Silly question

[michael scuffil]

Presumably Chancellor Merkel made her mark in politics while married to her first husband and thought it would be too confusing to change it when she remarried.

Yes and no, they were divorced before she entered politics. Whatever entering politics might have meant in East Germany, where she comes from. The divorce happened in 1982, she didn't become politically active until 1990. However, she was presumably still using her first husband's name. She didn't remarry until 1998, by which time, as you say, she was known nationwide by the name Merkel.

[J.R.]

Presumably Chancellor Merkel made her mark in politics while married to her first husband and thought it would be too confusing to change it when she remarried.

I had heard she's a devotee of grafiti !

[midget]

Dr Edith Summerskill MP used her maiden name after marriage. What is more odd is that her daughter used her mother's maiden name too.

[Katharine]

Lady Antonia Fraser is also someone who uses her first husband's surname - even though her second husband is very distinguished. Perhaps Fraser is less distinguished than either Pakenham or Pinter?

[Ajarn Philip]

I see there's a film out now called 'Longford'. I caught the very tail end of a clip yesterday, and whoever is playing the title role certainly looked the part.

When I was at CH my family lived in Hurst Green, a coach-stop village in East Sussex. My family's estate backed onto the Longford garden wall ( ). Every Christmas some of the villagers were invited in for mulled wine and mince pies. I remember seeing Lord Longford occasionally, walking down the A21 to Robertsbridge to visit Malcolm Muggeridge, dressed in baggy trousers with a piece of string round his waist.

My father ran a village shop. Last time I was there it was one of three antique shops.

[J.R.]

Lord Longford was certainly a very strange character with some very funny ideas and principles.

[cstegerlewis]

I see there's a film out now called 'Longford'. I caught the very tail end of a clip yesterday, and whoever is playing the title role certainly looked the part.

Jim Broadbent

[J.R.]

I see there's a film out now called 'Longford'. I caught the very tail end of a clip yesterday, and whoever is playing the title role certainly looked the part.

Jim Broadbent

Surely, Jim Broadbent has already played Lord Longford on TV in the docu-drama about Hindley ?

[Ajarn Philip]

To be honest, JR, I saw about 3 seconds of the clip - that may have been what it was. Things take a while to catch up out here!

[J.R.]

To be honest, JR, I saw about 3 seconds of the clip - that may have been what it was. Things take a while to catch up out here!

An HBO/Channel 4 production.

Well worth watching if you get the chance.

This link will lead you in with cross references.

http://www.lycos.com/info/jim-broadbent ... gford.html

[Ajarn Philip]

Thank you both for the reminder, Craig and John.

Jim Broadbent is one of my all-time favourite actors. I remember seeing him on TV with Victoria Wood and in Only Fools and Horses many moons ago. I am so glad he became internationally renowned, because, if any actor does, he deserves it. One of the films of his I haven't seen is 'Iris', which is a shame as Judi Dench is another of my favourites, but I've never quite been able to bring myself to watch it because of the Alzheimers factor.

There are so many untalented, goodlooking eejits of both genders on both big and small screens who are virtually worshipped by so many. Broadbent is, of course, generally described as 'a British character actor'. Balls, he's a terrific actor.

[Jo]

One of Jim Broadbent's most memorable moments was performing "Like a Virgin" in the film "Moulin Rouge". Has to be seen to be believed