Peter Rhodes on assisted dying, slow TV and a nation unable to protect us from assassins
Most sobering news report of the week? Probably the decision not to invite two victims to give evidence at the inquiry into the Salisbury nerve-agent poisonings. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived the attack but the inquiry judge, Lord Hughes of Ombersley, says their safety could not be guaranteed if they attended the hearings and there is “an overwhelming risk of physical attack.”
So there you have it. Not only are Russian agents operating within the UK but they have the capacity to track and murder people living here. Some folk ask when the next Cold War will begin with Putin's Russia. Clearly, it has already started.
Meanwhile, slow TV at its best draws to a poignant end in the 1977 adaptation of H E Bates' tale, Love for Lydia (TPTV). You couldn't accuse it of being action-packed. In the book, only about three or four things happen; the rest is wistful descriptions of the sun glancing off lime trees, and suchlike. But the TV drama is beautifully done and Mel Martin as Lydia strikes the perfect blend of enchanting and infuriating. It has enriched our weekend viewing and Bates' masterpiece must be due for a remake.
