The hanging and flogging brigade have always had it in for Camila Batmanghelidjh. Apart from the fact that she symbolizes their revulsion at the thought of hugging a hoodie, what particularly infuriates them is her get-up.
There is something unsettling about her style. Defiant but with conformist touches, like wearing grim specs instead of goggles-gawn-mad like Iris Apfel’s. Stripey wristlets are eye-catching, but they must be a damn nuisance when washing up.
 |
| goggles-gawn-mad |
 |
| not practical for doing the dishes |
Below. Camila looking relatively conventional, trying not to alarm Prince Charles.
 |
| How d'you do? |
The negative publicity surrounding Kids Company seems to have caught the interest of the general public. A lot of people seem personally affronted by the very idea of Kids Company. I’ve always thought it had the right approach, but it seems to have gotten too big for its boots. I must admit I don’t know anything about its recent implosion other than the Miles Goslett revelations.
I’m divided. Inspirational leader or cult figure? Bit of both.
I can’t actually see anything particularly damning in those e-mails, and I kind of tend to side with Camila. (and Boris) She does seem to have got out of her depth, and if there are financial irregularities she really should have sorted them out.
The one thing her critics don’t appear to have addressed is what are social services or anyone else doing about the problems Kids Company is trying to deal with? Not a lot, and at much more public expense, probably.
As this is supposed to be a blog about the BBC I’d better say something about Alan Yentob.
I don’t really care if he tried to influence Newsnight.
Newsnight suffers from its own dodgy internal trouble and strife. Curses on the lot of them.
