Metro readers share their memories of icon Paul O’Grady
Tributes pour in for comedy legend and LGBTQ+ icon Paul O’Grady today, while other Metro readers discuss jogging with pets and why the monarchy would never go away quietly.
■ As a popular drag queen in Sheffield for the past 20 years, I was devastated to hear of the sudden death of Paul O’Grady at 67 (Metro, Thu).
As Lily Savage, he helped to support the gay community during the dark days of the Aids pandemic and the consequent homophobia in the 80s, when many young gay men – such as myself – were too scared to even go out to a gay bar.
Lily’s fame undoubtedly helped to create a fairer world for all of us LGBT+ people and she stands as an example of how the LGBT+ community needs to work together and not engage in a civil war over transgender rights and other vulnerable minorities in the LGBT+ community. Dan Kahn AKA Tia Anna, Sheffield
■ I remember visiting the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London in the 80s. The one and only Lily Savage was on the stage and the whole atmosphere was electric. Everyone was laughing at her wonderful gags. God bless Paul O’Grady. We will mourn his sad loss for ever. Scott, West London
■ RIP, Paul O’Grady. Battersea Dogs And Cats Home will definitely miss you. And what a great tribute ITV showed on Wednesday afternoon. David Sandler, by email
■ After hearing the sad news of Paul O’Grady’s death on Wednesday, I caught a different train – the 9.36am from Norbiton to Waterloo. The lovely guard announced there was a special message for the group of children on the train because they were going to sing at the Royal Festival Hall and wished them all lots of luck and fun. Cheered my morning right up – how lovely of the guard. Eleanor, Surbiton
■ Very upset to learn of the death of the great Paul O’Grady. I’m sure many other Metro readers will feel the same. Joe, Wakefield
What’s your favourite Paul O’Grady moment?
■ Islington residents expressing their support in MetroTalk appear to have forgotten that, outside Islington, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was widely regarded as unelectable, having handed Boris Johnson a landslide majority of 80 seats in the 2019 general election.
Thank heavens he is now out on his independent ear. I expect that he will struggle to retain his deposit in the next general election. Kevin, London
■ In the China of Chairman Mao, young people called Red Guards were told to ‘re-educate’ anyone who disagreed with the communist party line. Teachers and intellectuals were beaten and imprisoned.
I see parallels with today’s ‘woke’ culture. It is becoming dangerous to express any opinion that disagrees with what is perceived to be ‘woke’. Ahmed, Ilford
■ Regarding the MetroTalk debate about rewriting books, fictional writing is no less an art form than painting or sculpture. To rewrite books in the name of ‘sensitivities’ is thus defamation of art. If you’re really that easily offended by the language of yesteryear, you shouldn’t be reading or watching things from back then. Ash, Sussex
Protests wouldn’t be enough to force a King Andrew to abdicate
■ S Manning (MetroTalk, Wed) states that, even if he were the Queen’s eldest son, Andrew could never be king because the public outcry would force him to abdicate.
I fear this is just wishful thinking and misses the point of my original letter – that a monarch holds the post for life.
Andrew is stupendously arrogant with a strong sense of entitlement. Does S Manning seriously think a few protests would get him to abdicate? We’ve only had one monarch do so and that was Edward VIII, who did it purely because he put personal pleasure and wants before any sense of duty.
Andrew would simply sit tight and ride out the storm. On top of which, the thought – as S Manning suggests – of his daughter Beatrice being queen fills me with horror. Veronyca Bates, Westbury
■ Surely people are missing the point about monarchies. It’s when royals or autocrats seek to become ‘relevant’ – ie political rather than apolitical – that they sign their own death warrants. That was the fate of the ‘Three Eagles’ of Habsburg Austria-Hungary, Hohenzollern Germany and Romanov Russia, as well as the House of Savoy in Victor Emmanuel III’s Italy. (King Charles III and his heirs would do well to learn from European history.)
As for the abolitionist republicans, Greville of London (MetroTalk, Tue) claims that ‘most European republics are thriving’ while Dr Peter Vlachos of Greenwich University (MetroTalk, Tue) mentions only Finland, Switzerland and Slovenia on
the continent. Since when did three become ‘many’? A Martin, Nunhead
And another thing
■ Does anyone else get fed up with the ‘jog-a-dog’ brigade? Not content with running on their own, they inflict the same on their pets.
Dogs like a walk, so they can stop and sniff where other dogs have been – and pee on it. Worst of all are the owners who attach the dog lead to their bicycles – that’s potentially dangerous to the rider and dog. Russ, Stockport
■ You have to admire the French people for making a stand against their government’s intention of raising the state pension age from 62 to 64 years. Our state pension age is already at 66 and will be increasing to 67 in next few years.
Is it not strange that we just allow our government to continue to raise it without a murmur? Eddy G, Salford
■ With regards to the article (Metro, Wed) stating that two-thirds of us repeatedly use expletives to relieve pain, and that neuroscientists say it actually helps. For me, swearing just doesn’t cut it. When I badly dislocated my shoulder at the top of an Alp in Austria, swearing didn’t help. Singing was the only thing that did.
By the time rescue services got to me – it took an hour – I was bellowing nursery rhymes at the top of my voice. They must have thought I was bonkers. Peter K, Wallasey
■ A preposition is a wrong word to end a sentence with. Jeff, Nuneaton
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