Red Ken: green fingers and a curious wariness of the indestructibility of cheese

No cheese in here
You won’t find any cheese in here!

I can exclusively reveal that former London Mayor Ken Livingstone has something of a problem with cheese. Indeed the one-time fervent left-wing leader of the Greater London Council and controversial Labour MP won’t touch the stuff. Which is odd because back in the 1980s he used to advertise Red Leicester on the telly. Neat one eh? Red Ken loves a spot of Red Leicester!

Not anymore though and it’s all to do with composting, as he explained to me when I visited his North London home to talk to about his passion for gardening. As we sat in the Cricklewood sunshine discussing the contents of his three magnificent compost bins,  Ken told me: “They say you shouldn’t put cooked food on a compost heap but that’s nonsense. I put everything in my compost including the remains of yesterday’s dinner. The worms, woodlice, bacteria and fungi will break everything down. Everything that is except cheese.”

Continue reading “Red Ken: green fingers and a curious wariness of the indestructibility of cheese”

Almost snubbed for a plate of horsemeat but Ken canters to victory

Ken Livingstone on stage with interviewer Bill Heine at Guildford last night. Photo Hattie Miles
Ken Livingstone on stage with interviewer Bill Heine at Guildford last night. Photo Hattie Miles

Some felt it was like marching into the lion’s den. ‘Red Ken’ Livingstone taking his new on-stage talk-show to true-blue Guildford. What could he be thinking of?

In fact  An Audience With Ken Livingstone went down a storm. Not only did the former London Mayor emerge from the town’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre unscathed but he did so with rapturous applause ringing in his ears.

Continue reading “Almost snubbed for a plate of horsemeat but Ken canters to victory”

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