Melvyn Bragg: Imagination and Memory

There is something of the gnostic about Melvyn Bragg.  It seems that he has walked his path calmly and quietly, seeking solitude when required, remaining untainted by the trappings of success and celebrity.  

There are signs, of course, that he is not a common man.  He tells us that he has a packet of fruit pastilles in his pocket to keep him going if the interview overruns the allotted hour; they were given to him by Dame Judi Dench that morning.  ‘How’s that for a bit of name dropping?’ he laughs.   

The interview is funny and tender in equal measures.  He speaks of his life with clarity, with humility, with honesty.  I am deeply moved when he talks about his 1994 interview with Dennis Potter, a piece of televisual history that left a lasting impression on me.  However, it is the gentle remembrances of his mother, even when she was suffering from dementia, that inspire me the most.  In Lord Bragg’s own words; ‘imagination and memory are the only two things that matter.’  

I leave feeling that this is a man at peace with himself, who considers himself blessed.  A truly inspirational evening, which I feel very privileged to have been a part of.   

S C Davies