Andrew Baker
@ccAndrewBaker
Followers
7K
Following
77K
Media
4K
Statuses
22K
Writer & editor at Telegraph; Uni of Cambridge. New book, Cake: A Slice of British Life, makes a lovely gift
London, United Kingdom
Joined October 2014
My new book is out now: it's "entertaining, highly convivial" (The Independent, Books of the Month) and it "does for cake what Bill Bryson did for travel" (BBC R5); Prue Leith calls it "Quirky and fun". It will make a lovely Christmas present.
10
20
90
Sadly my father passed away this morning at the age of 93. Great broadcaster, great dad and grandfather. RIP.
2K
2K
23K
‘Greenhouse’ of salvaged stained glass by Heywood & Condie, in Tyburnia on my walk home
166
1K
14K
My dear father is 93 years old today. Many happy returns! (pic, pretty obviously: BBC)
745
844
10K
My father died five years ago today. Here he is when newsreaders were cool (and could smoke)…
484
286
9K
It’s 40 years tonight since Dad’s final bulletin as BBC newsreader, raising a glass and pelted with streamers by studio staff. A happy memory, and happy new year to all
278
265
8K
Today would have been my father’s 97th birthday. Here he is in full matinee idol mode soon after joining the BBC in the 1950s.
418
184
7K
Today would have been my father’s 95th birthday. Here he is 40 years ago, enjoying a sabbatical from the News (hence the beard) at Haddo House.
143
54
3K
My father would have been 98 today. Here he is away from the BBC cameras in his other job as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy reserve and showing my brother and me around a warship. James is the one with his foot on a bollard. About 1970, hence the haircuts
118
100
2K
Sincere thanks to the many many people who have sent kind messages of sympathy and support, and shared happy memories, following the death of my father #RichardBaker . It has been a welcome boost in sad times to see the affection that he inspired. Thank you all.
54
96
1K
At Broadcasting House to contribute to @BBCRadio4 obituary programme about my father. Came here many times as a boy with my brother to watch him at work. Will concentrate hard on upper lip stiffness in best traditions of Beeb.
32
51
991
So glad to see that as ever dad remains - in the usual way - part of the BBC Christmas schedule
22
27
968
To the many kind people who responded to my tweet about my father's birthday, sincere thanks. Your reminiscences and compliments are very much appreciated by my father - and my mother, who is also 93! Thank you all. and here he is at home recently.
90
49
866
This is my mother, Margaret Baker. She is 96 today, and in excellent fettle, for which we are all grateful. I love her very much.
46
10
875
This is the #rubychocolate that everyone is on about. Taste is like white choc w/ berry fruits - but all from bean.
16
242
724
Lovely to see this again, and to hear my father’s voice in the narration and the characters of Mungo and Midge. I was seven when this was made, and got to play with the 2D puppets. John Ryan’s visual style and colouring is so distinctive… see also Capt Pugwash.
57
50
663
My father died two years ago today. We all miss him very much but I don't think he would have enjoyed the last 24 months. Here he is in happier times, getting ready to read the BBC News in 1962.
53
17
563
My father was born 96 years ago today. We all miss him very much.
50
22
542
Today would have been my father's 94th birthday. Here he is looking mildly piratical at Haddo House on our summer hols in 1980.
41
20
451
My father died four years ago today. Here he is in our garden in Hertfordshire with Cleo the dog
46
3
308
I watched with Mother - and listened to my father, who narrated the show and did the voices of Mungo and Midge.
36
25
308
My mother with the noble cockapoo, celebrating her 97th birthday today and on belting form
11
1
286
Oh no. How did this get out?.
18
19
249
The BBC Six O’Clock News was just after teatime, and James and I would try to feed Dad our biscuits through the screen. Matchy-matchy tartan trews a bit of an abomination, even for the 1960s.
32
10
251
Happy Father’s Day everyone (I still can’t play the piano…)
7
8
233
Amazing present from my daughter @emily_bleich -- my father was gunnery officer on Peacock on Arctic convoys in WW2 and v few pics of her exist. Emily somehow found this ancient kit. speechless.
17
9
209
I know a good many of those who follow me are fans of my father, so here is a recent family group at my parents' home. My marvellous mother, who has kept the whole show on the road for decades, is the only one not wearing sensible newsreader's glasses.
17
18
184
Customer just emerged from the old Foyles. When he went in to buy that book he was 12. Anyone else remember the process?
35
35
167
One day I shall visit the land where the sausage roll roams free
10
14
177
My fabulous mother is 94 today, still right beside my father and keeping the whole show on the road. What a star.
17
6
166
This is my dear mother, who is 95 today, sharp as a pin and just epically awesome. 💜💜💜
19
0
167
@guywalters You’ll find it profoundly disappointing. Utterly bland and charmless, like a mediocre airport mall, only outdoors.
2
0
152
Lovely to see Dad in ancient footage and in his last work with the BBC on How the BBC Began on BBC2 tonight. Also glad that Nan Winton, treated so unfairly by many at the BBC, found him supportive
13
8
150
My mother is 98 today, and as she puts it “not bad, considering”. Here she is planning a Steve-McQueen-style leap over the retirement village fence. Permission has been granted to share the image on “that twit thing”
18
1
144
It is my birthday. I am quite old. Here I am when I was not so old, with my parents at Hadley Highstone in the 1860s. 1960s. No, really.
62
1
143
The walk to work this morning. This is 200 yards from Oxford Street.
2
7
141
My mother is moving to a smaller flat and has given me this portrait of my father by John Bratby, which we have just hung at home. So pleased to have it here. I should think he was about my age when it was painted.
18
0
132
Great celebrations today for my dear mother’s 100th birthday. Here she is with dad announcing their engagement 64 years ago - and today, with a terrific cake, trillions of cards (v nice one from the King and Queen) and 100 candles… sort of
27
1
134
This is lovely. A peaceful night to all.
A Wintry Walk by Lowell Birge Harrison, before 1900.Oil on Canvas.(Private Collection)
1
9
118
60. Blimey. Sleeveless pullover now de rigueur 24/7 obvs
59
2
115
Excellent article by @BeardyHowse in the seasonal @spectator about @friendschurches. Too many instances of @ here but a lovely piece about a fine organisation and beautiful buildings
3
19
118
From @waitrose magazine. I am now beginning my answer to any and all questions with “As a cake historian…”
17
7
117
A lovely lunch - and splendid birthday cake - with my mother, who is 99 today
15
1
111
My dear brother James is not often seen on Twitter (very wise). But it is his birthday today, so here he is with me and our father, ready for an interesting evening at Haddo House in the 1980s. Great legs, bro.
19
2
104
Richard Baker, 15 June 1925 - 17 November 2018. His colleague John Simpson says that he was “… intelligent, thoughtful, gentle, yet tough in defence of his principles.” I miss him.
9
3
102
Victoria Sandwich in the Orangery at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria’s favourite family home and one of the places I visited while researching my book Cake: A Slice of British Life (see pinned tweet). I had two slices because… because I felt like it
10
5
100
I’m back! Locked out for ages through Twitter twerpishness but all is well now and I have much choc and good cheer to share with all. A happy and healthy new year to my Twitter pals and chocolatey folk everywhere.
26
4
102
Informed - politely but firmly - by staff at @Waitrose Bayswater this morning that I was too young to be allowed in before 8.30am. Seriously considering a return tomorrow morning at 8.29am so that I can hear it again.
7
9
94
My great-nephew Jonah, 2, deep in conversation with his great-great aunt (my mother) 94. A lovely, noisy family Christmas
3
0
98
Many thanks to Darcey in @waitrose Wantage for helping my mother with her shopping. Mother is 95 and almost blind and had not been to a shop since February. She says Darcey was about 19, very funny and helped her SO much and deserves an MBE or perhaps an O. Hear hear!.
4
3
94
@fugitiveink My commiserations. My childhood home was obliterated to make way for luxury flats - the vents on the new lawn are for the underground car park, obvs. 😢
11
2
95
Visiting my parents tomorrow. Can't wait to tell my father he is giving people feelings.
Such a lovely story about newsreader Richard Baker, who is now 93, it will give you feelings h/t @SirTerence
8
4
95
For Father's Day: my father with as a teen, and me with my girls as teens. The decline in intergenerational respect is stark.
8
1
87
Obviously I cannot endorse this disgraceful exercise. At all.
3
13
83
Drink to me only with thine eyes. .
5
20
91
What can she mean? I am currently filing chocolate bars alphabetically when I should be supervising layout of an article by. @susie_dent.
I feel it's the day for a reminder of the 18th-century verb 'quiddle': to attend to trivial matters as a way of avoiding the important ones.
4
2
74
The Tudor old library at Trinity Hall where I once used to sit and think, though rarely about the things I was supposed to be thinking about. Note door to non-existent mezzanine. Lovely pic by @acambridgediary
5
6
84
Well this is rather exciting. a million thanks to @DonnaWood17, an editor in a million. This is coming to a bookshop (and choc shop) near you in August, and available to pre-order on the ghastly online behemoth right now. Enjoy!
17
18
83
Ah yes, thank you - he sometimes brought the card puppets home for us to play with. Simpler times.
@ccAndrewBaker Your father will always have a very special place in my childhood with his narration of Mary, Mungo and Midge. Wish him a very Happy Birthday from all of us on @Twitter #MaryMungoandMidge
3
6
78
I love the fact that a living, working, modern city full of bright young people can still look like this.
0
19
80
A howling gale when I visited my mother yesterday but she insisted on steaming off on our regular walk. “Gentle breeze. Never harmed anyone. Keep up.” She’s 95, you know.
9
3
82
This is my friend Giovanni, Il barbieri di Marylebone. He is 82 years old and none but he has cut my hair for 30 years. We speak of Italian football and the virtues of our mothers. It is the way of things.
4
0
71
As a BBC staffer Dad didn’t do adverts, but opened the odd Argos. We went along once - parked our Peugeot round the corner and transferred to a vast Rolls (reputedly ex-Lord-Lucan) to be delivered to the red carpet amid a cheering crowd. Not much else for them to do in the 70s….
Been looking through photos on a FB group on Old Maidstone and found this one of the Guvnor - Richard Baker - opening an Argos! I might even have been there! .@ccAndrewBaker
7
5
75
This small purple ghost is the noble cockapoo, returned from a walk in the cold rain. He has been stock still in this position, save for little shivers, for five minutes.
4
2
76
VERY good afternoon for an ice cream tasting. Career is thoroughly on track at this moment, I feel
14
0
74
My mother. Sharp as a needle at 96, and not very happy with her Lockdown hair.
7
0
74
Looked through some old pics at my mother's house this afternoon. After this interview Sophia Loren inscribed her book "To Richard, with much loving" which still makes my mother laugh.
2
3
72
My father at work in BBC News Studio B in 1967. He is 92 today, and in fine form. Many happy returns, Dad.
11
9
71
Here’s my one for Father’s Day: dad working on a radio script, me writing a great novel (still unfinished), James annoying both of us. Roughly 1966…
6
3
69
The kipper’s knickers - deeply tremendous. I shall be leading the revival.
'The dog's bollocks' began as typographers' slang for the colon dash because of its appearance :- Its meaning shifted to follow other formulae of excellence, such as 'the cat's whiskers', 'the bee's knees', and the sadly-lost 'kipper's knickers'.
4
4
69
@lambeth981 I have two daughters who can’t abide Pride and Prejudice (or Emma, S and S etc) while I love all things Austen. Perhaps they will grow into it all as they become spinsters.
2
2
67
Many people have kindly said: ‘I remember your father reading the news’ or ´I remember Mary, Mungo and Midge´… then there are one or two more unusual recollections. Thank you all!.
@ccAndrewBaker I met him at the wrestling in the Civic Centre in Borehamwood. Lovely man.
10
2
71
The village shop seen from the churchyard, Letcombe Regis, Oxfordshire, noon today
3
6
68
Happy birthday to Warwick Avenue, my local Tube station, which opened on this day in 1915. I’d love to have celebrated by taking a train, but the Bakerloo southbound was suspended. Plus ça change etc
4
5
67
I spent most weekends for a year travelling around Britain eating cake. The result is a more generous waistline and a book - see banner above. This, for instance, was my breakfast at Fisher & Donaldson in Dundee…
3
5
70
@funesdamemorius @seatsixtyone Calatrava's beautiful roof at Lisboa Oriente best after dark. Night Train approaches
0
20
64
One of my most favourite pictures in the whole world, taken by the brilliant Sandra Lousada. The little girl is my beautiful daughter Emily, who is 22 today - happy birthday Em.
7
0
65
In @paxtonscheese to discuss Xmas - and they sell @bareboneschoc . Talked with lovely staff about cheese n’ choc combos… and they broke open a bar, brought out the Stilton and we had an impromptu tasting. Yes it does work: rich choc & salty cheese. A joy!
10
3
67
For Father’s Day: me with my daughters, my father with his sons
9
0
66
In BBC newsroom at Broadcasting House, about to be ritually slaughtered on BBC West Midlands Today for saying that Cadbury chocolate is junk.
18
1
62
The chocolate orange of my youth was made by Terry’s in York and tasted wonderful. They are now made in a vast anonymous factory in France and taste of plastic. Happily Willie makes a bar in Devon with Cuban choc and orange oil that brings back memories. @WilliesCacao fab
9
2
59
Till lady in @Fortnums : "Hi, how was your shopping experience today?".Me: "I am too horrorstruck by your question to recall."
11
4
57
What could be lovelier than walking in Hyde Park at snowdrop time?
15
6
59
The noble cockapoo - Sammy to his friends - is 10 years old today
11
1
65