Books

Earlier this year Young Bond novel writer Charlier Higson published his first official adult 007 adventure. Set during King Charles III’s Coronation, On His Majesty’s Secret Service follows a James Bond who disapproves of anti-immigration talk and drinks kombucha. Recently the author has been engaging on social media with 007 …

Les Pattinson, Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch and Pete de Freitas of Echo & The Bunnymen in 1982 (Image: Getty) When Echo & the Bunnymen first started out, back in the late 1970s, bemused youngsters would turn up at gigs, point to the stage and ask: “Which one’s Echo?” This used …

Clive Myrie in Kyiv dodging Russian missile strikes (Image: BBC) It was TV presenter Alan Whicker who first inspired Clive Myrie to pursue a career in broadcasting. Growing up in Lancashire in the 1970s, his imagination was sparked by the long-running documentary series Whicker’s World. “Whicker would travel the globe …

Adrian Edmondson played a key role in the success of Absolutely Fabulous, he reveals. He had the inspired idea of Joanna Lumley playing the iconic Patsy Stone, suggesting the actress to his wife Jennifer Saunders, who created the show. Adrian, 66, recalls: “Another actress was in the frame and at …

After breaking Netflix records, hitting No 1 in 84 countries around the world, the One Piece live-action adaptation is getting a second series. Eiichiro Oda, author of the manga the show is based on, announced the news in a special video with his face covered by a fish drawing as …

Peggy, the hedgehog (Image: ) It was my toddler grandson Billy who first spotted the hedgehog in the autumn of 2021, caught in a net we used to clear debris from our pond. We tried to shake it free but it gave only the slightest tremor. My husband, Kim, is …

The Elgin Marbles on display at The British Museum (Image: Getty) Have I Got News For You stalwart Ian Hislop may be a national treasure in the UK for his sardonic sideswipes at power, but in Greece it is his wife Victoria who is the star. And if the best-selling …

Osman never thought he would become one of the world’s best-selling authors (Image: Getty) Steven Spielberg has optioned his book series for the big screen, but if Osman is starstruck by this turn of events, he isn’t showing it. The 52-year-old creator of quizzes and former co-host of BBC’s Pointless …

Laura’s father’s bucket list (Image: Adrian Bacolo) “I was terrified,” says Laura, who threw up as the ground hurtled towards her while skydiving. “Surfing the Pacific was also really scary; I must have wiped out 20 times, as was sailing alone: I capsized.” Laura was 25 years old when her …

Journalists packed into Douglas DC-3 bound for Rhodesia (Image: Fincher//Popperfoto) The threat of violence was everywhere, betrayal was an ever-present danger, but forbidden love was a risk that journalist James MacManus was prepared to take. Half a century later, the thrill of his African adventure has rekindled treasured memories for …