Fascists! After more than two decades in quiet obscurity, the student flat made famous by the anarchic television comedy series The Young Ones is to go on the market.
Mike Kendell, a professional landlord, owns the Bristol residence in which the four insalubrious students of Scumbag College – Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson), Rick (Rik Mayall), Neil (Nigel Planer), and Mike (Christopher Ryan) – lived. He has decided to rent the property, an unfurnished one-bedroom conversion, for the not unreasonable price of £525 a month, billing it as a "building with a history".
Would-be tenants should not be deterred by the flat's frequently squalid on-screen appearance. We are told standards have improved significantly since then. Indeed, the advert for the flat says it is a "converted, attractive building with a living room, galley kitchen and modern bathroom".
As far as Kendell is concerned, the property's TV provenance can only be a good thing. "People are intrigued when they find out its history," he says. "We were once offered by the council a chance to put up a plaque to mark the spot, but they wanted £400 from me so we didn't bother."
An inspector calls at Oxford soirée
George Lee, the energetic Tory parliamentary candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, is due to address the Oxford Union today. No doubt the evening will prove entertaining. Lee, who moved to the UK at the age of 10, has an emotional back story, rising from his poverty-stricken childhood in China to become a police chief inspector. Even more entertaining is the fact Mr Lee's appearance is followed directly by a university Ann Summers party. Attendees can, apparently, expect "lingerie, toys, games and giggles". Watch out!
Revolutionary musings from 'Red Ken'
Ken Livingstone's long-awaited memoirs (now, it seems, to be even longer awaited; the former London mayor recently told Pandora he plans to wait until after the election to publish them) might raise a few eyebrows. "My literary agent Jonathan Lloyd said to me after he had read the first part, 'You remind me of Strelnikov from Dr Zhivago'," boasts Livingstone. Strelnikov, also known as Pasha, forsakes all in order to go off and fight for the Russian revolutionary cause. "Yes, I gave up a lot to fight for politics," muses Livingstone. "I put off having a family until I was 40."
Of course, Strelnikov also becomes one of the most ruthless soldiers in the army, notorious for his executions. No word yet on how far the comparison extends.
Dark Lords plan a trip to the theatre
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... or, er, next week at the Novello Theatre in London, James Earl Jones will begin his run in A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. The actor is best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movie franchise; Vader's considerable body was provided by David Prowse. Prowse and Jones have, apparently, never met, with Jones hailing from the US and Prowse from Bristol. Still, all that is about to change, because Prowse plans to visit the Novello to watch a performance. May the force be with you!
Vaughan takes to art off his own bat
From the sound of things, Michael Vaughan's post-retirement foray into "art-balling" – his self-styled technique of batting paint-splattered cricket balls on to a blank canvas – has extended into a full-time sideline. The former England cricket captain is to hold an exhibition at the Castle Galleries in Manchester, displaying six of his creations named (profoundly) "Six", "
Power Play", "Day/Night" and "Yes, No, Maybe?", They're being billed as "Damien Hirst meets Jackson Pollock". No exaggerations there, then.
pandora@independent.co.uk
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