Pandora

BY THE 24th of this month some of the 759 hereditary peers could be "outed" by the Government. At least, that is the potential of a Lords' written question put down last week by Lord Northbourne (hereditary), which holds Baroness Jay accountable for remarks she made about House of Lords reform. The question reads: "To ask the leader of the House whether she was correctly reported in the New Statesman of 6 November to have said that `quite a few hereditary peers are hopeless'; and if so, which peers does she consider fall into this category?" Pandora waits with baited breath, and in the unlikely event that the question is directly answered, will be happy to publish the roll call.

THE FUTURE of Wembley's twin towers may be uncertain but the memories of the famous occasions that took place under their gaze are immortalised in a new book, Wembley - The Greatest Stage: The Official History of Wembley Stadium, out this month. In it, Nobby Stiles, the former Manchester United and England star, recounts his memories of 1966: "After the Argentina game we got back to the Hendon Hall Hotel and after about eight weeks locked away together we were allowed to have some friends come over for the evening; no women, mind. On the Wednesday night after the semi-final we all gathered downstairs to celebrate. Alf (Ramsey) stood there and said: `Gentleman, you may have two drinks this evening. It will not be like Saturday when you were all rat-arsed; just two drinks because in three days' time you are going to win the World Cup - then I will make sure you are all permanently pissed.'"

LIGHT IS being shed on the strict regime at the Scottish Nationalist Party. In a closed session of Perth & Kinross council last Wednesday SNP councillor John Lloyd allegedly threw a major tantrum which involved him berating the control freak tendencies of the party and resigning from the party. From now on Lloyd has vowed to sit as an Independent. This is the latest example of concern about the vice-like grip of leader Alex Salmond and chief executive Mike Russell, known as Hinge and Brackett, (after the cross-dressing comedy old dears of yesteryear) have over the SNP. The party's headquarters in Edinburgh is known affectionately as MacMillbank and there has been open talk of hiring a McMandy if the SNP win control of the Scottish Parliament. Mike Russell is favourite for the job but its a pity they can't employ Cllr Lloyd who told Pandora after his outburst: "I'm an Independent now, so I am not going to give any party the opportunity of putting a spin on any event."

THE GODFATHER of film Francis Ford Coppola is spending his time hanging around the headquarters of the New York Police Department. Always meticulous in his approach he is reported to be collecting pointers for a story that draws parallels between New York today and ancient Rome. Coppola is keeping mum about the plot and about the rumours that he will cast the daughter of New York mayor Rudy Giuliani in the film. Coppola laughed off speculation and quipped: "How old is she - nine? By the time I finish the screenplay she'll probably be old enough to be in it."

ALSO KEEPING details of a new venture under her hat is actress Mia Farrow (pictured). She is "agonising" over the writing of a novel according to the New York Daily News who caught up with her at a film festival last week. Doubleday, publishers of Farrow's memoirs which came out last year, offered an advance for the novel but the actress turned them down admitting that she "didn't want to be under any kind of pressure". Farrow takes care of seven children including Woody Allen's natural son Seamus (formerly Satchel) and Allen's adopted daughter Eliza (formerly Dylan) both of whom she gained custody of after the controversial break-up of the couple in 1992. Even with pressure on her time and her interest in writing, Mia isn't giving up on film, but complained to Daily News reporters that she couldn't "find a really good comedy script" at the moment. Perhaps she should give Woody a call?