With what is happening to Tom and my family at present – I am conscious that pride is one of the seven deadly sins and rightly so. No one likes a smug bastard after all?
But something happened the other night which made me very proud and it is something I am happy to share with the world.
Last Wednesday was the European Premiere of the new Ron Howard film, In the Heart of the Sea – starring amongst many others, Tom Holland – the eldest of my four boys.
Leicester Square Odeon – a red carpet (it was actually blue) – Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Ron Howard et al – along with Tom and his brothers within the ropes and smiling for a raft of photographers and screaming autograph hunters. It was all very exciting – especially so for Tom’s younger brothers and I was keen to get a photograph of all four of my boys together.
Also on the carpet were an array of other ‘celebs’ being photographed who I did not recognise – who turned out to be the latest contestants from the X Factor having a glimpse of what might lie ahead for them?
Just ahead of the entrance to the cinema, I assembled my four boys together for the photograph – and as exciting as it was to see them in their smart clothes – but this was not my moment of pride.
Which came – when a lady thrust a microphone in front of my boys enquiring –
‘So boys, who do you want to win the X Factor?’
My boys looked blank.
Er…
‘Come on boys, whose your fave contestant?’
And then Tom piped up.
‘Dunno. We don’t watch the X Factor.’
At which I swelled with pride…
