Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Robbie Smith

Londoner’s Diary: Pride of place in Lord’s for Shane Warne portrait tribute

SHANE WARNE’s portrait in Lord’s cricket ground has been moved from the Pavilion to the “more prestigious” Committee Room and adorned with a black rosette as a mark of respect for the late Australian great.

“As recognition of Shane’s importance to both MCC and the wider game, the portrait will remain in the Committee Room for two weeks,” a spokesperson tells us.

Warne’s death at the age of 52 shocked the cricketing world. One of the game’s greatest players, he led a colourful life and worked as a commentator after retiring.

His portrait, a full-length painted by Fanny Rush in 2005, normally hangs in the landing of the Lord’s Pavilion. It has been moved to a more “prominent” area as a mark of respect. Prince Philip, who served two terms as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, which runs Lord’s, received the same treatment.

While Warne’s portrait hangs in its temporary space, public tours will visit the room for “visitors to pay their respects”, the spokesperson said, adding “non-essential meetings will be held away from the Committee Room during this period”.

Rishi’s on thin ice with first instinct

Briefing war: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak at Turn The Tables 2022 (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

RISHI SUNAK revealed one recent story about him and his daughter got under his skin: “A red top had a picture of me where it looked like… [I] was crushing Krishna while we were out ice skating.” But he told the Women’s Lobby drinks, to cries of “shame”, that “the truth was that Krishna fell and dragged me down”. He joked that his first impulse was to give his version of events, adding that his media adviser wisely said “briefing against my own daughter wasn’t sensible” .

Tinie’s chicken about gardening

Wrap star: Tinie Tempah at Annabel's x Ozwald Boateng London Fashion Week after party at Annabel's on February 21, 2022 in London, England (Dave Benett/Getty Images for The)

TINIE TEMPAH revelled in his shift from rap star to wrap star at the launch of new fried chicken store Raps last night. “I’m happy I’m dipping my toes in different things. It makes me a little more… adventurous,” he told us. But those different things don’t yet include gardening. Tempah lives in Alexander McQueen’s old house in East London, which has impressive grounds. He admitted: “It’s a very big garden so I find it very hard to maintain. Give it another 30 years and I’ll definitely be into gardening.” Can the plants wait that long?

Musicians sound Ukraine support

Fundraiser: Sonia Kuprienko and Anna Kuprienko of The Bloom Twins are seen performing on stage at the charity fundraiser

THE ROUNDHOUSE boomed with the sound of music for Ukraine last night, as musicians The Bloom Twins hosted a fundraiser for the DEC’s appeal. “We shouldn’t be having bombs and having wars… we should be making love… we should be making songs,” the Ukrainian pair told the crowd. Among the guest performers were Imelda May and Bob Geldof, who took aim at the UK’s refugee policy. “What happened to this country,” Sir Bob demanded, “that we turn frightened bewildered women and their tired children back across the borders and make them fill in f***ing forms?”

Ruth’s a budding star at celebration

RUTH WILSON embodied flower power at the Harper’s Bazaar International Women’s Day celebration at The Connaught Hotel last night. Across town, the Bafta hype kept building as Stanley Tucci and Simon Pegg attended a dinner and party at Dunhill House, while actress Suki Waterhouse saw in the launch of One Hundred Shoreditch and model Erin O’Connor was at the Serpentine for a perfume event.

SW1A

ANDREW MITCHELL MP won a prize at last night’s Parliamentary Book Awards and sang Britain’s praises. He told the audience that after he recently called for Boris Johnson to resign in the House of Commons, a journalist friend in Central Africa rang him. They asked “are you all right?” Mitchell replied: “Yes, why?” “Because in this country if you said that sort of thing in public you would suffer a nasty accident on your way home.”

---

Earlier in the evening, host Matt Chorley praised the prize for picking out all the good political books in its shortlists. “It means I don’t have to read all the terrible, terrible books… the unreadable books by politicians.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.