The Feral Beast: 'Times' gets close to the action!

'The Times' has been at the centre of the Osborne affair since Nat Rothschild went nuclear in its letters page. Proprietor Rupert Murdoch (pictured) was of course on Corfu at the time of Osborne's chit-chats with Oleg Deripaska. Even the paper's editor, James Harding, is close to the action: his girlfriend is Kate Weinberg, daughter of Mark Weinberg, a long-standing business partner of Nat's dad, Jacob Rothschild.

'Guardian': no more Starbucks gags

Much smirking in the media pages of 'The Guardian' about the falling-out between News International and Starbucks, after the chain ended a four-year deal to sell 'The Times' with its lattes. Smirk while you can: as of 5 November, Starbucks has a new partner – Guardian News & Media. 'The Guardian' and 'The Observer' are to be sold in 300 branches across the country.

Law unto himself

This week's 'Spectator' denounces Britain's gravy-train culture, chastising those in high office who abuse their jobs. But what of 'Speccie' editor Matthew d'Ancona? He has bagged the coveted diary slot to plug his new novel, promote a charity run by a friend of his girlfriend, Nikki Bedi, name-drop John Cleese who "calls for a chat and to fix dinner", and to tell us which highbrow books he has bought on Amazon, calling them a "window on to his soul". Isn't life grand?

The dangerous dinner

Staff at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, seemed to have it in for the two speakers at last week's 'Daily Mail' literary lunch. Sir Michael Parkinson was there to discuss his memoirs ,and sketchwriter Quentin Letts was plugging his book '50 People Who Buggered Up Britain'. First, Parky was attacked by a roast potato, dropped on his shirt by a waiter. Then Letts had custard poured on his trousers. Memo to authors: when in Manchester, don't wear your Sunday best.

'EastEnders' shoots nicer car crash

An 'EastEnders' Halloween special for Thursday sees Max Branning violently mown down by a car, leaving him fighting for life. But filming has caused headaches for the cast. My Albert Square mole tells me the first cut was too gruesome to be shown before the watershed, so everyone had to be called back to reshoot the scene on a Sunday – not a popular move in half-term week.

Boris: not such a big tent

He's had his cake, eaten it, and now there is to be no more. Mayor Boris, once a lowly hack himself, is targeting the catering facilities at the media centre of the 2012 Olympics to save money. "You can count on me as one who has eaten in many a marquee and I see absolutely no reason why there should not be some economies there," he says. How mean.