Eastern Daily Press
37
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013
opinion and COMMENT
■ The Letters Editor, EDP, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE. Fax: 01603 623872. Email: EDPLetters@archant.co.uk
IainDale
Kate Blincoe
email: iain@iaindale.com
He’s one of the best but hides his shyness – yes, I mean Piers
O
ne of the great things about having a week off work is that I have had the chance to read loads of books – in between fitting a new carpet, ordering logs, walking the dogs on the beach and generally lazing around the house. I’ve read Tony Benn’s last diaries, Alex Ferguson’s autobiography and Jeremy Paxman’s book on the Great War. But the one I have perhaps enjoyed most is… wait for it… Piers Morgan’s third volume of diaries. I’ve never quite understood why so many people appear to hate Piers Morgan. I like him. I find him funny, witty, entertaining and, yes, often thoroughly irritating. People write about him as if he is somehow thick and has got to where he has purely by luck and good fortune. It’s bizarre that people don’t seem to understand that you don’t get to where he has if you are devoid of talent. Yes, he has had Rupert Murdoch, and latterly Simon Cowell, to guide and help him, but the ability has to be there if you are to rise to the top. After he left the Mirror he published a set of diaries which were clearly very different to other diaries in they appeared – at least in part – to have been written retrospectively. As a connoisseur of the genre of diaries I would normally run a mile from a book like that, but I was completely gripped by it. His second volume was even better. But it was with a slight sense of impending disappointment that I approached this latest volume, as I expected it to be one big name drop. In a sense it is, but it is also so
■ Piers Morgan’s third volume of diaries completely gripped Iain Dale this week. much more than that. It’s the story about a Brit conquering American and his first 18 months hosting CNN’s main talk show. It’s a roller-coaster ride and although at times it concentrates too much on consecutive programmes and guests, you do get a real sense of Piers Morgan’s own lack of self-confidence. Yes, you read that correctly. Piers is often seen as the world’s ultimate extrovert, yet deep down I detect an innate shyness.
You might say that he keeps it well hidden, but it comes to the fore when he is covering news stories and interviews which are emotional in tone. He gets it right by never prying too far. Yes, he wants his guest to show emotion, but he doesn’t want to exploit them, and in an interviewer that is a real talent. Let me be blunt. I think Piers Morgan is one of the great interviewers of our time. His Life Stories programmes are rarely anything other than
gripping, even when the celebrity he is interviewing is someone the viewer doesn’t really care much about. It’s a modern day This Is Your Life with added emotion. I haven’t watched much of his CNN show, but from what I have seen – and from what I read – he gets the big guests and most of them want to return. It’s not because he always gives soft interviews, it’s because he’s fair but hard when he needs to be.
Hughton needs time. But will Canaries fans be patient? Tomorrow I should be at Carrow Road but so far I have been unable to secure a ticket to watch my two favourite teams in the land. It’s just as well it’s on TV. For some reason all my Norwich City supporting friends seem reluctant to let me sit with them. Could it be because they fear West Ham’s away form will continue?
Although I want to see the Hammers win, I fear the consequences of such a result. I think we all know what I am talking about. Personally, I think the Canaries would be mad to get rid of Chris Hughton. He’s bought some fantastic players and it is only a matter of time before they gel together properly.
The signs are there already. He’s a good manager and needs to be given time. The only question the board needs to answer is this: Are Norwich more likely to be relegated if Hughton stays? I think the answer to that question is a resounding “no”! There is no “king over the water”, or even over the Severn Bridge.
■ Chris Hughton is a good manager, says Iain. He just needs to be given time.
email: newsdesk@archant.co.uk
Thatch the way to bring a traditional art back to life
S
omething rather beautiful has been happening in my village. It has entranced parents, children, motorists and dog walkers and has become a talking point for us all. A centuries-old art has taken place before our eyes as a house at the centre of the community has been re-thatched. First, decades of history were removed with the old thatch, revealing the rickety skeleton of a 16th century cottage. The thatchers balanced precariously on their ladders, repairing fragile, timeworn beams. Then the new reed, grown in Walberswick, was positioned and carefully hewn to shape. I’d like to believe the fascination was solely based on witnessing the craft involved, but it is also fair to say that the mums on the school run were particularly pleased with the chiselled torsos on display in the last weeks of summer. Our region has a rich heritage of thatching. Reed can grow abundantly here, particularly in the Norfolk Broads and on the Suffolk Coast. These carefully managed reedbeds not only provide a natural flood defence, they are also amazing for wildlife. Compared to modern roofing materials, such as clay or concrete pantiles, thatch is a winner in terms of carbon and lifecycle energy use. It is a renewable resource, too – you just grow more and the old material can be easily composted. Increasingly though, our thatch is losing its local flavour. More and more is imported from Eastern Europe which adds carbon miles to an otherwise super-eco option. This is because of supply problems, partly due to nitrate pollution in the water here. You may think that thatching is an anachronism, a mere heritage whimsy that results in a chocolate box house that only the privileged can afford. Actually, it’s time to think again. Thatch is at the cutting edge of sustainable house design of the future. Thatch can be used vertically as walls, to provide weather protection and thermal insulation. An innovative project at the University of East Anglia is developing a new technique of using thatched panels. They can be made off-site during the winter, in barns, whatever the weather. These new approaches are bringing new thinking to a traditional industry. The Enterprise Centre under construction at the university will feature these innovative thatch panels as well as more conventional thatching on parts of the roof. There are still many barriers to overcome, such as a guaranteed local supply. However, with showcases such as the Enterprise Centre, thatch could fuse heritage with innovation and bring that sustainable, natural touch to new build houses of the future. The school run isn’t quite the same without the thatchers, but I have a plan. It may take me a while to save up, but given how modern thatch is becoming, I don’t see what the problem would be with a little reed roof on my 1990s home.
■ Kate Blincoe is a freelance writer covering conservation, environment, countryside and agricultural issues. @kateblincoe.