It's been a busy week for news editors; election campaigns, disasters, marriages and deaths all competed for headlines.
Sad to hear about the loss of Ted Lowe and then Henry Cooper. Many moons ago I was Bar Manager at Woburn Golf and Country Club, at the time, home of The British Masters. We would get many celebs there (especially footballers), either playing or giving after-dinner speeches. But the one celebrity that really stood out for me was Henry Cooper. He was being paid to give an after-dinner speech at a corporate event (it was probably an accountancy firm, they often were) and, before the dinner, all these accountants were at the bar acting in the most arrogant and ignorant manner; they treated the staff as though we were something they had stepped in. Of course, when Henry Cooper ventured near the bar they all began competing for his attention and they became even more boorish. But as they were called through to dinner, Henry made the point of returning to the bar and apologised for the behaviour of these people. It certainly wasn't necessary for him to do that, but he obviously felt so embarrassed and ashamed by their behaviour that he felt it was something he had to do.
And then of course, came an end to the reign of the World Champion at Hide-and-seek, Osama Bin Laden. I hope that this event brought some closure to those that lost family and friends in the terrorist atrocities he masterminded. Perhaps in an ideal world he would have been captured and tried in a court, but it wasn't an unexpected end. Glad to see that they have decided not to publish the photos, despite the protests from the ever-moronic Sarah Palin; it would not benefit anyone. If ever I am looking for moral or intellectual guidance I find it helpful to ask myself 'What would Sarah Palin do?' and then do the exact opposite.
The fantastic weather we have been enjoying looks to be coming to an end. We made the most of it, with outdoor lunches at Findhorn Bay and walking the dogs on the beach. But it has caused problems. Some of my pupils have described the 22C temperatures as 'roastin'', but it is the wildfires that are the more serious concern. Torridon and Glen Shiel are among the worst affected areas, with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage, but there has also been several fire fronts at Inverkirkaig, in the stunning landscape north of Ullapool. Hopefully the rain, which is predicted later today will help reduce the damage.
Election day today and I'm not going to dwell on that. All I will say is that, as far as the AV- Yes/No vote is concerned, both sides seem to have made such a poor case that they have both probably helped the opposite cause.
The USA suffered horrendous carnage when hundreds of tornadoes ripped through the South, killing 329 people, with many more missing. The damage was almost unprecedented, but it barely registered on the UK news because of the blanket royal wedding coverage.
It was supposed to be a bank holiday, but you would scarcely have known because everywhere, including schools, were opened. Only the banks shut. My pupils were largely ambivalent or apathetic, like myself. “I'm not a royalist but...” seemed to be a common defence of those that had planned to watch the wedding. Even Bob, the anti-royal host of The Argyll's quiznight, seemed to soften his view and became almost defensive of William and Kate (the tiara belonged to Effie, not Bob).I had a full day of lessons, so I listened to bits and pieces on the radio (it seemed to be on virtually every station) between lessons and, I have to confess, began to regret that I was not at home with Jane, watching it on telly. I particularly liked the bit when they left Westminster Abbey to the Thunderbirds theme. Very classy.
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