That's *Lord* to you, Kemo Sabbagh

Maman returns from Corfu Town with assorted British newspapers.

I had heard of 'The Thunderer' going tabloid toilet-wards but this is the first time I've seen the desecrated Times.

I am mocked for my excessive high standards and knee-jerk hatred of the Prince of Darkness.

I flip thru the 'paper' until I come to Dan Sabbagh's piece on Secker scribe mucker Melvyn Bragg and how his In Our Time radio prog notched up 70,000 downloads.

In the Euro-edition I'm reading, the untutored Sabbagh refers to a "Mr" Bragg, apparently unaware that our MB has for some time enjoyed a Lordship, courtesy of this flakey government.

I hurl the rag into the compost patch and call Theodoros for another ouzo.

Thank *goodness* Melvyn's editor, the sainted David Farrer, isn't alive today to see such abysmal standards of reporting. On the other hand, how David would have chuckled with avuncular approval over our Melv's ennoblement.

Good lad, our Melvyn - excellent author to promote, knew how to follow orders. I have two main memories of my time as his book PR:

• The two of us flying up to Aviemore for a book conference on an airline whose inflight mag included Melvyn's Georges Simenon interview - incl foto of our handsome Wigton whizz . Brushing knees opposite were two dour businessmen who, when they reached the Simenon piece, did a marvelous double-take as they connected the article with the famous nasal tones droning aface.
• Walking in a threesome down Oxford Street, Melvyn one one side - already one of Britain's most famous faces, thanks to his TV show, 'Arena' - and on the other, fresh from the US, a newly arrived Arena interviewee here to plug the movie version of 'All the President's Men' (another Tom Rosenthal coup).

  Name of Robert Redford.