Tuesday, May 05, 2009

What Do Widdecombe & Currie Have in Common?

What should I make of the fact that I get emails today from Ann Widdecombe and Edwina Currie announcing they both have new email addresses? Just askin'...

Reminds me of a wonderful afternoon at the Tory Party Conference in 2002 just after Edwina had published her diaries. Ann was doing a signing on the Politico's stand and was doing he rbest East End barrow boy selling act. "Get your Clematis Tree here. Very clean novel. No sex, no violence, no swearing. Buy it for Granny for Christmas." At just that point we had a delivery of 500 copies of Edwina's book. I covertly placed a big pile of them on the desk next to Ann. Eventually, she cottoned on and pulled a face. Her sales patter changed somewhat. "Very clean novel," she shrieked, pointing to her book. She then pointed with a disdainful look on her face to Edwina's book. "Very dirty diaries!"

It must have worked. During the course of the week we sold 500 Widdecombe novels, but only 14 of Edwina's diaries. Actually, her book was an excellent read and was about far more than just the affair with John Major. If you haven't read it, you should.

15 comments:

no longer anonymous said...

As Widdecombe been nobbed by Major?

Plato said...

I was given a second hand copy of the Clematis Tree and cried my eyes out.

For someone who is a spinster virgin, Ms Widdecombe does illicit love stories very well.

I still scratch my head at how on Earth she could get such great insight - was it her agony columns or a secret shadow life??

Tom said...

I seem to recall there was a lamentable gap of several weeks between the publication of Currie's diaries and the press cottoning on to the enormous revelation that lay within them. Were you ahead of them on that, Iain?

Iain Dale said...

Tom, I am afraid your memory is playing tricks on you.

Iain

Rodney Nosnail said...

Whilst Anne Widdecombe's Clematis Tree may indeed be an excellent read, surely you're mistaken in saying that she mentions within it that she had an affair with John Major?

Anonymous said...

Great! I get to crack the Lever of Power joke!

Edwina had her hands on the levers of Power!!! BOOM BOOM! My sides split upon almost as much as when I saw John Prescott! He reminds me of a cross between Phil Cool and Les Dawson!

Edwina was Brill when she was an MP, she used to visit my University in Stoke! On one occasion a nut case Labour student Union person throw her out of the union! The individual in question ended up being a Labour Cllr and researcher to an MP! He also got drunk and attacked an old women and got sent to jail!

Funny how the BBC did not bring that up!

Anonymous said...

Wow - Illiberal Democrats managed to not mention the Lib Dems in a story in no way related to them. That must be a first.

Anonymous said...

Leave Illiberal Democrats alone Anom!

Illiberal Democrats is the voice of reason on the LD's!

LD = LoL!

Anonymous said...

"What Do Widdecombe & Currie Have in Common? "

Hmmm.. They are both on the top ten list of women I'd least like to have sex with ?

Warsteiner said...

Showing my age but damn I had the hots for Edwina - class lady.

subrosa said...

It was a very good read and I wish she would write more. Nothing like a little steam emitting from pages.

I shall read Ann Widdecombe's next.

Richard Edwards said...

One wonders what Norma Major must have felt like when the affair with her super stud of a husband was dredged up so the over sexed Mrs Currie could flog a few pot boilers. Pretty low even by Currie's exhibitionist standards.

Mirtha Tidville said...

ah yes Edwina.......bit of a goer apparantly if you know what I mean....bet she was a stockings girl an all.....

Philipa said...

I do find it annoying that people instantly make assumptions on a womans sexual history simply because she has remained unmarried.

I know a couple, married for over 20 years, who had sex once, it resulted in a child, job done, they never did it again. Perfectly happily married couple.

You don't know what other people like, what they do, what they want, who they've known and what they've experienced unless they choose to tell you. Anne doesn't choose to tell us and really it's none of our business.

Simon Gardner said...

[sigh] Edwina [sigh]