Prince Harry

The historian Lord Macaulay (1800 -1859) wrote; "We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodic fits of morality."   Except today, in the 21st century, when over the last week we haver been nauseated by the sight of elements of the British Press enjoying themselves at the expense of a cracking young lad who most of us would be immensely proud to have as a son.

Last week I read a lengthy article in the Daily Telegraph by their arch prig -Peter Oborne - whining on about how Prince Harry by his behaviour had bought both the Royal family and the British Military into disrepute. Leaving the Royal family out of it  (though I bet Prince Philip is heartily glad that camera phones were not around in his youth) what sort of men does Peter Oborne actually think join the armed forces and willingly risk their lives so little worms like him can tout their poison in freedom?  Well I will let him into a little  secret. They are red bloodied boys who thrive on the high adrenalin which military life provides and love nothing more than having a bloody good party and if that involves playing strip poker with pretty girls all the better.  They are not in short anally retentive prigs like Oborne or others of his ilk who have enjoyed themselves writing sermons about Prince Harry's conduct over the last week.  

There was also a nauseous  leader in the Sunday Times which praised their sister paper - The Sun - for 'Its brave loan stand for press freedom.' For those who don't know the owner of The Sunday Times and The Sun is Rupert Murdoch, who also of course owns Fox News in America, and  who is on record as having a peculiar loathing for the Royal family.  Actually, of course, the reason The Sun published the photos has nothing to do with 'bravery' and everything to do with selling extra copies of its joke newspaper thereby putting more money into Murdoch's grubby pocket.   

Kishanda - my wife -arthur my son

Actually I am not alone in my family in being able to write. My wife too is good with a pen and to prove it I append the link to her latest offering in the 'The Hidden Britain' supplement of todays Sunday Telelgraph where she expounds lucidly and humourously on the perils and pitfalls of being chatelaine of our house.  The good news is that my son, Arthur, has added his comments as well to the piece on his 'view of his inheritance' proving not only that the literary gene!  has been passed on but that the future of this house and estate are safe in his hands.    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/hidden-britain/9480079/english-stately-home-fulford.html

Double Barrelled Names - A resurgence

One surprise from the Olympic Games is that the double barrel name is alive and well.  No longer though are double barrel names the preserve of the British Upper Classes ( not forgetting also those who aspired to be considered Upper Class) but now are seemingly enormously popular among Jamaicans.  Why this is I would be fascinated to know but every time a double barrelled name appeared on the list of athletes taking part in an event it was always born with pride by a Jamaican.

The hope must be that this resurgence of the double barrelled name will encourage those who, over the last thirty odd years, have discretely dropped one or more names from their full surname to once again take them up. Life will be infinitely richer if the likes of my old comrade in arms, Sir Ranulf Fiennes reverts back to calling himself; Sir Ranulf Twiselton - Wickham -Fiennes or Charles Clive once more rejoices in signing his name Charles Clive - Ponnsoby- Fane.        

Smoking

A businessman once said; "I know 90% of my advertising budget is wasted -I just don't know which 90%."   Well I have news for the Department of Health and that is that virtually 100% of the anti smoking budget might as well  be ditched for all the good it does. As my children grow up I have observed with amazement that they all smoke to some extent and that virtually all their friends smoke as well.  While I also noticed at a party  a thirty year old army officer gave  that virtually all his mates where smokers - this despite sky high prices for fags and a constant barrage of propaganda.  Conversely hardly anyone over 50 now smokes (I gave up my 40 a day habit when I was forty nine) .

The lesson is simple. Abandon trying to scare the shit out of the young about ciggies as it does not work with them - they don't believe it will affect them for a start and smoking is simply just too much fun and too social an activity to give up.  Us oldies on the other hand are easily scared and are highly receptive to tales that nicotine makes us look older, causes our teeth to fall out and eventually ends up killing us one way or the other.

So the answer is for the Health Gestapo to concentrate its ads on the over 35's while taxing the shit out of the youth. The trouble with this policy is that most of my children and their friends are adept at 'rolling their own' and I strongly suspect that the majority of 'roll up' tobacco smoked in the UK is smuggled duty free into this country via lorry drivers etc.  So why not cut duty on tobacco?  It does not act as a deterrent to the young but it does act as an incentive to the smuggler. Cheaper fags wouldn't -I suggest cause people to smoke more - but it could cause them to smoke more legitimate ciggies rather than smuggled ones.