Celebration

The Sunday Times (paywalled) reveals that we've been spared a full Festival of Fifty Years of John Simpson at the BBC. Director of Content Charlotte Moore, says the ST, has turned down a kind offer from the Great Man, of an hour-long special reviewing the history of television current affairs. But it seems Panorama (new editor Rachel Jupp, ex-Demos, C4 and Newsnight) will bring us 30 minutes of Papa John talking to children about the state of the world, sometime in November.

Meanwhile on Twitter, John hands an accolade to BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan, of standing-sideways-piece-to-camera fame. Dan, like John, was a news trainee, but has only clocked up 18 years - and some of that was outside Auntie's bosom. Still, a 21 year anniversary is surely a possibility for an inspired reporter....

I loved your inspired reporting from the Olympics. https://t.co/SijsJ5xGfM

— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) September 7, 2016

And, in case you doubt John's sporting judgement, he is captain of the Chelsea Society cricket team.

A delight: just got another wicket. Perfect day. Pleasurable cricket. @chelseasociety v @chelseaartsclub pic.twitter.com/OwL7YpymiN

— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) September 7, 2016