Any Mark Steel fans? Enjoyed listening to his story this morning.
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Thanks - I’ll try and get it!
He’s excellent. I enjoyed the show.
Yes - one of my favourite commentators - and very funny too. I’d love him to do some more …In Town in France after his excellent Paris edition of a couple of years ago.
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Yes, I heard most of it, she did let him run on a bit, but he is a chatterbox (a bit like me but more entertaining 
) and she marshalled him very well I thought.
What did surprise me though was the sections where I thought he might get really emotional, like trying and failing to meet his birth mother and actually meeting his birth father, he managed with more control than I would. But just towards the end where it was revealed to me (ie probably known to many but I do not follow celebs private lives to the same extent) that he is in an on/off relationship with fellow comedian Schappi Khosandi (sp?), I did detect a slight hint that he would lose his normal jokey persona.
When she took over DID, I had no idea who so and so is (and obviously still don’t 
) but I have warmed to her over time and now think that she is probably the most accomplished in drawing her guests out while still maintaining the rythme of the speech/music mix.
BTW, I did, with my first wife Pat, meet a DID guest many years ago. He was an author of books about animals and the countryside and Pat was an earnest fan of his books. What impressed me about him (I didn’t read the books) was the fact that he openly published the location of the little smallholding where he lived in Cornwall with his wife and invited any passing person to call in unanounced. Very uncelebish. So when we were on holiday we followed the little track down to his house and found him on his terrace with gramophone, discs, and a notebook. He was in the middle of deciding on which to choose for his desert island and dropped everything to give us drinks and chat about his passions. His name was Derek Tangye and Pat and I were reminiscing about it on Faceache the other day. She remembered that he gave me some documents to deliver, I hope I did, because I really don’t remember that bit at all. 
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I used read the independent a long time ago. There were just three journalists I used to read Robert Fisk, Mark Steel and an Irish war correspondent who had a schizophrenic son but I can’t remember his name. All we’re very informative/entertaining. I think Mark Steel stopped writing for the independent and Robert Fisk died and I gave up on the newspapers!
Given he appears to have been dead for 20 years I don’t imagine he’s too bothered. He’s probably not up there (or down there) shaking his fists and shouting “That bloody @David_Spardo! Where are my documents?!
” 
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Yes, and he outlived his beloved wife, Jeannie, by about 10 years I think, during which time he managed his reserve along with the donkeys and other animals.
Pat is talking about reading his books again, I might even give one a try myself, as long as it is on Kindle. 
Very MI5 received pronunciation - sounds so dated now! 
The film of them is there, but you have to click on the “watch on YouTube” link
Goodness gracious, Sue, I thought we all spoke lake thet he’ar.
Must say that I didn’t recognise him, I think I imagined him older somehow, but it would have been about that time that we visited. I’ll send the link to Pat, see if it strikes a chord with her.
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