John Simpson, writing in The New Statesman (naturally!), recalls the fall of the Wall:
Later that night, after I had finished broadcasting for the BBC, I went back to the Wall. Hundreds of people were dancing on top of it, and I was determined to join them. Someone offered their back for me, and willing hands hoisted me up. It wasn’t easy. The Wall was a good 12ft high, and I barked my shin on the coping stone on the way up, tearing the trousers of my best television-appearance suit. No matter; I knelt, then stood, then raised my arms in triumph while everyone around me laughed and sang and kissed each other. A beautiful young blonde danced with me.
Katie Hopkins?
ReplyDeleteAah, I remember it well. We did the Hucklebuck then jived 'til the sun arose.
ReplyDeletePrecious, precious memories.
Helmut.
Possibly Michael Hesletine.
ReplyDeleteCertainly to his taste. If not Michael then perhaps "Chris" Patten.
DeleteAll very well hearing John Simpson's memories but what about Rory Stewart? I want to hear him tell of how as a daring young 16 year old on an exchange visit to Central Europe he boldly challenged an East German border guard who eventually moved aside, allowing him to scale the wall, whereupon a mass of people were inspired to do the same. You see - we have Rory to thank for the end of the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteVery odd bloke John Simpson. He has a partner and son but keeps pills to top himself.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/bbc-broadcaster-john-simpson-says-he-plans-to-commit-suicide-rather-than-allow-young-son-to-see-him-7888678.html
"BBC World Affairs Editor".
DeleteSounds good doesn't it? Like he actually does something...but as far as I can tell it seems to be just a licence to collect a mountain of money from the BBC into old age and to "sound off" about anything on the planet that takes your fancy.
I am sure we would all be up for that job...whereas being a real "editor" would actually mean doing something, like editing, commissioning and approve the standard of other people's work.
Simpson was in Poland on the night the wall fell. I loved the way in the documentary he tried to make it sound like a noble mission to scramble back just in time to elbow Brian Hanrahan out of the way in order to give us his superior wisdom on the evening news.
ReplyDelete(Yes, that devastating insight which meant he was hundreds of miles away at the time.)
His desolation as the live satellite feed juddered to a halt in mid-pontification was priceless.
His telling of that had me laughing out loud. TV comedy gold.
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