A little over 18 months ago, at the age of 75, he had his first child. But anyone who thought this would be Sir Benjamin Slade’s last breath needs to think again.
The eccentric baronet, who for years has longed for a “perfect breeder” – a woman with whom he can father an heiress to his title and family estate of Maunsel House on 2,000 hectares in Somerset – has incensed local opinion by giving his blessing to a 152-acre solar farm on his land.
Aware of a spate of complaints with local council, Sir Benjamin blithely admits it was the prospect of hard cash – £10,000 to be exact – that influenced him at this very early stage in the planning process.
“Some people approached my real estate agent and asked him to put up solar panels, and they were willing to pay money for an option,” he explains. “I’m very happy about the money.” I’ll put it in the bank.
A little over 18 months ago, at the age of 75, he had his first child. But anyone who thought this would be the dying breath of Sir Benjamin Slade (pictured) needs to think again
The eccentric 7th Baronet of Maunsell House (pictured) has incensed local opinion by giving his blessing to a 152-acre solar farm on his land
“If they don’t get it [planning permission], it’s no problem. Nothing’s going to happen until 2026 anyway, so what the heck? I will be lucky to be alive.’
The locals are in an uproar. “This is industrialization of the landscape,” one points out, explaining that the proposal would include installing “many thousands” of solar panels as well as “battery storage containers, inverter/transformer stations, substations and storage buildings,” not to mention security cameras and a perimeter fence more than 8 feet high.
The result, says another, would be that the villages of Tuckerton and St Michael Church would be surrounded with solar panels and “their historic landscape would be destroyed”. Several point out that the site is prime farmland. “The UK needs food security and reasonably priced food more than ever,” wails one immigrant.
Sir Benjamin is unmoved. “I don’t care,” he says. “I’ll have the option money.”
He might send his 19-month-old daughter Violet a penny or two. She doesn’t live in Somerset but in France with her American mother, Sahara Sunday Spain, who forged a bond with Sir Benjamin during lockdown – a temporary bond, it turns out.
Sir Bernard Ingham in 2013
Sir Bernard Ingham, Baroness Thatcher’s chief press secretary, who died in February aged 90, took a secret to his grave.
His son John Ingham, the author of Blood-Eagle Saga, reveals he struggled with a hand condition while working for the Iron Lady for 11 years.
“My father suffered from a disease called Viking disease,” he tells me.
“The official name is Dupuytren’s contracture, which primarily affects males of northern European descent, hence the nickname ‘Viking’s disease’.
“This locks your fingers in a flexed position, making your hand look a bit like a claw.”
Sweet Dreams: Freya snuggles up with her cubs
Freya Aspinall seems to have inherited her father Damian’s daring when it comes to getting close to wild animals.
The 19-year-old, who spent her childhood at Damian’s game parks in Kent, shared this photo of two sleeping lion cubs lying on top of her. “If you think letting lions sleep on you is the dream…then it is,” says Freya, whose mother is actress Donna Air.
“The only problem is you can’t move or dream.”
“It’s impossible to sleep, but the sacrifice is worth it.” She adds, “I can’t wait until we release her again.”
Sherlock star Amanda Abbington was unable to join the protest by actors’ union Equity in London in support of the actors’ strike in Hollywood.
Instead, the 49-year-old has issued a message infuriating entertainment bosses amid rows over repeat fees and replacing actors with artificial intelligence. “The idea of AI being used to mimic us (actors) is frankly a hideous and evil idea,” she rages.