Hi Everyone
It was interesting to read the comments of one journalist this week when in the light of the extraordinary events of the past ten days he described the government as "being paralysed". Now my first thought was that it could not possibly be the fault of the last few days as they had enjoyed a two month summer break followed by weeks of endless chatter whilst they sorted out a new Prime Minister elected by less than 0.5% of the population. By now we have forgotten how they are going to save us from the winter energy crisis and it is highly likely that they have too. When they finally get back to business later this week we have been promised a mini budget from the third Chancellor in almost as many weeks. As it is a mini budget, does that mean he will only speak for ten minutes rather than the usual hour. Then after all the other political parties have told him that his mini budget is rubbish, they all go off to their annual love ins, sorry party conferences where they all clap each other's speeches with gritted teeth, especially the ones who have had their noses pushed out of joint by Liz Trustworthy. After all that is done, they might manage a couple of weeks' work before they all go home for Christmas. Perhaps being a politician is not a bad job after all.
Back in 1970, we learned an important lesson when we were on holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes. We left our hotel to catch the local bus into town. The bus came every 30 minutes and we were first at the bus stop for the next bus. As the time came for the bus to arrive there was no queue as we would have expected but a gathering of people. When the bus came we were the last to get on the bus. It did not happen again on our trips to Europe as we found that elbows and shoulders were very useful to make sure of a place on the bus. This week we have marveled at the site of a queue over five miles long with people taking many hours waiting patiently to pay their respects to the Queen. To me, it demonstrates the very best of people from here in the UK and from across the world and for a short time at least, the Queen has allowed us to come together to celebrate the life of a wonderful lady. I think that all of us who have stood in long queues for hours will have enjoyed the experience of sharing conversations and stories with people who we will probably never meet again. For some, lifelong friendships will have been formed with some perhaps finding new partners.
It has been an extraordinary week and one that we will probably never witness again as the world leaders, kings and queens and representatives from across the world assemble for the state funeral. For those of us of a certain era, as children, if we were very lucky we received a special present every Christmas - The Rupert Bear Annual. Now Rupert has stepped aside for a more modern hero, that lovely Peruvian bear Paddington. Now it made me realise that I had an even closer connection to our Queen than I ever imagined. as our Queen, as a child, might have been reading that same annual on Christmas morning just like me. Now when it comes to marmalade sandwiches, anyone who knows me will know that I would always choose marmalade before jam, and as a final farewell, the Queen passed almost directly over our house on her final journey from Edinburgh to London.
Just a Thought:
To the man who stole my place in the queue. I'm after you now.
My friend was in the queue at the post office when Diana Ross tried to push in. He told her "You can't hurry love, you'll just have to wait".
I don't make jokes. I just watch political programmes and report the facts.
Brian