Ryan Tubridy: My day at the races was followed by a night in a distillery

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11 hours ago

Clare and I were invited to Ascot last week and while I wouldn't know one end of a horse from another, it seemed like an interesting way to spend a Saturday afternoon and it helps that I'm very fond of the host that day, Elgin Loan, the man at the helm of The Irish Post newspaper in London.
He gathered an eclectic bunch of Irish punters who mixed easily with each other between races and lunch.
Some of Ireland's finest actors were there as Lisa Dwan, Orla Sanders and Bronagh Waugh swapped stories and tips alongside Dexter star, Paddy Gibson whose mother made sure he was on good behaviour!
Chef-du-jour Anna Haugh was in flying form as she continues to make big waves in the UK both at her own venues and on television. It was great to reconnect with Ardal O'Hanlon who has some very exciting book news coming down the tracks and Harry Herbert was as jovial and convivial as ever (despite not having his wife, Clodagh McKenna there on this occasion) so all told, it was a beautiful day at the races. Ryan Tubridy and Ardal O'Hanlon. Pic: Getty
Myself and Clare had to dash to Winchester for our friends' birthday celebrations held at the Bombay Sapphire distillery (think Wonka but with gin) and a fine night was had by all.
Needless to say, the rest of the week was very calm!
I'm reading a very gory and thoughtful book called In Memoriam, below, by Alice Winn. As well as being a love (that 'could not speak its name') story it's a visceral description of the depredations and degradations of not just the First World War but, I suspect, any ground war at whatever point in history. The writing is so good that as I found myself on the Tube, trundling along the Jubilee Line every morning this week, I was lost in the trenches and no man's land of Flanders or the Somme. I could feel the endless damp and hear the screams of endless bombs and gnawing of rats as wave after wave of soldiers got mown down in what feels like senseless slaughter.
I got so caught up in the story that I took myself off to the National Portrait Gallery just off Trafalgar Square as I wanted to revisit some paintings from that era as part of my immersive deep dive into all things WWI. When I got to the gallery (free admission) I was struck by a grand group portrait of the politicians who made the decisions and then, on turning to another wall, I saw the military men who executed those decisions. They are both extraordinary paintings, there's no doubt but given the era, it's hardly surprising that there are zero women in either study. Were they behind the scenes making important contributions and subsequently airbrushed from history? I don't know enough about that but I wonder if we put all the leaders currently at war in one painting and their generals in another, would there be much of difference in the ratio of men to women? National Portrait Gallery just off Trafalgar Square. Pic: Getty
I'm happy to say that the walls and rooms of the National Portrait Gallery are populated by many Irish figures from history. I spotted Kildare man, Ernest Shackleton striking a most impressive pose and George Bernard Shaw and Charles Stewart Parnell are there as sculpted busts – both very impressive.
Also there is the famous aviator, John Alcock (honorary Irishman!) who along with Arthur Brown made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1919. Their Vickers Vimy plane landed just outside Clifden where the two men are remembered thanks to a beautiful statue in the town square sponsored by the businessman, Seán Mulryan. As a footnote, the pilots were awarded £10,000 by the owner of this newspaper who offered the prize for the first people to cross the Atlantic without stopping in less than 72 hours. Sadly, John Alcock didn't live to see the end of that year as he soon died in an air accident.
Thankfully, their names and incredible story live on in Clifden and beyond.
I've been watching a lot of episodes of a programme called The Assembly in which a group of neuro-diverse people interview a well-known person about everything and nothing. It's a brilliant idea that challenges the interviewee and the viewer for a plethora of different reasons.
Gary Lineker didn't seem particularly comfortable, David Tennent was very eager but the actor Michael Sheen, right, handled the situation with the most skill and ease. He rolled with the punches (and there were a few) but was kind and thoughtful with it.
As it turned out, I managed to secure a ticket for a play he is currently starring in at the National Theatre on London's South Bank.
The play is called Nye and tells the story of Labour firebrand, Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan whose legacy will forever be his role in the foundation of the NHS. On paper it doesn't and shouldn't sound very interesting but on stage, it's a triumph.
The production, acting and stagecraft is second to none and it's all held together by an immaculate central performance by Sheen whose Welsh tones are hypnotic throughout as the story traces Nye's childhood, election to parliament, elevation to the Department of Health and ultimate legacy. It's emotional, historic and utterly compelling. It helped me understand why (most) British people venerate their health system and its sense of fairness but also the provenance of the NHS through the prism of a miner's son who made it to the top echelons of power. He wasn't perfect by all accounts but he was passionate, could deliver a speech and get things done – more of this please!