Andrew Neil in Australia and the 111 year-old woman

l-r Andrew Neil, Peter Costello, Oscar Humphries


An Arcatiste went to the launch this week of the Australian edition of the Spectator (at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music) whose editor, Oscar Humphries, son of Dame Edna's Barry Humphries, is most delightful. And who should be there but the ubiquitous Andrew Neil (a Gemini - he's quite into astrology), publisher of the title. He told some very funny tales in his speech about his fumbling introductions on his BBC politics show: last week, for instance, he mis-read the autocue and introduced a woman who was 111 years-old. It actually said she was ill.

I hear Mel Gibson is due in for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Australia's RADA) party on Sunday evening - apparently he's donated $1m for its new theatre.