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YoungWillz

Melvyn Bragg

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Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg is, one can only ascribe the term, a British legend. A novelist, a screenwriter, a broadcaster and now elevated to the peerage, he has come a long way from his working class roots in Wigton in the North of England.

 

Well known for presenting the ITV Arts programme The South Bank Show for 22 years, he is much more than that. He has not had his troubles to seek however in his personal life, having suffered two well discussed breakdowns, and he supports Arsenal.

 

He is well worthy of a thread of his own in my opinion. He becomes 80 next year and has recently been doing the rounds of the media, giving interviews hither and thither. What caught my eye were:

 

This interview with his daughter a couple of years ago with the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11762778/Melvyn-Braggs-daughter-My-father-has-been-a-tortured-man-all-my-life.html

 

An interview with The Guardian a few days ago, in which he reveals he had a hip operation which has led to some form of lingering pneumonia: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/26/britain-is-becoming-a-stupid-country-melvyn-bragg-says

 

A more recent headline story in The Times (sadly behind a paywall) about his suicidal thoughts: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bragg-i-haven-t-used-tube-since-considering-suicide-nrxfjt8wm

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On 30/06/2018 at 02:44, YoungWillz said:

Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg is, one can only ascribe the term, a British legend. A novelist, a screenwriter, a broadcaster and now elevated to the peerage, he has come a long way from his working class roots in Wigton in the North of England.

 

Well known for presenting the ITV Arts programme The South Bank Show for 22 years, he is much more than that. He has not had his troubles to seek however in his personal life, having suffered two well discussed breakdowns, and he supports Arsenal.

 

He is well worthy of a thread of his own in my opinion. He becomes 80 next year and has recently been doing the rounds of the media, giving interviews hither and thither. What caught my eye were:

 

This interview with his daughter a couple of years ago with the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11762778/Melvyn-Braggs-daughter-My-father-has-been-a-tortured-man-all-my-life.html

 

An interview with The Guardian a few days ago, in which he reveals he had a hip operation which has led to some form of lingering pneumonia: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/26/britain-is-becoming-a-stupid-country-melvyn-bragg-says

 

A more recent headline story in The Times (sadly behind a paywall) about his suicidal thoughts: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bragg-i-haven-t-used-tube-since-considering-suicide-nrxfjt8wm

 

 

Man, I thought the MMMDP was uneventful!

 

This thread didn't even draw attention when he turned 80

 

His daughter - who is a vicar btw - presented Thought for the Day on Radio Four yesterday.

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1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Bragg's ex-wife, the author and historian Cate Haste, has died aged 75: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cate-haste-obituary-5c09jgkq8 (Paywall)

 

Oh that's a shame. She put together Clarissa Eden's memoirs for her (and rather oddly Eden insisted on them ending when Anthony died, when she lived another 30+ years at that point!).

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3 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:


Turns out Haste wrote Clarissa Eden's Guardian obit!

You know someone has reached a ripe old age when they outlive their obituary writers.:old:

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5 hours ago, Sean said:

You know someone has reached a ripe old age when they outlive their obituary writers.:old:

 

I remember something similar happened when Bob Hope died.

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I have mentioned this before but I was listening to In Our Time this morning and Melvyn Bragg was sounding scratchier than usual

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13 hours ago, Bibliogryphon said:

I have mentioned this before but I was listening to In Our Time this morning and Melvyn Bragg was sounding scratchier than usual

 

 

Aye, was whipping up a brunch omlette whilst they discussed martyrdom. I love the shameless highbrowness of the whole thing and also agree he sounded a little wheezier than usual. 

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Bragg has a book out so he's done a very brief and, I warn you, uninteresting interview with The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jun/11/melvyn-bragg-my-daughter-conducted-my-marriage-service-

 

Here's the last couple of lines though:

 

Melvyn Bragg’s memoir, Back in the Day, is out now: £21.75 at guardianbookshop.com. Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 (UK/Ireland) or email jo@samaritans.org

 

Surely his book isn't THAT bad....:lol:

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2 hours ago, gcreptile said:

Melvyn Bragg had "various cancers" recently, prostate cancer and melanoma:

https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1784696/Melvyn-Bragg-Health-Cancer-bbc-radio-4

 

He's been quite ill for four years now, but keeps working.

There have been occasions on In Our Time where he has sounded weak or short of breath. Hope they carry on the show when he decides to call it a day

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