[Commenting on the article in Sunday Mirror today – as compared to quote sent to them, which differed]
Oh yes, O Webmistress … please run both versions of the story – the one I sent to the Press (on request, since they had heard a rumour), and then the one the Mirror has freely adapted and printed here. And then people can see what a tawdry slant the Mirror has deliberately put on it – to transform it into a put-down on me.
‘Upstaged’? I wasn’t even there! It really shows how newspapers can bend the story any way they like, to make the point they want to make.
It’s really worth bearing in mind. Even I, who, God knows, ought to know better, sometimes read a ‘quote’ from somebody in a newspaper (while I am eating my chips!) – and assume that it’s a true representation of what they said. It can lead to bad feeling … and then I am reminded that really you can NEVER take it for granted that the Press are telling the truth. This is a trivial story, but the same applies to much more serious scenarios. Certainly recently many of the media have been up to their old tricks, presenting the opinions of some despicable Fox-Hunters as though they were facts. I think the public is beginning to see through it, though. The polls show more and more that the vast majority of people in the UK abhor cruelty to animals. We are getting there.
Cheers
Bri
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Original story given to The Mirror:
Yes, I was lecturing at the Animal Aid Fair on the subject of “Man as a Wild Animal”, on behalf of the Save-Me campaign. And I was taking the opportunity to meet in private with Bea’s illustrious Mum, Heather Mills, a well-known powerful force in animal welfare, to coordinate our attempts to ban cruelty from the countryside. She’s a Foxy Lady, for sure …
Bea did a great job on the Save-Me stall … promoting awareness of the need to protect our wild animals. She is already a very wise and compassionate human being, and a delight.
The lady running the Save-Me stall had no idea who this little girl was – only that she was eager to help.
Bea was apparently told “Mummy is having a meeting with an important Rock Star” – and her reply was … “Oh yes – my Daddy’s in a rock group too”. I think she got some doubtful looks … so she capped it with … “The Beatles” !
As an aside, I also recently had a conversation with Paul himself about our campaign against fox-hunting and badger culling. He is very much in approval of what we are doing.
Bri
Resultant article today:
SUNDAY MIRROR
By Susie Boniface 2/01/2011
MACCA GIRL UPSTAGES QUEEN LEGEND
Rock star Brian May was hilariously upstaged by the eight-year-old daughter… of Paul McCartney
Queen guitarist Brian was guest of honour at a fundraising event for an animal charity.
But he was put firmly in his place when little Bea McCartney delivered a comical put-down.
Bea, who helpers at the event had not recognised, was given a T-shirt for helping on a stall… and told “a famous rock star might sign it for you”.
Brian, 63, said: “Her reply was, ‘Oh yes… my daddy’s in a rock group too’.
“I think she got some doubtful looks so she capped it with, ‘He was in The Beatles’.”
Brian gave a talk at the Animal Aid fair in Kensington, West London, where he had a stall promoting his Save Me campaign against foxhunting and badger-culling.Bea was with her mother Heather Mills, and while Heather chatted to Brian the youngster offered to help on the campaign stall.
“She did a great job,” said Brian, who wrote Queen’s hit We Will Rock You.
“The lady running the stall had no idea who this little girl was except that she was eager to help.”