Playing a part.

Who would you choose to play you in the biopic of your life? Quite a hard question, even assuming you might be important enough to merit a biopic. Some years ago I was followed, practically stalked, around an art gallery by someone who eventually plucked up the courage to approach me whereupon he gave a rather disappointed sigh and said, “I thought you were that Celia Imrie!” So maybe I should use her, if ever the occasion were to arise.

It used to be that they waited until you were dead or at least very old before they started publishing biographies and making biopics of you. Nowadays, very young footballers and their wives have autobiographies ghost-written before they reach 25. I suppose it means you can produce updated versions at intervals, reworking old material and adding new stuff, thus selling the same thing several times over.

Now it appears that Telecinco is preparing a series about Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia (plain old Letizia Ortiz as she used to be), telling the story of their romance, no doubt replaying their meeting, the formal pedida de mano, the walkabout in San Sebastián (or was it Santander?) by the photogenic fiancés and, of course, the royal wedding. The Prince and Princess of Asturias will be played by Amaia Salamanca and Fernando Gil, with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía acted by Juanjo Puigcorbé and Marisa Paredes. The critics who felt that Felipe should be marrying a REAL princess (think peas under mattresses here) will no doubt be upset that there no actors and actress of royal blood to play them in the TV series.


Still in the world of Telecinco, a little girl from Catoira, Galicia, is the youngest child to take part in a new programme called Cántame una Canción. The TV company has sought out young performers form all over Spain to take part in this game show and Sabela Rodríguez Atanes is their youngest find. She is only six years old or as they say here,. ( tiene solo seis añitosI just love the way years themselves are only little when you are small in Spain!) Apparently she has quite a following in Villagarcía.

Meanwhile another famous gallego, cyclist Óscar Pereiro, has been making the news inspecting sections of the route for the Tour de France with last year’s winner Alberto Contador, making sure that they and their bicycles are prepared for all eventualities.

And finally, the young lady who made herself famous for fifteen minutes by insisting on wearing her Islamic headscarf to school seems to have managed to resolve her problems, or have them resolved for her. A place has been found for Najwa Malha in another school in her neighbourhood, this time one which does not object to her headscarf. Her parents are relieved to have her back in school and away from media attention. Somehow, though, I suspect we may not have heard the end of the controversy she raised.