The King’s soft power is inspiring the latest trends in the US, in that Americans are paying large amounts of money to have someone come round and talk to their plants.
For $50 an hour, a “plant nanny” will have a natter with your peace lilies in the belief that this helps them thrive — and Charles has been cited as an influence on the fad. “I happily talk to the plants, the trees, listen to them … I think it’s absolutely crucial,” he said in 2011.
His approach was noted by the comic Rory Bremner, who impersonated Prince Charles, as he then was, in a parody of Dr Dolittle. “If I could talk to the vegetables,” he sang. “Imagine talking to a turnip, moaning to a mushroom, even talking Swedish to a swede.”
King Charles is never under dressed for gardening
JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Bremner performed it for Charles, who corrected a line containing the words “scallions” and “spring”. He knows his onions, perhaps even on first-name terms.
We’ve had many suggestions for what sort of car Keir (or Kia) Starmer would be. Special thanks to Mark Bostock, Douglas Barr and Chris Hickey who suggested that the PM is a London taxi (excellent at U-turns). Alas, this idea is fatally flawed as cabs usually have a clear sense of direction.
Imperfectly frank
Shepherd’s Bush was “like a New Labour wedding” on Saturday night as a former Gordon Brown adviser and Labour frontbencher, Michael Dugher, celebrated his 50th birthday. The shindig attracted a Who’s Who of Labour grandees, including the chancellor, and they enjoyed champagne socialism on arrival, but the bar was more old Labour in that everything was on draught and handed out for free.
Dugher, who was chief executive of UK Music after leaving politics, thrilled guests by singing some Frank Sinatra. However, by this stage in his career, the lyrics of The Lady is a Tramp have gained new meaning.
Fortunately, none of his old mates who are now peers objected to “Doesn’t like crap games with barons or earls/ Won’t go to Harlem in ermine and pearls”.
Arch remark
The mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has been addressing global geopolitics again. On Sunday he tweeted: “It’s so important when you’ve got people putting up walls that we keep building bridges.” This will come as news to anyone who has tried to travel between Hammersmith and Barnes in the last six years.
Hot cross run
Congratulations to all who ran the London Marathon, but especially the Tory MP Harriet Cross, who became the fastest female MP ever to finish the race. Her time of 3:21:11 was a full half-hour quicker than the record previously held by Jo Swinson, the former Liberal Democrat leader.
Labour’s Calvin Bailey was the fastest man in 3:33:56, an hour short of the record set by Matthew Parris in 1985. Last round was the Tory David Simmonds, who did the 26 miles in a leisurely 6:43:17. Clearly he was saving himself for the bigger race this week as, impressively, he was out canvassing in Hertfordshire on Monday morning.
The people of Woodditton in Cambridgeshire will have a good combination of names on their ballot this Thursday. The Lib Dem’s Jonny Edge is up against the Tory’s Alan Sharp. We’ll have to wait until Friday to find out who makes the cut.