"No you CANT use it to photograph Mr Blunt's memoirs, sir"A bit of light relief for a Friday Morning before I take a well earned week off work. Yesterday I heard a news item that almost made me roll about laughing. It seems that the memoirs of the "fourth man" (no, NOT john, paul, george and ringo - i mean philby, burgess, maclean and blunt) are out for viewing.
And whilst I have no particular desire to read up the insight of a man who became a traitor to this country, I had to laugh when I heard that the document cannot be made available to more than one person at a time, that access is supervised at all times, and that any form of copying is absolulutely 'verboten'
Why so ? Do these pages hide dark secrets as to the sexual orientation of the real George Smiley ? Do they expose a plot at the highest levels between the KGB and the severely miffed man who would have been king but who buggered off with an american double divorcee ? Do these hallowed pages once and for all reveal to the world that the UK Document Classification "NATO Confidential" was invented as a way of saying "FFS Whatever Else You Do With This Don't Let The French See It"
As Carling would say, if they were in the business of writing espionage fiction, "probably".
But the real reason for all this security ? It seems the holders of this supposedly rare and much sought after work of literary art have no idea who holds the copyright. So they fear all manner of legal action should the details of this peverted traitor's life and times get out.
Yeah. right. Like that bothered the man himself when copying documents for his controller.
Ye gods. "Le Carre" must be rolling helpless with laughter.
And whilst I have no particular desire to read up the insight of a man who became a traitor to this country, I had to laugh when I heard that the document cannot be made available to more than one person at a time, that access is supervised at all times, and that any form of copying is absolulutely 'verboten'
Why so ? Do these pages hide dark secrets as to the sexual orientation of the real George Smiley ? Do they expose a plot at the highest levels between the KGB and the severely miffed man who would have been king but who buggered off with an american double divorcee ? Do these hallowed pages once and for all reveal to the world that the UK Document Classification "NATO Confidential" was invented as a way of saying "FFS Whatever Else You Do With This Don't Let The French See It"
As Carling would say, if they were in the business of writing espionage fiction, "probably".
But the real reason for all this security ? It seems the holders of this supposedly rare and much sought after work of literary art have no idea who holds the copyright. So they fear all manner of legal action should the details of this peverted traitor's life and times get out.
Yeah. right. Like that bothered the man himself when copying documents for his controller.
Ye gods. "Le Carre" must be rolling helpless with laughter.