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Alan Watkins

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At the end of each year he wrote a piece called "Master Alan Watkins' Almanack", written in the style of a 17th-century seer and making tentative, and slightly tongue-in-cheek, predictions for the year ahead.
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observed on television, it was an inaccurate phrase, because on the day in question, 21 November, his interviewer could see that he was wearing a blue suit. And, indeed, the typical Conservative
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School, near Tycroes), from a mining family, and Violet, also a teacher, daughter of Dr Edwin Harris, a GP. He was educated at Tycroes Primary School and
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He was noted for coining the political phrase "the men in grey suits", indicating a delegation of senior party figures (such as the Conservative Party's
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Master Alan Watkins' Almanack Jan-2006: Master Cameron may decide his Interest is best serv'd if Master Blair stays put
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Master Alan Watkins' Almanack Dec-2006: Master Blair has a clever Scheam. He is desirous to make Peace with Mr Brown
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He coined and popularised a number of phrases that have passed into common journalistic parlance, including "
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Watkins was in failing health for several weeks prior to his death at his London home on 8 May 2010 from
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The original phrase was 'the men in suits'. It was used, for example, by the present writer in the
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tends to wear a dark blue or black suit, with chalk- or pin-stripes, what may be called a
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Brief Lives with some memoirs, Alan Watkins, Elliot & Thompson, Ltd, 2004, pp 189-96
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in 1984, Watkins noted that he had adopted the phrase from the journalist
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Club suit. The original phrase 'the men in suits' is the more accurate.
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Much of his long career as a commentator on politics was spent at
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A Short Walk Down Fleet Street: From Beaverbrook to Boycott
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A Slight Case of Libel: Meacher Versus Trelford and Others
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Downing Street diary : with James Callaghan in No.10
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The Road to Number 10: From Bonar Law to Tony Blair
577: 530:A Conservative Coup. The Fall of Margaret Thatcher 283:A Conservative Coup: The Fall of Margaret Thatcher 446: 444: 660:Deaths from kidney failure in the United Kingdom 621: 205:, aged 77. He was buried on the eastern side of 142:, who had used it in reference to the academic 441: 541: 373: 330: 258: 130:"; although he fleshed out the archetypal " 84:newspaper (1976–93), but he also wrote for 427: 184: 415:(London). Retrieved on 20 October 2008. 403: 401: 399: 622: 507: 488: 435:"Ammanford, Carmarthenshire web site" 121: 650:Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge 396: 216: 13: 489:Mount, Harry (13 September 2003). 42: 14: 681: 615:National Portrait Gallery, London 594: 532:(Duckworth, 1992), pp. 6–7, n. 5. 508:Eaton, George (11 October 2017). 558:from the original on 10 May 2010 331:Watkins, Alan (4 October 2008). 220: 570: 535: 212: 522: 501: 482: 464: 418: 367: 1: 360: 343:(9397): 40–41. Archived from 640:Burials at Highgate Cemetery 542:David Connett (9 May 2010). 409:"The Indestructible Journos" 374:Michael White (9 May 2010). 7: 665:People from Carmarthenshire 491:"The Young Fogey: An elegy" 407:Ciar Byrne (12 June 2006). 324: 61:Amman Valley Grammar School 10: 686: 645:Welsh-speaking journalists 263:. London: Hamish Hamilton. 65:Queens' College, Cambridge 18: 611:Portraits of Alan Watkins 189:Grave of Alan Watkins in 47:Alan Watkins was born in 655:British male journalists 252: 196: 19:Not to be confused with 452:"Alan Watkins obituary" 333:"The end of old Labour" 71:, he was called to the 63:before studying law at 259:Watkins, Alan (1982). 193: 183: 309:Watkins, Alan (2001) 295:Watkins, Alan (1998) 281:Watkins, Alan (1991) 267:Watkins, Alan (1990) 188: 163: 313:, London: Duckworth 299:, London: Duckworth 285:, London: Duckworth 271:, London: Duckworth 234:adding missing items 159:A Conservative Coup 25:Henry Watkins Allen 579:Donoughue, Bernard 347:on 4 December 2008 232:; you can help by 194: 128:chattering classes 122:Political language 87:The Sunday Express 16:British journalist 670:Welsh journalists 478:. 1 January 2006. 250: 249: 207:Highgate Cemetery 191:Highgate Cemetery 140:Terence Kilmartin 108:, and the London 33:Alan Rhun Watkins 677: 588: 586: 574: 568: 567: 565: 563: 547: 539: 533: 526: 520: 519: 505: 499: 498: 486: 480: 479: 468: 462: 461: 448: 439: 438: 431: 425: 422: 416: 405: 394: 393: 391: 389: 371: 356: 354: 352: 264: 245: 242: 224: 223: 217: 111:Evening Standard 69:National Service 685: 684: 680: 679: 678: 676: 675: 674: 620: 619: 597: 592: 591: 575: 571: 561: 559: 551:The Independent 540: 536: 527: 523: 506: 502: 487: 483: 476:The Independent 470: 469: 465: 457:TheGuardian.com 450: 449: 442: 433: 432: 428: 423: 419: 413:The Independent 406: 397: 387: 385: 372: 368: 363: 350: 348: 327: 255: 246: 240: 237: 221: 215: 199: 124: 102:(1967–76), the 96:(1964–67), the 53:Carmarthenshire 45: 43:Life and career 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 683: 673: 672: 667: 662: 657: 652: 647: 642: 637: 632: 618: 617: 608: 603: 596: 595:External links 593: 590: 589: 569: 534: 528:Alan Watkins, 521: 500: 481: 463: 440: 426: 417: 395: 365: 364: 362: 359: 358: 357: 326: 323: 322: 321: 307: 293: 279: 265: 254: 251: 248: 247: 227: 225: 214: 211: 198: 195: 155:1922 Committee 148:Dornford Yates 123: 120: 44: 41: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 682: 671: 668: 666: 663: 661: 658: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 641: 638: 636: 633: 631: 628: 627: 625: 616: 612: 609: 607: 604: 602: 599: 598: 584: 580: 573: 557: 553: 552: 546: 538: 531: 525: 517: 516: 515:New Statesman 511: 504: 496: 495:The Spectator 492: 485: 477: 473: 467: 460:. 9 May 2010. 459: 458: 453: 447: 445: 436: 430: 421: 414: 410: 404: 402: 400: 383: 382: 377: 370: 366: 346: 342: 338: 337:The Spectator 334: 329: 328: 320: 319:0-7156-3143-8 316: 312: 308: 306: 305:0-7156-2815-1 302: 298: 294: 292: 291:0-7156-2386-9 288: 284: 280: 278: 277:0-7156-2334-6 274: 270: 266: 262: 257: 256: 244: 235: 231: 228:This list is 226: 219: 218: 210: 208: 204: 203:renal failure 192: 187: 182: 180: 176: 172: 171:Lord Whitelaw 168: 162: 160: 156: 151: 149: 145: 141: 137: 136:The Spectator 133: 129: 119: 115: 113: 112: 107: 106: 105:Sunday Mirror 101: 100: 99:New Statesman 95: 94: 93:The Spectator 89: 88: 83: 82: 76: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 40: 38: 34: 30: 26: 22: 21:Allan Watkins 582: 572: 560:. Retrieved 549: 537: 529: 524: 513: 503: 494: 484: 475: 466: 455: 429: 420: 412: 386:. Retrieved 381:The Guardian 379: 369: 349:. Retrieved 345:the original 340: 336: 310: 296: 282: 268: 260: 238: 213:Bibliography 200: 166: 164: 158: 152: 135: 125: 116: 109: 103: 97: 91: 85: 81:The Observer 79: 77: 46: 32: 31: 29: 635:2010 deaths 630:1933 births 351:23 December 261:Brief lives 241:August 2020 132:young fogey 90:(1959–64), 624:Categories 576:Review of 554:. London. 361:References 230:incomplete 144:John Casey 150:in 1928. 581:(2008). 556:Archived 384:. London 325:Articles 167:Observer 67:. After 613:at the 585:. Cape. 179:White's 175:grandee 57:Llanedi 49:Tycroes 317:  303:  289:  275:  562:9 May 388:9 May 253:Books 197:Death 134:" in 37:rugby 564:2010 390:2010 353:2008 315:ISBN 301:ISBN 287:ISBN 273:ISBN 341:308 236:. 73:Bar 23:or 626:: 548:. 512:. 493:. 474:. 454:. 443:^ 411:, 398:^ 378:. 339:. 335:. 209:. 161:: 114:. 75:. 51:, 39:. 587:. 566:. 518:. 497:. 437:. 392:. 355:. 243:) 239:( 27:.

Index

Allan Watkins
Henry Watkins Allen
rugby
Tycroes
Carmarthenshire
Llanedi
Amman Valley Grammar School
Queens' College, Cambridge
National Service
Bar
The Observer
The Sunday Express
The Spectator
New Statesman
Sunday Mirror
Evening Standard
chattering classes
young fogey
Terence Kilmartin
John Casey
Dornford Yates
1922 Committee
Lord Whitelaw
grandee
White's

Highgate Cemetery
renal failure
Highgate Cemetery
incomplete

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