Among other things, it was suggested that because Max is sent to bed without any supper, the book might make sensitive children afraid of being deprived of basic sustenance.A fascinating programme, but, oddly, it passed without comment over the book’s most disturbing moment: as Max prepares to sail back home, the wild things implore him to stay with the words “We’ll eat you up – we love you so!” Even as an adult, I am left feeling slightly queasy by that line, which introduces a note of threat into love and security.The idea that a picture book can hurt children was put into some sort of perspective by Suffer the Little Children (Radio 4, Tuesday), Gail Foley’s report on the public inquiry into sexual abuse of children in state-run homes in North Wales.Foley mentioned early on that the inquiry has received little attention in the press, and that is a scandal But this programme wasn’t the best antidote. Both sides wearing Hugo Boss! Why can’t they pick an English designer?” he asks. Needless to say, he is an Arsenal supporter and will be closing his shop at 3pm this afternoon “No wonder the Germans beat us at football. We’re wearing their suits.”Despite the fact that the suits would have been required at short notice, Mr Allen is adamant that he could have supplied the team with their own bespoke suit at the reduced price of pounds 750 each – including shirt and tie “It has to be a suit. They’re wearing dark grey, but I’d put them in red and black shot mohair – Zegna fabric – very light and half-lined,” says Allen. They would also wear a black shirt with a black tie shot with red stripes that you could see from a distance. The suit would be single- breasted, three buttoned and with flat-fronted trousers.

“Instead, they’ve gone for a name,” says Allen.Small companies, however local, simply cannot compete. When Nigel Curtiss, the British menswear designer dressed Manchester United for the 1996 final, he made thirty suits for the team, the subs, and their manager, Alex Ferguson.”It’s a prestigious thing to do. The fact that you’ve suited up the most famous footballers in the world is worth a lot.” However, Curtiss was not paid for the privilege. He split the costs with the Manchester menswear shop, Garcon, which got the business in the first place through regular customers Andy Cole, Paul Ince, and Ryan Giggs. Likewise, Newcastle may not have been loyal to a local designer, but Kenny Dalglish put in a call to the team’s favourite suit shop, Cruise Flannels in the Toon’s equivalent of Bond Street.Nigel Cabourn, the Geordie designer who lives in a windmill in the centre of the city might have loved the chance to dress the boys, but the task went to Boss. Navy suits and cream shirts with cutaway collar were shipped over from Germany and although the team is not officially sponsored by the label, they are happy to be as helpful and generous as they can.Locally, however, it is Cruise that will benefit from the increase in business.

Designer menswear is worth in excess of pounds 446 million in the UK and Cruise will be getting their fair share.Come the World Cup however, Germany can keep their Hugo Boss. England have gone for some of the best made suits in the world They’re British and they’re by Paul Smith.. Politicians and archbishops must not turn their back on the scandal of Third World debt says Paul Handley, editor of the Church Times

THE Jubilee 2000 protesters who plan to form the six-mile-long human chain round the G8 summit in Birmingham at 3 o’clock this afternoon will have to stretch their arms just that little bit longer. Sadly, two of their supporters, George Carey and Basil Hume, have somebody else to support at precisely the same time I hope Arsenal and Newcastle United are grateful. I don’t suppose Malawi, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Bolivia and the rest of the teams at the bottom of the global division will be.
In one sense, it won’t matter. The two church leaders have said enough about Third World debt to show that their hearts are in the right place, and the Jubilee 2000 organisers need the Churches’ support too much to start publicly knocking their leaders.