Corridors...
PUZZLE SENDS HIS congratulations to Jeremy Thorpe and his bride to be. And, as an engagement bouquet, he adds this story showing the Liberal leader in a customary, but to the general public unfamiliar, vein of wicked humour. On one occasion Jeremy found himself talking to Georges Pompidou in the company of Ted Heath and Harold Wilson. Jeremy and the President were conversing in fluent French and it occurred to both that Ted and Harold couldn't understand a word they were saying. To test his theory Jeremy observed, in French; "I don't think, Mr President, that my two colleagues can understand us." Georges was convulsed but, since neither Ted nor Harold changed expression, Jeremy was conviced that he was right.
PUZZLE HEARS that Geoffrey Rippon, who is to chair a discussion at the ICA on March 6 relating the development situation of Les Halles to that of Covent Garden, has been doing some leg-work in the area and has frequently been seen around the London marketplace of late. His interest in the environment has been combined with his interest in art in three visits to the Covent Garden Gallery, and the same combination of interests might be divined in his choice of a picture he has bought: a drawing by William Wilkins of trees in Hyde Park.
PUZZLE WANTS TO tell the tale of a journey. Travelling to Brussels not long ago were Harold Macmillan, George Brown, and Alec Douglas-Home, George was trying to persuade Alec that he should move into the recently restored and sumptuous official residence of the Foreign Secretary on the Mall. Alec demurred, saying he was very happy where he was. He was also worried that Harold Macmillan was being left out of the conversation. So he turned to the old man and asked his opinion on George's advice. The great eyelids dipped and flickered, and the voice rumbled, "Nice place. My father-in-law once bought it. Looking at that time for somewhere to store the furniture, y'now."
Tom Puzzle
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