Holiday viewing?

There was a rather smart TV in Willow Barn, and so I watched more television than normal which included the not very informative interview by Piers Morgan with Cliff Richard. Among other things we were treated to a single game of amateur tennis. The best bit was Sir Cliff's answer when Mr Morgan was probing about his sexuality. It went something like, PM: 'But what about your close friends? What do you tell them? You must discuss it -' CR: 'My real friends wouldn't even ask me about it.'

We didn't actually watch the much hyped 'Question Time' with Mr Griffin of the BNP. For one thing it's after my bedtime, and for another we probably wouldn't have got to sleep afterwards. But I did watch it on iPlayer when we got home. As one of the Strictly judges might have said, 'What a disaster.' I have seldom seen a worse-managed programme. If the BBC really did need to give a hearing to the half-baked populist views of the BNP - which I doubt - they could hardly have done a better job. Mr Griffin scarcely needed to say anything to portray himself as a pilloried martyr. Which, at present, is all that's required to further the unpleasant agenda of the party. 'Here we are, invited to take part in the "flagship" political discussion programme of the elite establishment; and they skew the whole programme to be an attack on us - on the grounds that the furore they've fostered has become the main and overriding news-story of the week.' The BBC should know, from Strictly Come Dancing, that the British public always votes for the underdog. If on the other hand they were being really impartial, they should have preserved the normal balance of the programme. And I'm afraid that the other panellists didn't really shine. 'Badly done, BBC, badly done.'

And finally I dozily listened to the Sunday programme this morning with an item about the Pope making it easier for Anglican priests and parishes who don't want to serve under a woman bishop to be welcomed into the Catholic Church. I suspect that it might be a timely invitation.