33:
116:"buffer's buffer" surveying the world through the bottom of a glass and not liking it one inch – gave ample opportunity for a rich and identifiable style; the image of Denis portrayed in the letters – a gin-soaked half-witted layabout, whose sole activity was to try to escape the wrath of "the Boss" – was a popular one, and Denis Thatcher remained in the public imagination as a less gaffe-prone version of the
22:
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government. It allowed the writers wide rein to comment on the personal peculiarities of senior politicians without seeming overly absurd, and was presented in a context that was – whilst clearly fictional – quite plausible. The assumed characteristics of the subject – a conservative reactionary, a
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The series took the form of fortnightly letters to "Bill" by his friend and golfing partner "Denis". The letters were split equally between reactionary grumblings about the state of the country and vituperative comments on contemporary politics, with regular passing references to the goings-on of a
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It is perhaps worth noting, however, that "Denis" wrote to "Bill" about meeting Deedes on occasions – "...we had to entertain a man called Deedes who has just got the boot from the Hot Seat at the
Telegraph, and been given a peerage to soothe the pain." (27 June
143:, argued that Denis himself played up to this image – by encouraging the portrayal of himself as a harmlessly incompetent buffoon, he could deflect any claims that he was manipulating government from "behind the throne".
93:
The series ran throughout the
Thatcher government, first appearing two weeks after Margaret Thatcher was elected. It spawned a number of annual editions of the collected letters, one for each year, and even a stage play,
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long after both the
Thatcher government and the series itself had ended. The portrayal was not entirely negative; Denis Thatcher was portrayed as having a sharp and witty tongue, and a keen eye for events around him.
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in 1988, characteristically described by the letters as "obliged to turn out for Red Carpet duty, i.e. return of
Conquering Hero and emaciated spouse at Heathrow..."
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Whilst the letters may not have represented the real Denis
Thatcher, they represented the Denis Thatcher their readers believed in. The poet
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publicist to endear the
Thatchers to the British public. They played a major part in fashioning Denis Thatcher's popular public image.
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The concept of writing satire from the point of view of a Prime
Ministerial spouse was not new to the magazine, who had published
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described the letters as consolidating "an imaginative reality that is more convincing than the morning papers" in an
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82:. "Bill", whilst never identified as such in the series, was often taken as being Denis Thatcher's close friend
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fictional collection of acquaintances and the consumption of a quite remarkable quantity of
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111:(also a collaboration between Wells and Ingrams) along the same line during the
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review, and John Wells once argued that he had done more than every
48:" letters were a regular feature in the British satirical magazine
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Richard
Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by George Adamson (1984).
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Richard
Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by George Adamson (1983).
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Richard
Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by George Adamson (1982).
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Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by George Adamson (1981).
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Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by Brian Bagnall (1989).
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Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by Brian Bagnall (1988).
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Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by Brian Bagnall (1987).
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Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by Brian Bagnall (1986).
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for the first five years, and subsequently by Brian Bagnall.
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Feature in the British satirical magazine Private Eye
182:Dear Bill: The collected letters of Denis Thatcher
202:The Other Half: Further letters of Denis Thatcher
54:, purporting to be the private correspondence of
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139:Bill Deedes, along with the Thatchers' daughter
455:Dear Bill, Last orders at the 19th. Buggeration
167:In addition to being published fortnightly in
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262:Bottoms Up! Further letters of Denis Thatcher
764:List of winners of the Sir Hugh Casson Award
481:Dear Bill: gin-soaked halfwit was all a ruse
236:(Letters from 24 April 1981 – 23 April 1982)
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341:(Letters from 12 June 1987 – 10 June 1988)
196:(Letters from 18 May 1979 – 25 April 1980)
171:, a series of collections were published:
361:(Letters from 24 June 1987 – 26 May 1989)
321:(Letters from 27 June 1986 – 29 May 1987)
301:(Letters from 12 July 1985 – 30 May 1986)
256:(Letters from 7 May 1982 – 22 April 1983)
216:(Letters from 9 May 1980 – 24 April 1981)
176:Richard Ingrams and John Wells, ill. by
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86:; Deedes later titled his autobiography
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491:Man of stature behind 'Dear Bill' image
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276:(Letters from 6 May 1983 – 4 May 1984)
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70:, and illustrated with sketches by
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808:Politics of the United Kingdom
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477:– BBC News, 11 January 1998
349:. Private Eye Productions.
329:. Private Eye Productions.
309:. Private Eye Productions.
289:. Private Eye Productions.
264:. Private Eye Productions.
244:. Private Eye Productions.
224:. Private Eye Productions.
204:. Private Eye Productions.
184:. Private Eye Productions.
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700:The New Coalition Academy
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475:Satirist John Wells dies
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36:Denis Thatcher greeting
681:Prime Minister Parodies
102:was broadcast in 1982.
25:DVD sleeve artwork for
759:Coach and Horses, Soho
408:British Film Institute
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716:Regular mini-sections
687:St Albion Parish News
483:– Edward Pilkington,
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62:. It was written by
734:Tired and emotional
467:– John O'Sullivan,
441:Pilkington, Beattie
404:"Anyone for Denis?"
88:Dear Bill: a memoir
755:(1982, TV version)
721:Recurring in-jokes
646:Battle for Britain
556:Christopher Booker
505:– BBC Comedy Guide
487:, 26 February 1996
414:on 29 January 2009
327:Still going strong
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108:Mrs Wilson's Diary
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813:Satirical columns
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752:Anyone for Denis?
493:– Jason Beattie,
465:Sir Denis, R.I.P.
160:cover drawing by
118:Duke of Edinburgh
100:Thames Television
96:Anyone for Denis?
60:Margaret Thatcher
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416:. Retrieved
412:the original
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383:10 June 1988
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38:Nancy Reagan
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803:Private Eye
709:Miscellanea
576:Craig Brown
541:Private Eye
418:14 February
169:Private Eye
84:Bill Deedes
51:Private Eye
797:Categories
591:Ian Hislop
561:Peter Cook
449:References
68:John Wells
784:0032-888X
665:Dear Bill
605:Franchise
586:Paul Foot
365:On and on
347:Number 10
242:My Round!
156:Dear Bill
46:Dear Bill
633:Features
432:BBC News
180:(1980).
130:Observer
744:Related
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549:People
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158:(1980)
113:Wilson
619:Books
393:1986)
371:Notes
141:Carol
44:The "
780:ISSN
420:2010
351:ISBN
331:ISBN
311:ISBN
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246:ISBN
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206:ISBN
186:ISBN
66:and
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