Evil Diaries: Richard Hillary’s Astonishing Memoir

On a memorable day at Lingfield a few years ago when I was bumping into celebs galore (the list was endless so I shall desist from giving any examples) I encountered Sir Phillip Davies, the Tory MP for Shipley. He had made his money as a bookmaker and was good fun. He said that if the voters do not get you the boundary commission and its changes would. Well, seemingly he made an error in omitting to forecast problems that he might encounter if he were to have a bet. It now transpires that he bet £8,000 that he would lose his seat on 4th July.

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Tom Hayes has got me to go long yen versus the US dollar. I have done so at 160.57.

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Richard Hillary was born in Australia in 1919 but educated in England and attended Trinity College Oxford. He was trained as an RAF pilot and terribly burnt when shot down a few miles out to sea over Margate. He then came under Sir Archibald McIndoe to make the best of his condition. He returned to active flying duty having published The Last Enemy (a term defined in Corinthians as death) in 1942. He was a very remarkable fellow, killed in a further flying encounter. Penguin offer The Last Enemy for £5. It is an astonishing read.