Pensioned off

Nigel Reynolds, the Telegraph's arts correspondent, is the latest of the gentlemanly old guard to be shown the door by the paper's thrusting new management. Before his dismissal he was sent on one last job, which now makes for rather uncomfortable viewing. Reynolds was sent to the town of Rugby to film a piece about pensioners speeding on their motability scooters. Not an obvious arts story, but then, as the video's narrator admits, "The Telegraph felt compelled to send the only man free on a Friday, arts correspondent Nigel Reynolds". It also felt compelled to retain footage of Reynolds muffing his lines because he isn't holding the microphone properly - "you need it pointing at you, pointing at your mouth" his producer can be heard saying. Then at the end of the film - in which at one point Reynolds fails to persuade a pensioner to have a scooter race - the reporter is shown on his mobile having something of a row with the news desk about what a lot of faff and organisation he has been saddled with. But why was this little vignette posted at the end? Either the video has been shoddily edited, or he was in on the joke, or, dare we suggest, maybe someone had it in for Nigel?