We watch less than an hour of television daily, usually the news or Dad’s Army on catch-up; so it was Most Unusual to watch a live programme on ITV on Wednesday evening.
I wondered if my password would work as it’s years since I last saw Minder. There are two reasons for me to watch a series first screened in 1979: George Cole is an excellent actor although his talent wasn’t really stretched and the location shots are all in my manor, as Arthur Daley would say. It was easy to recognise the garage forecourt in the title credits and streets, etc – now the only things I can be sure of are Hammersmith Bridge and the Albert Hall. Oh, and I like the theme tune too.
But back to ITV last Wednesday when we watched Anne, The Princess Royal at 70. The last royal doc I saw was an interview with Prince Andrew who hadn’t mastered media management. It was a partly a bio-pic – I enjoyed the Mall kidnap episode, already covered here in 2016: Man in Taxi. It was also interviews with Herself, family and people who know her well. Two aspects of her working life were not covered adequately if at all: her overseas tours and her association with many of the City’s livery companies. The former might have stretched the ITV budget and the latter though laudable might incorrectly give the impression that she was out for a free dinner.
Years ago she had a Private Secretary who fed the Press a rich diet of equestrian stories that only told a small part of the Princess’s life. ITV has set the record straight and it was rather a moving tribute to an exceptionally hard-working member of “The Firm”. I hope, in due course, Prince Edward gets some recognition for the work he and his wife undertake without any fuss.
Anyway I was going to write about something completely different but that can wait.