delighted saying that they had been
“crossing fingers – and our legs – for this accolade
for months”.
So can we now expect plaques above public conveniences celebrating
the success above the forthcoming slot for the 50 pence entry charge?
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Above: A maquette of the planned statue, and Lord Attenborough
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Lord Dickie signs for statue of liberty
LORD of Luvvies, Dickie Attenborough found himself in trouble
on Thursday morning (yesterday) when he was reprimanded by the inspector
investigating the controversial plans for a statue of Nelson Mandela
by Ian Walters to be erected on the north terrace of Trafalgar Square.
Lord Attenborough, who has championed the statue since the death
of anti-apartheid campaigner Donald Woods, has attended several
days of the hearing at the inquiry in Orchardson Street, Edgware
Road, but it seems that he has failed to add his name to the register.
“If I could ask everyone who is here to sign their names on
the register,” Inspector Roger Bowen told the inquiry first
thing yesterday morning (Thursday).
“I notice that a prominent member of the acting profession,
who has been here before, has not signed his name.
“So if he could I would be most grateful.”
Diary understands that Lord Attenborough has dutifully added his
name. |
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Look for vintage not barcode
FULL STORY...
... and another thing....
Typical isn’t it? You leave the country for a few days
and when you get back everything you thought you knew is wrong.
FULL STORY...
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