John Gibson: Sophisticate can become a habit

Miss me Cate. Never seen The Hobbit. But seen the countless reviews of the film and I’ve already made a habit of blanking it.

Its star, the uppity Cate Blanchett, has been pronouncing on a range of healthy products, in which she has a business interest, and plastic surgery.

“If it makes you feel better, that’s your choice but I do feel that stuff a little bit . . . I mean, do they look better? I do look at people who haven’t do anything and in the end I think they look a lot better.”

Cut above the ordinary is Cate. Sophisticate sounds like her.

Left in lurch

Here’s a charity for you. The Animal Lifeline, based near Stoke, have refused to let a pensioner adopt a dog. They allege that Don Evans is too old to take in an abandoned Lurcher. Don’s 71, alive and well and the lurcher’s not to be confused with Nellie Lutcher, a chanteuse of yesteryear.

He promised a good home for the dogs but their excuse is that lurchers can be “wild cards” so to speak, and that Don couldn’t guarantee at least ten years for the animals.

Spoiling Don’s Christmas? Animal Lifeline is all heart at this time.

Afterwords . .

“I don’t understand actors who go about in limousines and live in gated communities where the doors slam shut. How are you ever meant to play an ordinary person?” Joanna Lumley dropping her toffee nose long enough for me to say I had to live with this problem when I lived in Leith and we’d bang the doors of the lobby lavvy. It’s what Joanna would term roughing it.