Mandrake gosser Tim Walker of the Telegraph writes today, "After my revelations about how Nat Rothschild had been hobnobbing with the Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, George Osborne and Lord Mandelson during the summer ... "
Ooh, let's stop there, duckies. It's true Tim first revealed on October 5 that Mandy and Osborne had been hobnobbing with Deripaska on the last's yacht - a very fine scoop I'm sure - but in the report no mention was made of Rothschild being on board, though he was described as the Russian's "close business associate". This changed when Nat wrote to the Times on October 25 making his various claims and placing himself on the yacht. Then Tim included Nat in his bulletins. Please amend your opening line, Mr Mandrake.
Tim's Oct 5 report (though the report carries a later date)
12 comments:
Please leave Tim alone. He is one of the hardest working hacks around and has a god awful job to do, which he manages to keep up day after day. If he occasionally also manages a scoop, it should be applauded not mocked.
Isn't Tim lucky to have such a loyal friend, I do approve of that. I wasn't mocking Tim at all; my attention had been drawn to a possible exaggeration of his wholly laudable scoop: he did not reveal, so far as I know, that Nat Rothschild, was on that wretched yacht; but nonetheless appeared to be taking the credit for something that was attributable to Nat himself. It's important to get these little details right: journalists really must desist from grandstanding: that's why they're so unpopular with the unwashed. Let's make 2009 the Year of the Hack: Adopt A Hack; something like that.
Would it be wholly silly to wonder if Tim visits this blog and occasionally leaves messages himself?
I have no idea. I do know many journalists pop in, though fewer these days since I grew a bit bored with hackery and its quotidian doings. But it's surprising how media visits grow at the very mention of a journo.
Hacks on the whole are quite fragile creatures and need to be treated with some care.
Would you say Tim Walker is an improvement on Celia Walden, madame?
Thank you for your question. Celia is not a gosser at all so far as I can tell; most of her tales seemed excavated from obscure publications and sites, or PR leaflets. Tim on the other hand is a gifted gosser: my friend Nesta Wyn Ellis thinks highly of him, and has many a tale to tell about him.
Your niece Sooter will have been at the family Dacha-On-Sea for 5 wks by the time we collect her, the longest ever. Bet she scarpers when we arrive.
Yes, the longest ever. Sooter has refined her demand methods, holding the eye while nagging. It's quite intimidating.
Tim isnt as good looking as celia though
and i am a girl
We can agree on that.
I am Tim Walker and I am cheered by these kind remarks. The only reason I started boasting about the Deripaska/Osborne/Rothschild/Mandelson (perm any pair you choose as we mentioned them all in our first story) is that Martin Ivens of the Sunday Times claimed in the Guardian media section that this scoop was his. It was not at all.
My dear Tim, I have placed your letter as a separate posting to see what happens. I always find that mention of the Telegraph elicits the most entertaining comments and private emails. The least entertaining responses follow any mention of the following in order:
The Sunday Times
GQ
Daily Mirror
Post a Comment