1968: Bob Newhart takes Maggie Smith shopping in The Beatles’ Apple Boutique in the film ‘Hot Millions’.

Thursday 4 July 2024 marks the 100th birthday of Eva Marie Saint. In the U.K. her centenary is marked on BBC4 with her 2 most famous films - North by Northwest (1959) & On The Waterfront (1954) for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Many happy returns to her!

Looking forward to EggPod 🍏 live at Opera Holland Park (A) on Saturday. A very short walk from Stafford Court (B) on Kensington High Street where Alma Cogan lived and The Beatles socialised in Flat 44. Find her blue plaque near the bus shelter.

There's a Place Episode 1 is now on YouTube youtu.be/x0yxcWc6N0k?si…

Time flies. 10 years ago today I was at London’s O2 Arena to see Monty Python Live. Never thought it would happen but very glad it did.

Au revoir Yvonne Furneaux (1926-2024) who graced the casts of Hammer’s The Mummy (1959), La Dolce Vita (1960), and Repulsion (1965) amongst others. remickgendron.com/obituaries/Yvo…

RIP Bob Newhart. Here’s that occasion when he and Maggie Smith went to The Beatles’ Apple Boutique in the film Hot Millions (1968). youtu.be/vgy7zWJqAw4?si…

Where were The Beatles exactly 60 years ago today? At Brian Epstein’s party in Whaddon House! Learn all about it here …

When you’re as old as me “Uh-oh, Chongo!” was part of your early childhood. RIP Kim Kahana (1929-2024)

I’ve never seen Oasis in concert but in 1996 I did see Burt Bacharach at the Royal Festival Hall with surprise guest Noel Gallagher who sang This Guy’s in Love With You. I’m more than happy with that special memory.

"I'm a doctor and I want my hostages!"

RIP the great Dame Maggie Smith (1934-2024) who has died aged 89. She was wonderful on screen (2 Oscars) and TV (4 Emmys) but best of all on stage where I saw her 13 times between 1984 and 2019. Perhaps my favourite of those was in Peter Shaffer’s Lettice and Lovage in 1987.

Ken Howard (1939-2024) who with Alan Blaikley (1940-2022) wrote 2 1960s U.K. number 1 hits, "Have I the Right?" (The Honeycombs) and "The Legend of Xanadu" (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich). They also did TV themes like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/202…

Wishing the brilliant Lee Montague a wonderful 97th birthday! Lee starred in The Sweeney’s pilot episode ‘Regan’ as menacing gangland boss Arthur Dale, and would later go on to star in The Sweeney episode ‘Selected Target’ as cunning thief Colin Kibber. #TheSweeney [Regan, 1974]

Another archive rarity on #BBC4 at 22:00 on Wed 13 Nov but already up (for a year) on iPlayer: Wessex Tales (1973) is 6 x 50-minute filmed Thomas Hardy stories with the likes of John Hurt, Jane Asher, Billie Whitelaw and Ben Kingsley. Most of it has never been repeated before.

Like Midas Man but with factual accuracy! Episode 5 out now. The true story of Whaddon House, home to Brian Epstein and the Beatles. #Beatles #TheBeatles #brianepstein #midasman pod.link/1750975164

Made as ever with love and respect by a jolly good fellow.

This is thuggery from Trump and Vance, plain and simple. They are bullying the brave true patriot Zelensky into accepting a deal which effectively hands victory to Russia. Unless the UK and Europe step up, we are facing a betrayal of Ukraine.

This is the trivia you need to know … New Pope Leo XIV was born on the same day that Little Richard recorded Tutti Frutti! [14 September 1955] #popeleoxiv #littlerichard