We are all on the Magic Roundabout

Hi Everyone

Fifty Three years ago, back in 1973, together with two work colleagues, we decided to leave our secure jobs working for a company which was part of a national building group, to start our own building company. We had a single rented office, a small storage area, a secretary and a van driver. To achieve our dream, we had to obtain working capital by borrowing from a bank in exchange for putting our homes at risk as security. In the spring of that year when we started, petrol was 33pence per gallon. Then, in October, came our first big test, an oil crisis. As a builder, our contracts could be up to fifty miles away, so petrol was an important cost for our business. The crisis was triggered by a surprise attack by Syia and Egypt on Israel. In response to the US and some European countries supporting Israel, the Middle East countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE imposed an oil embargo on the US, the UK and many other countries. Oil prices quadrupled, there was panic buying at the petrol stations, and along came high inflation. Fuel ration books were printed but these were thankfully not needed. The crisis exposed our reliance on Middle East oil with promises that new polices would make sure that it did not happen again. Having read this Rubbish so far, can I remind you that this was fifty three year old news, not this week's news. Despite multiple Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chancellors, and whatever other names they call themselves, think tanks and so called experts, here we are again with all of us having to meet new challenges. Fifty three years ago, we got through it, and it became yet another page in history. What concerns me this time is why we started this particular war. A few weeks ago, Trump said that Iran’s nuclear programme had been obliterated, while now he is suggesting that they were only two weeks away from producing a bomb. His other cronies are then saying different reasons for going to war, so what do we believe, if anything? Iran has been a menace in the region for many years, and a change of leadership is needed for its people and for all of us, but one comment that I agree with by our Prime Minister is that you cannot win a war from the air. Trump wants the majority of peace loving Iranians to overthrow the regime. The problem surely is that the minority who do not want change, will still be in control of whatever weapons are left there. If we The have to go in with soldiers, surely the loss of life will be too big a price to pay, both on a human and an economic level.

The BBC’s annual 500 word writing competition for children between five and eleven years old reached the presentation evening for the six winners (3 from 5 to 7 and 3 from 8 to 11) by Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle. All the talented winners had wonderful, imaginative stories. I think that five or maybe even six of the winners were from immigrant families. No doubt all of them, as well as many other children in the final group, will go on to make a valuable contribution to the future of this country.

This week, we had an amazing story when a surgeon in London carried out a successful operation on a man in Gibraltar using a robot, and he did not even have to wear a mask or wash his hands. It is really impressive how technology has progressed during my lifetime, and the pace of progress seems to be quickening. I am not sure whether this is fake news, but I heard that our Prime Minister was having a crash course so that he will be able to perform a brain operation on his ‘friend’ who lives across the Atlantic in Washington DC.

Just a Thought:

I had a joke about crude oil, but I think that it needs some refinement. 

My friend tried to make a career out of precision bombing, but he couldn’t even get that right. 

A robot tried to rob a bank, but its battery died. The police have no plans to charge the suspect.

Brian