Gooseberry Crumble

On this day in 1996 legendary american jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died aged 79.

Prominent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn journalist Ash Sarkar being very vocal about how she won't vote for Labour while Keir Starmer is leader of the party.

I think the next general election will result in another torturous hung parliament. Not sure who will be the biggest party but the combination of the tories losing a certain amount of support and popularity but Labour not quite being popular enough to win a majority will result in a very unusual election result. If I am right a third hung parliament in less than 15 years might point towards our politics becoming more like the US were things are finely balanced or closely split as a nation between two main parties and every political battle or election is high stakes and quite bitter and angry? We shall see!!

85 year old Princess Alexandra photographed today at Royal Ascot.

One of the worlds top tennis players spaniard Rafael Nadal is set to become a first time father . https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/20220615142964/rafael-nadal-wife-mery-perello-expecting-first-baby/

On this day in 2019 Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli died aged 96. Some of the films he directed include Romeo and Juliet (1968), Brother sun sister moon (1972) , Tea with Mussolini (1999) Endless Love (1981) , Jesus of Nazareth (1977) and The taming of the shrew (1967) He also became involved in politics in his later years and served in the Italian senate between 1994 and 2001 for the right of centre Forza Italia party

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/lisa-riley-missing-british-soap-27240198 Emmerdale star Lisa Rileys grandmother has died. The actress missed the British soap awards at the weekend were Emmerdale won best soap, as a result.

British actor snd director Simon Callow celebrates his 73rd birthday today. Among his numerous acting credits in film and television are , Four weddings and a funeral (1994), Postcards from the edge (1990) , A Room with a view(1985), Bedrooms and hallway (1998) , Shakespeare in love (1998) and Bright young things (2003) and in television The Woman in White (1997), Outlander (2014-2016) and more recently The Witcher (2021) Former First Minister of Scotland Henry Mcleish turns 74 today. The Labour politician became the second First Minister of Scotland after the sudden death of Donald Dewar. Alas his tenure was quite short lived after resigning after a scandal.

The Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams celebrates his 72nd birthday today.

On this day in 1594 German goldsmith Jacob Kroger was executed by hanging for stealing the jewellery of Anne of Denmark wife of King James Vl of Scotland and King James l of England and Ireland. Jacob was a highly skilled Goldsmith at the time who was an apprentice of some of the most prestigious and best master goldsmiths at the time including Dierrsen who was known for their Antelope Hallmark and decorative cutlery and crockery beloved of royalty and the gentry all over Europe. He lived in the principality if Luneburg that was ruled by no other than the brother in law of Anne of Denmark-wife of King James Vl of Scotland. So a combination of good connections and good reputation as highly skilled at his craft brought him into close proximity with a very impressed Anne who made him a member of her household. He travelled back to Scotland with her and was accommodated wherever the Queen was staying whether it be Dunfermline Palace or Holyroodhouse. He went on to serve as the Queens chosen jeweller tasked with both making and maintaining her collection. However dissatisfaction with the arrangements grew and plans for betrayal were brewing. Both Jacob and a french footman by the name of Guillaume Martyn decided to steal much of the Queens jewellery and flee back to their homelands after becoming increasingly angry and frustrated that their requests to be paid properly rather than just given accommodation were totalling ignored despite much pleading and petition on their parts. 'Very weary of their service' is how scholars describe their state of mind when they decided to steal from the Queen.. After stealing they immediately fled Edinburgh at night, crossed the Tweed near Kelso and made their way to the north east of England. It was three days before their betrayal and theft was discovered and word was sent to get the message to officials in London. The pair stayed several days in Newcastle were they encountered fugitive the Earl of Bothwell who when he quickly realised who they were and what they had done seized the Queens poessions from them . If they hadn't of decided to ease up their pace and spend some time in Newcastle and the north east it is likely they would never have met Bothwell and history may have turned out very different for them. Instead they met their match in North Shields. Arrests soon followed by the sheriff and Earl of Northumberland- all three arrested as the Earl of Bothwell has fugitive status for his earlier attempts to topple the King in a planned rebellion. At the time there was a clash of authority because the King wanted all three of them returned to Scotland to face punishment but the men were in England and a significant number of the gentry and landowners in North England were sympathetic towards the fugitive Earl. So for a time they were held at a castle in Tynemouth until the way ahead was resolved. They were eventually returned to Edinburgh and fugitive Earl Bothwell who was actually an ally of the Kings wife Anne of Denmark- and she a supporter or sympathiser of sorts of his- believing her husband to be too harsh and unmerciful towards him- tried to argue that his seizing of the Queens jewels and saving them from falling into foreign hands was an act of loyalty and friendship. In other words he was trying to bargain his way back into favour with the King or at least to avoid severe punishment for past actions. Nothing officially declared as to why but he was spared in a fashion by the king- the Queens intervention the explanation favoured by most scholars. Full reconciliation was not to be but at this point he was spared. No such mercy for Jacob Kroger and the french footman who were both hanged on this day in 1594 after a brief trial.

The one and only Paul O'Grady , also previously known as 'Lily Savage' turns 67 today.

British actress June Spencer, an absolute stalwart of BBC Radio rural soap/serial drama,having played matriarch Peggy Archer latterly Peggy Woolley for the vast majority of the shows run since 1951- celebrates turning the grand old age of 103 today. I just can't imagine the series without her even if it is just in the background!

On this day in 1957 american athlete and double gold Olympic medallist Irving Baxter died aged 81. Irving won two gold medals at the Paris Olympics in 1900- in the mens high jump and pole vault and a silver medal in the standing long, triple and high jump .

On this day in 1998 british cartoonist Reg Smythe who created the famous Andy Capp comic strip in the Daily and Sunday Mirror newspapers died in Hartlepool aged 80 .

British actor, producer and presenter Malcolm McDowell , most famous for his role in controversial film A Clockwork Orange, celebrates his 79th birthday today.

American actor Chris Evans, established as one of the highest paid actors in the world currently thanks to his casting as Captain America in the Marvel Superhero film universe , celebrates his 41st birthday today. His breakthrough role was as Johnny Storm/Human torch in the Fantastic Four movie. British actor Aaron Taylor Johnson turns 32 today. Aaron has starred in an eclectic mix of films including The Illusionist (2006), the Kick Ass films, Nocturnal Animals (2016) - alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Godzilla (2014) and Dead Cool (2004)

Australian actor Rob Steele who starred in Prisoner Cell Block H in the 1980s as the husband of Prison Officer Coleen Powell is reported by an online Prisoner Cell Block H appreciation society fandom and IMBd as having died last month aged 81. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0824651/

⁰https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/love-islands-olivia-alex-bowen-27211643 Former reality tv star couple Alex and Olivia Bowen who met on ITV2s Love Island, have announced the birth of their first child a son.

On this day in 1818 Egwale Seyon the Emperor of Ethiopia, a member of the Solomonic Dynasty better known as the House of Solomon died after 'ruling ' the country for around 17 yèars. I say 'ruled' because his leadership was seen as very weak , limited and largely ineffective with him confining himself to one city Gondar. Egwale was the son of Hezqeyas , one of the previous Emperors of Ethiopia who lost power due to both his inability to manage the regional and tribal clashes within the country and because he fell out with one of his main supporters who felt Hezqeyas had acted against his interests and was ungrateful for his support and the expectations/conditions that went with that. Never side in the falling out would concede or submit to the other leading to effective formal declarations of War about how they will not submit to the wishes of the other. Eventually he was toppled which over time created a power vacuum as the role of Emperor over the following years was held by a number if different appointees all who tended to rule factionally and mainly pleasing only the wishes of one tribe or province. Eventually this situation was seen as undesirable and unsustainable so a handful of people who represented the three main groupings and regions in Ethiopia decided to make Egwale Seyon Emperor in 1801 to try and break the cycle and pattern of short lived bad leadership. However some observed at the time that these three representatives were more self interested and perhaps wanting stability at any price rather than proper resolution. In a sense wanting to try and solidify their wealth and position and influence in the top tier of Ethiopian society. Infact Egwale married the sister of one of the tribal type leaders who made him Emperor. Emperor Egwale Seyons reign was not the success hoped for. It was marked by a three way civil war between the Ras Gugas, Ras Zewde and Gojjam regions which it descended further into relatively quickly. Whilst few were impressed by his reign they also had the problem of not being to agree between them who could replace him and govern in a more unified and effective way. There were two attempts to kill him in 1804 and 1808- the latter attempt supported by one if the three regional armies in the country. A year later in 1809 an intention to replace him with a former Emperor was thwarted because the Res Zewde army faction refused to assist in his removal from power , most likely because they had deep doubts about the proposed replacements alignment with their interests. Throughout nearly all of his reign he only left Gandar once. His ability to exert any significant authority or control over the rest of the country was hugely limited and he did not have the capacity to change this- to all practical reality the rest of the country was controlled governed and carved up by others whilst he was too scared to leave what he felt was the closet thing to a safe retreat. He was regarded as diluting the prestige and reputation of royalty. Diminishing it because his political impotence and lack of grandeur- few riches, servants and property by royal standards, eclipsed the country and the importance of his national role. The only real notable achievement from his reign is that he early on wasxa benefactor to the Berhan Selassie Church which has become known for its fantastic and beautiful art collection in large measure as a result of his support. His death was generically put down to his weak sickly constitution.

I genuinely still can't believe that after everything they have both said that they had the brass neck to accept an invitation to the celebrations and show up and even more so seemingly get miffed at their reception and not being given better seats in the cathedral. Fortunately they are too transparent for their own good and the family was able to manage the situation so they couldn't cause trouble. Having that Netflix contract and book deal means the family cannot safely have normal relations with them even if they wanted too. Harry and Meghan are like a modern day morality tale being played before us on the dangers of hubris, overestimating your own value and importance and overplaying your hand.

Given the way Anne's son Peter Phillips was avoiding eye contact with her while he and sister Zara were seeing them out of the cathedral last week and how Zaras husband Mike Tindall clearly loathes the pair of them I doubt very much they were there especially given their attendance at Horse races that day! No I think they know the royals don't bother squatting every wrong story about them so issue these kind of hints knowing it is unlikely they will be corrected in real time. I would say the Queen cares in a family sense but isn't bothered or losing sleep about not seeing them because it's really on the parents and the atmosphere of mistrust the kids parents have created. Are Harry and Meghan desperate for great grandmotherly love for their children or just a lucrative photo opportunity? I know what cynical me believes!

I seem to remember she had a stroke pre Dragons Den so she was on one of my longlists but way down. Sad news.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-hilary-devey-dead-dragons-27212051 Arguably could be placed in a television thread also. Hilary Devey, entrepreneur and panellist on Dragons Den has died aged 65.

@Hell Thanks for posting. I hadnt realised just how handsome Gregory Peck was in his younger years.

Interesting thanks and yes I think the no kids at all rumour is a bit of a stretch but I definitely think the kids and access to them by the family are being used as a bargaining chip. I have also seen much chatter online speculating that Eugenie is or was recently suspected of leaking private family information to Harry and Meghan. That she was the weak link and so other family members are very careful what they talk about around her. No idea how true it is but it is more than plausible.