★ A YEAR AFTER THIS column first identified him as the most fitting successor to publicity-ravenous Gyles Brandreth, how heartening to see retired showbiz vicar Richard Coles stepping up to the plate with such gusto.
Combining trademark humility with a ruthless eye on the prize since abandoning his East Midlands flock, there’s barely a town in the British Isles that hasn’t played host to Richard’s endearing brand of self-promotion these past months.
◆ WINDBAG MICHAEL SHEEN’S silly objection to non-Welsh actors playing Welsh characters brings back painful memories of prejudice endured by yours truly. Having chosen to adopt what I reasonably described as a “valleys accent” during a
