Sex, Scandal, and Revenge: A Very British Scandal

A Very British Scandal

One of Britain’s biggest scandals is the subject of a new BBC mini-series starring Claire Foy. The series, called A Very British Scandal, explores Margaret Campbell and her tumultuous relationship with Ian Campbell, Duke of Argyll.

The Crown alum Foy delivers a fine performance as the Duchess of Argyll. The show explores their high-profile divorce case that triggered a tabloid frenzy.

Duchess of Argyll

A new three-part BBC miniseries stars Claire Foy as Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll who made headlines in the sixties during her vicious divorce battle with her husband, the Duke of Argyll. The show, from the team behind A Very English Scandal which dramatised Jeremy Thorpe’s affair, takes a look at her adventurous sex life which led to one of the most salacious divorce cases in British history.

The couple’s bitter and acrimonious divorce case was dominated by a series of nude Polaroids which the duke produced as evidence. They depicted the Duchess performing a sexual act on an unidentified man – who was only seen from the neck down. Speculation ran wild as to who the headless man could be. The shortlist ranged from members of the Royal Family to actors and Cabinet Ministers. Despite being “slut-shamed” by the press, the Duchess refused to identify her lover. The case highlighted tense relationships between Fleet Street and the Establishment, as well as the blurry line between sex and politics.

Ian Argyll

The 11th Duke of Argyll, whose scandalous marriages and divorces made headlines around the world, has died at age 69. He had fought for his family’s land and opened Inveraray Castle to tourists, but the money-hungry duke never found his pot of gold.

In a country obsessed with gossip, British scandals have the power to bring down governments and overthrow the rich. Some involve sex, others money and some are about power.

One of Britain’s biggest scandals of the 1960s featured Margaret Sweeny, glamorous beauty and heir to the Argyll title. She and her husband’s private dalliances, forgery, secret recording, bribery, violence, drug taking and explicit polaroid pictures dominated the front pages in a case that became known as ‘Argyll vs Argyll.’ A new three part BBC drama starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany dramatizes the case in a series titled A Very British Scandal. The writer, Sarah Phelps, used transcripts from the trial to help inform her script.

Margaret Argyll

At the time of the Argyll scandal, there were tense relationships between Fleet Street and the Establishment – and between sex and politics. Rather like the Profumo case, the Argyll affair shed light on sexual morality and it was considered that the Duchess had been promiscuous and had a ‘headless lover’. She was filmed naked in a compromising position with a man who was never named and speculation ran rife about his identity. He was thought to be either American actor Douglas Fairbanks or Duncan Sandys, the minister of defence.

She was slut-shamed and had her private correspondence leaked to the tabloid press. Eventually she was evicted from her home and died penniless in a nursing home in 1993. The BBC’s new three-part drama, A Very British Scandal, should restore her reputation and help the public to understand that she was more than a victim. With new research and personal transcripts, Lyndsy Spence reveals the truth behind this fragile and damaged woman and also reveals the most likely identity of the headless man – he was Texan millionaire Joe Thomas.

Argyll v Argyll

A Very British Scandal, a three-part miniseries starring The Crown actress Claire Foy and Paul Bettany, dramatizes one of Britain’s most notorious divorce cases. The case centered on Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, whose marriage to Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll, led to a scandal that exploded in 1960s Britain.

Margaret, the daughter of a self-made Scottish millionaire, was a celebrity in her own right. From her debutante days to the end of her marriage, her life was front-page news and she was known for her partying.

When her husband, the duke, filed for divorce, he alleged she slept with 88 men. His proof included stolen diaries that supposedly revealed her affairs and explicit Polaroid pictures of her naked except for her signature string of pearls with a headless man. It was the first instance of revenge porn and it laid bare her private life. The court case dragged on for years and became a symbol of misogyny in Britain.

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Cutting-edge cancer research and global platform for oncology discussions and engagement.

The British Journal of Cancer (BJC)

BJC is committed to publishing cutting edge discovery, translational and clinical cancer research across the broad spectrum of oncology. With its long tradition and close links with CRUK, the journal provides a global platform to disseminate important research in cancer.

This journal accepts original research articles and reviews, ranging from epidemiology, carcinogenesis and biology through to state of the art cellular and molecular approaches. Submissions should be of high scientific/clinical significance.

General oncology

The British Journal of Cancer (BJC) is committed to publishing cutting edge discovery, translational and clinical cancer research. It provides a global platform for key discussions and engagement in the broad area of oncology and offers its readership high impact research across six subject categories including clinical studies, translational therapeutics, molecular diagnostics, genetics and genomics and epidemiology.

BJC is a bimonthly scientific journal with articles spanning the full spectrum of preclinical and clinical cancer research, investigation, treatment and care. It publishes original research, reviews, case reports, editorials and correspondence. It prioritises papers that make a significant contribution to the understanding of the cause and progression of cancer as well as improving patient outcomes. It is published in association with Cancer Research UK, a registered charity in the United Kingdom.

Cancer epidemiology

Cancer epidemiology is the study of the pattern, distribution and causes of cancer. This field includes the analysis of data from studies examining incidence, prevalence and mortality, and can be studied at the global or local level. It is also possible to examine temporal trends in these measures, or differences in them between different regions or groups of people.

The majority of cancers are caused by lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use, poor diet and insufficient physical activity, and chronic infections such as Helicobacter pylori, human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B and C viruses. Several of these are preventable by changing lifestyles and implementing screening programmes.

Cancer research is critical to our understanding of the cause of cancer and determining how best to reduce its burden. Research in the BJC covers a broad range of topics including cancer etiology, diagnosis, survival and disparities.

Cancer immunology

Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the body’s natural immune system to fight cancer. It has seen unprecedented success in recent years, and was named Science’s “Scientific Breakthrough of the Year.” It involves boosting the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy cancer cells.

The idea of using the body’s own immune system to treat neoplastic diseases first emerged in the nineteenth century. Wilhelm Busch and Friedrich Fehleisen showed that erysipelas, an infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, could result in spontaneous regression of tumours2.

Immunotherapy research has made great headway in the past decade due to discoveries on how to target neoantigens and T cell anergy. These discoveries are being translated into clinical applications, including cellular immunotherapy, oncolytic viruses and checkpoint blockade.

Cancer genetics

The genes in our cells are responsible for regulating how our bodies grow and develop. Cancer genetics is the study of mutations in these genes that help cancers form, grow and spread. These genetic changes, or variants, can be inherited from our parents or acquired by chance events during cell division.

Some inherited gene faults can cause cancer, but most cancers develop because of many other factors as well. Researchers are trying to find out more about these other factors so that we can do more to prevent cancers. They also want to know whether genetic tests for some cancers are useful in predicting how likely someone is to get the disease. The British journal of cancer publishes articles on these topics. It also has a rapid format for publishing cancer variant reports that have compelling clinical case information.

Clinical oncology

Clinical oncologists care for patients with cancer, and treat them using chemotherapy and radiotherapy. They work with other specialists and nurses in the field. They may also help patients deal with psychological issues associated with their diagnosis and treatment.

They diagnose malignancies by taking detailed medical histories and performing physical examinations. They may use X-rays, CT scanning, MRI scanning and ultrasound to localise tumours and guide biopsy. They may also use radiopharmaceuticals – such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) – to identify areas of abnormal cell activity.

They treat cancer patients in hospitals and day care wards, and carry out clinics to assess new and follow-up patients. They are responsible for prescribing and organising patient treatment, which is often a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

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Cross-Border Connections: The Hidden Gem of 0 Avenue and Peace Arch Park in British Columbia

0 Avenue and Peace Arch Park in British Columbia

ALDERGROVE — Almost hidden in the homes and street grid of Surrey, British Columbia is a stretch of border road known as 0 Avenue. It runs parallel to the Canada-United States border and features microwave towers and a small park.

It’s a place where families meet, hug and even share a meal across the international border. And, even though Covid-19 has closed many land crossings, this one remains open for now.

Boundary Crossing

The United States Border Patrol is constructing a fence on the international border near Aldergrove. The fence will run from Boundary Road on the US side to Zero Avenue in Canada. The border is already fenced for about 1.5 miles along the Pacific Highway and another mile along the Lynden-Aldergrove border crossing. The fence will then run parallel to 0 Avenue for several more miles. It’s not clear whether the fence has anything to do with COVID-19 or other health concerns, but it could be used as a deterrent for drug smuggling and asylum seekers trying to cross illegally.

A small ditch along 0 Avenue has become a meeting place for American and Canadian families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families gather to visit, take pictures, and feel connected across the border. Some couples even get married here. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are stationed at the park and ask that families keep their distance from each other.

Microwave Towers

These ominous structures were once part of AT&T’s Long Lines microwave radio-relay network, which carried telephone calls and television signals coast to coast before fiber optic networks came into play. They were also hardened sites in case of a nuclear attack.

Microwave transmission does not use wires, but relies on direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver. This means that the towers are usually about 30 miles apart, though they were often farther when built in the ’50s and ’60s. You can find the towers, which are still intact with antennas pointing in different directions (to avoid signal overlap), by hunting through old maps or a Google Earth map created by a microwave-relay aficionado.

Microwave towers are still used today in remote areas for high speed trading or as backup systems to fiber when it is impractical to run a continuous wire through adverse terrain. You might even see a microwave relay tower in your neighborhood if you live in an area that has a large amount of business-to-business traffic that requires higher speeds than what fiber can provide.

Peace Arch Park

While there are a lot of great spots along the US-Canada border for road trips, few come close to the Peace Arch Park. This beautiful landmark was built to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Ghent and the Rush-Bagot Agreement, which established a peaceful unguarded border between the United States and Canada. The 67-foot arch, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a reminder of what can happen when people of different countries work together.

The Canadian side of the park closed in June because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the American side remained open until Oct. 1. The American park is a Washington state park, while the Canadian park is owned by the Semiahmoo First Nation and accessed via Beach Road.

While the park is small, it packs a big punch in terms of international relations. At a time when borders are hardening politically but remaining physically porous, the Peace Arch Park is a symbol of cross-border connections.

Border Fence

A cable fence has begun to go up along a section of the international border between Canada and the United States. The American Border Patrol’s Blaine sector is overseeing the project, which appears to have nothing to do with COVID, but instead focuses on what acting chief patrol agent Tony Holladay calls bi-national safety concerns for this particular vulnerable area of the border.

The section of the border in question runs from Boundary Road north of Lynden to Zero Avenue south of Langley City. It’s a stretch of the border that has long been popular for families with loved ones in each country who can’t cross over due to the travel bans.

Usually, structures aren’t allowed within 10 feet of the border on either side. But this is a special situation, and a fence is a lot easier to see than the thorny brambles that have grown in some places to block the border. The Peace Arch Park sits right on the border, and there’s a paved pedestrian entrance into it from the Canadian side.

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