Londoner's Diary: Pimlico wants to pull up the drawbridge

No to Nine Elms crossing: Peter York
Stuart C Wilson/Getty Images
4 January 2016

The red-trousered of Pimlico have spoken, and they say “NO”. No, specifically, to the proposed cycle-pedestrian bridge that will connect them with the Nine Elms development on the other side of the river, soon to be home to the American, Dutch and Chinese embassies.

Original Sloane Ranger Peter York is leading the corduroyed charge against the bridge, in his role as co-inventor of the Pimlico Club, an informal residents’ association. According to York, the bridge is being built purely as a thoroughfare for the embassy workers (“cruelly ripped from Grosvenor Square” and trying to reach the “fleshpots of Mayfair”) and the “Chinese and Malaysian off-plan-bought flat-owners” who York reckons have snapped up the 20,000 properties on the massive Nine Elms estate. They will ignore the glories of Pimlico, such as the church of St James the Less with its G F Watts frescoes, in their blinkered bid to reach Piccadilly Circus.

York described to us a meeting “filled to the rafters” of 150 people from both sides of the river at the local St Saviour’s Church. “In a show of hands pro- and anti-bridge,” says York, “it was two for, 148 against — and those two were from south London anyway. They were probably academics, or nutty, or something.”

The loafered lot follow the lead of their neighbouring Chelsea set, last seen stomping their Louboutins over the Crossrail 2 development on their beloved King’s Road. Perhaps York could instigate border control on the banks to prevent anyone not wearing red trousers from entering? We sense an Ealing comedy brewing.

***

A festive period of calling the kettle black for Jeremy Paxman. Before Christmas he said that “everyone on the telly is a show-off” in the FT before describing subject Jeremy Clarkson as an “accomplished deipnosophist”. Not a show-off at all, of course, as several readers commented on Friday. Later that day he hosted the final of the alumni special of University Challenge, where classicist Robin Lane Fox displayed his Cicero expertise. “God you’re patronising,” Paxo sniggered. A word never thrown at him, of course.

Labour MP in a muddle over honours list

Oh, for MPs with longer memories (and no Twitter accounts). On December 26, Labourite Chris Bryant tweeted: “I suggest a new rule: any knighthood that is pre-leaked to press should be rescinded.”

This was, The Londoner guesses, a not-so-subtle dig at Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who helped Cameron win the election and was knighted in the New Year’s Honours.

Another name that had been floating around was Rosie Winterton, the Labour chief whip, who also got a title. And this time it didn’t bother Bryant, who tweeted on the 29th: “Really Delighted for Rosie Winterton... #there isnothinglikeadame.” We’re saying nothing.

No rest for Paul and Saorise

The bells have rung in a new year, and some will be taking it easy this January. Sympathy for actors Paul Dano and Saoirse Ronan, pictured, therefore, whose chances of awards glory this year mean a busy month of campaigning.

The pair were at the Parker Hotel in California this weekend following the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and both will be hoping for a full trophy case come February. Ronan has received plaudits for her performance in romantic drama Brooklyn, while Dano’s portrayal of Beach Boy Brian Wilson in Love and Mercy may just get him an Oscar nomination. Wouldn’t that be nice?

War breaks out over TV Tolstoy

Another period drama, another delicious opportunity to spot the mistakes. Last night the BBC aired its first episode of War and Peace, the six-part adaptation of the Tolstoy doorstop. Lily James took the lead as swooning heroine Natasha Rostova, but social media responses focused on the beautiful dresses, actor James Norton’s cheekbones and the eternally pesky incest subplot.

Others, however, couldn’t get past certain idiosyncrasies that either went unnoticed in the production process or were ignored to appeal to the young whippersnappers who may never have attempted the classic tome.

“I studied literature at a fine university,” writer and actress Emma Kennedy tweeted, “and I still don’t know one single person who’s ever finished War and Peace… Somewhere, on the internet, a pedant is fuming because a quadrille from 1815 is being danced in 1812.”

Author and scriptwriter Andrew Collins, meanwhile, took issue with modern phrases. “Plenty to love about War and Peace but did they say ‘cramp your style’ and ‘it’s complicated’ and ‘bye!’ in early 19th-century Russia?”

Historian Helen Rappaport, an expert on the Romanov dynasty, had follicular concerns. “Natasha’s Sixties schoolgirl fringe?” she tweeted. “This is 1805, FFS.”

Maybe it just took a few centuries to reach our shores.

***

After evil suffragettes were revealed as the culprits in the Sherlock Christmas special, how about rebalancing the scales? Catherine Mayer, founder of the Women’s Equality Party, suggests using two of the show’s prominent women. “What would be great is a spin-off starring Amanda Abbington and Louise Brealey,” she tweeted. “Oh wow!” Abbington responded. “Yes!”

Jezza’s Saudi crystal ball

Was it Corbyn wot said it first? Tories chuckled and moderates whined when the new Labour leader gave his party conference speech on September 29 — no mention of the election defeat. Instead an opening about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Odd. 

A few months later though, critics may have to eat their hats: Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 people on January 2, including prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, horrified the world. The name al-Nimr, however, should sound familiar: his nephew, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, was sentenced to death as a teenager for taking part in the Arab Spring protests. Corbyn had, in his speech, called on Cameron to stop the execution.

It is believed that Ali Mohammed is still alive but Cameron and Jezza’s detractors may now wish they hadn’t giggled at Jeremy in September.

Detox of the year: Tatler’s Sophia Money-Coutts laments that the Vogue House canteen had sold out of avocado by 8.45am today. Isn’t avocado a bit 2015?

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