About Sebastian Horsley, it was my impression that he was stopped at the border and denied entry due to his self-confessed former drug addiction, conviction of possessing amphetamine sulphate a number of years ago and frequent use of prostitutes. Any of these would disallow a traveller to use the Visa Waiver Program available to 23 countries' very western citizens. Mr. Horsley is still allowed to apply for a visa to the U.S.A. together with anyone else from the remaining 170 or so countries of the world. He hasn't been barred from travelling to America, only required to follow the same procedures as citizens of Mexico, Iran, Vietnam, Japan, etc, whether they are writers, journalists, welders, or students. With a chequered past, how could anyone expect to be able to travel on a privileged programme? This is not about Mr Horsley's memoir or his fashion sense. It's about the Department of Homeland Security having a specific set of rules for a travellers' programme, and following them regardless of who the person is. See the example of Amy Winehouse, similarly denied entry due to her drug problems. Of course, who knows if this wasn't a setup by his publishers? There was certainly some highly valuable press coverage of this incident all over the world.

Call me shellshocked by all the hoaxes recently, but what if Brother Sebastian turns out to be a teetotaling Mormon Elder who's simply raising money for needy schoolkids? Something very like this happened years back when Benny Hill died; the British press started digging, expecting a closet full of lurid secrets, only to find that he was a reclusive stay-at-home who was always kind to his dear old mum, and that his idea of a wild time on the town was taking old people out on bus rides...

All I know is that every time I wear a top hat to the airport, I get questioned by security as well. Same with a bonnet.