Drugs, sex, fighting and award ceremony treachery

* An unsavoury fallout from the Commission for Racial Equality's Race in the Media Awards in June. Best Feature Film went to Kidulthood, about the lives of west London teenagers - drugs, under-age sex, shoplifting, fights and guns.

The movie's Asian director, and his producer and writer - both black - are outraged they were not even told their film had won. Instead their [predominantly white] distributors, Revolver, seized the plaudits.

"Revolver hogged the glory and didn't tell us about it," says the director, Menhaj Huda who mortgaged his flat to allow production to start back in July 2004. "The first I knew was when Marc Boothe [producer of the gang violence movie Bullet Boy] texted me.

"The CRE failed to check the film credits, to make sure the filmmakers shared in the success. It leaves a bad taste: the CRE exists to ensure fair treatment. Since July, I have been chasing Trevor Phillips [CRE head] to see what he'll do about it.

"Apparently they've finally got a duplicate award for us - but have sent that to the distributors as well for some reason."

The CRE "sympathises" with the men's situation.

Revolver says it didn't invite the victorious director because "the invitation came at short notice and he was in Australia, so there would have been no point". Nice.

Answers Huda: "Yes, I was in Australia, but if I'd known I'd have come back. George Isaac [producer] and Noel Clarke [actor and writer] were here, and they weren't invited either. It's a pathetic excuse."

* A rather delightful story at Monday night's premiere of Starter for Ten, the James McAvoy and Alice Eve romantic comedy about 1980s students on University Challenge.

The flick had such a tight budget that there was almost no premiere.

And Starter for Ten's soundtrack - including the Buzzcocks, Motorhead and Echo and the Bunnymen - was set to be decimated because of unaffordable song rights, until the Goth Robert Smith of The Cure intervened.

"He's a huge fan of the book and offered to do the film score," says the director, Tom Vaughan. "When it turned out that he couldn't, he gave us an amazing deal on song rights. Other artists heard and followed suit."

Adds McAvoy: "We haven't got the money for mass advertising, but the critics love the film, so all we need is for the public to go to see it."

Otherwise they'll cry and smudge their eye make-up.

* Having just forked out £5.2m for a striking 19th-century boozer in Maida Vale, London, Gordon Ramsay has wasted little time making his 6ft 2in presence felt. The chef bought the frayed Warrington Hotel last month, and will convert it into a gastropub. Employees have, it seems, already assumed the brace position.

Pandora was enjoying a quiet tipple in the Warrington on Monday night when Ramsay slunk in, unheralded, for a few quiet pints.

He was soon distracted from his hawk-like watch of staff by a stream of well-refreshed regulars to his table, impressing upon him their vision for the establishment.

Said one glass carrier: "It's scary. We might get a swear box."

* The Tory leviathans were out in force at the Imperial War Museum on Monday for the launch of Lord (Michael) Ashcroft's book, Victoria Cross Heroes.

Beneath the suspended Spitfire, Mustang and Focke Wulf planes, David Cameron, William Hague, David Davis and Iain Duncan Smith led tributes.

"I only ever wanted one VC," said Ashcroft, the collector of 145, "but as soon as I got the medal I realised I wouldn't stop there. I am placing them witha trust to ensure they are kept in Britain. Within a year or two they will be exhibited in a National Centre of Excellence for Bravery in London, for the public."

The Conservative trade spokesman, Alan Duncan, bought three signed copies of the book (Ashcroft is deputy Tory chairman, and lent them £3.5m). But Duncan was strangely coy about the lucky recipients' identities: "They are Christmas presents, so I'm not telling you."

* Sir Menzies "The Ancient Chinaman" Campbell, continues his less than inspiring movement in the polls. Might the Ming empire be crumbling behind palace doors?

Several Lib Dem senior officers will desert by Christmas - this on top of the loss of the media firefighter Mike Zorbas (Pandora passim). The party's director of policy and communications, David Norman, is quitting after less than a year, and the long-serving campaigns boss Paul Rainger will also retire by Christmas.

A Lib Dem spokesman insists: "David carried out a fundamental restructuring of communications and staffing, and Paul has worked for the party for around 20 years, so has more than done his stint."

Other colleagues are less charitable, however: "David was never a political animal, while Paul was hardly the most colourful of characters." One big, happy family!

pandora@independent.co.uk