Copy approval, Lester Middlehurst-style

Loose Women presenter Denise Welch and a host of Daily Mail staff were among those who gathered on Monday night in Chelsea for a memorial for the late, legendary showbusiness writer Lester Middlehurst, who died almost a year ago of a heart attack. Lester's former Today colleague, The Sun columnist Jane Moore gave one of the best memorial speeches Monkey can recall, remembering some of Lester's highlights: "He settled in very nicely at the Mail for the happiest years of his professional life where he took great delight in disturbing everybody's concentration, particularly Baz's [Bamigboye] on a Thursday. At lunchtime, when the secretary was out, he would take it upon himself to answer Baz's phone then hold the receiver away from his head, pinky extended, and say in a loud voice: 'Mr Bamigboye – it's your reader.' Eventually, for his own safety, he was persuaded to stay away." Jane went on: "He was also fearless in the face of Paul Dacre, happily flouncing up to him when he was in full flow, no matter who he was talking to or what unspoken warning signals he was radiating to stay away. He once cornered him at the office Christmas party to accuse him of paying women journalists less." Jane also recalled the time the irrepressible Lester, "was on standby to interview Rod Stewart and his then latest girlfriend Britt Ekland. By the time the PR got the nod from the couple, Lester was on his third launch party somewhere in the West End but, miraculously answered a pager call. 'You're on', said the PR, 'but they want copy, picture and headline approval'. Lester replied: 'I'll tell you what, as I'm having such fun here, why don't you write it and send the copy to ME for approval.' " Aspiring journalists everywhere, take note.