Paul Gascoigne is in the building. In a smart West End hotel in London, we are expecting him for a Q&A to discuss a new BBC documentary about his extraordinary, sometimes glorious, frequently chaotic, and deeply troubled life.
You may not be surprised by what happens next. “Sorry, but Paul won’t be coming in . . . it’s very raw for him . . . he just couldn’t face it . . .” Gazza has left without a word.
A pall of knowing sadness falls over the room, and not for the first time. It had been there since the end of a programme that concludes with a haunting shot of Gascoigne heading out to his only place of peace, with a fishing rod.
Staring