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It’s 1948 and George Orwell is dying of tuberculosis. His great friend The Observer editor David Astor approaches the Home Secretary to get permission to by-pass the BMA and fly over at his own expense a consignment of what is being hailed as the new wonder-drug, Streptomycin.
Cognisant, no doubt, of the professional good a kind word from Astor in the columns can do for a Labour politician the Home Secretary Chuter Ede signs the waiver and the consignment is flown over.
Now this is the fascinating bit: unfortunately Orwell proved allergic to the treatment and his last hope was gone, but he and Astor insisted that the drug ought not to be wasted and insisted the Doctor administered it among a few of his worst cases. This the Doctor did but of the five recipients at an East Lothian sanitarium only two went on to make a full recovery.
One of them was a young man who went on to become the King of rugby commentators: Bill McLaren. So, if not for Orwell’s allergy we’d have never have got to enjoy this…
An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it.
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Brilliant facts you pick up along the way. on 22:28 - Aug 29 with 2137 views
All the sports had legendary commentators back then. Simply because you could feel the passion and knowledge of the sport coming through. Not these flat packed identikit build in five minute commentators we get these days who sound bored to be there half the time.
Brilliant facts you pick up along the way. on 10:17 - Aug 30 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth
All the sports had legendary commentators back then. Simply because you could feel the passion and knowledge of the sport coming through. Not these flat packed identikit build in five minute commentators we get these days who sound bored to be there half the time.
Brilliant facts you pick up along the way. on 10:17 - Aug 30 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth
All the sports had legendary commentators back then. Simply because you could feel the passion and knowledge of the sport coming through. Not these flat packed identikit build in five minute commentators we get these days who sound bored to be there half the time.
I just love an England rugby match, with Jonny, Woodenhead and Dayglo (wilkinson, woodwood & dallaglio), always get a nice un-biased view from those 3
Thank you for this. He was the voice of my childhood, in the 80s, big bunch of grapes, chocolate and loads of crisps watching Wales in the 5 Nations at home. Wonderful times (not for Wales obviously : )
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Brilliant facts you pick up along the way. on 21:41 - Aug 30 with 1825 views
I’d add Sid Waddell to that list and in terms of football, I always liked Barry Davies who I thought was miles better than John Motson even though the latter seemed to get the big games and Tony Gubba.
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Brilliant facts you pick up along the way. on 22:40 - Aug 30 with 1800 views
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