Please keep a good thought for Alex Allan, the keeper of the Grateful Dead Lyric and Song Finder site and quite possibly the winner of the “Deadhead with the most interesting day job” derby:
Top spy seriously ill in hospital
Britain’s top spy, Alex Allan, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is unconscious and seriously ill in hospital.
The 57-year-old collapsed at his home earlier this week. Government sources say that there is no sign of foul play.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera understands that there is no police involvement or concern over the reason for his condition.
Mr Allan’s committee collates information from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Alex Allan was taken ill on Monday and transferred to a London hospital.
“We cannot discuss his condition as it is a private matter.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “We were made aware of a man in his late 50s who was taken to a London hospital after being taken ill at his home address.
“He remains in a serious condition. This is being treated as non-suspicious.”
Weird, and a bummer. A few years back, I wrote to him about something, and we exchanged quips about Jack Straw, the British Foreign Minister. In the process, he added that Tony Blair had played in a Dead tribute band in the ’70s, a fact that has became less charming over the years.