I'm not one to name drop.
I was only thinking this the other day, in fact, when I was chatting to my friend, the world-famous chef, tv star and countryside campaigner Clarissa Dickson Wright.
Clarissa's autobiography, Spilling the Beans, has now been published and it's top of my 'to read' pile. I'm told it's disturbing (she had a violent father and is an alcoholic herself) but that it's also extremely moving.
Clarissa, as you may remember, shot to fame as one half of the Two Fat Ladies in the tv series - her polictically incorrect approach to food thoroughly refreshing.
She's also got the rare claim to fame of being named after a pig. Her full name - and take a deep breath at this point - is Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmeralda Dickson Wright, and the 'Esmeralda' bit was the name of her father's favourite sow.
Now I'm not one to gossip, but here's another amusing fact you may not know about her, as well. She's the size she is, apparently, because of the countless litres of tonic she drank with her gin - apparently the quinine has damaged her adrenal gland, meaning she can't lost weight.
The quinnine fact is a handy one to keep for future reference!!
Hi Mutterings and Meanderings,
Sort of excuse I like, too!
According to one newspaper report, she drank two pints of gin a day for 12 years (and that's excluding the tonic!)
Tim