There has been plenty to catch the eye and ear this past fortnight so rather than dwell at length on particular goings on and nonsenses, here are a few lines on some of them together with a peek at what lies ahead this summer.
It already seems a long time ago but David Cameron crossed the Atlantic to meet with President Obama and other G8 leaders for another non-action packed summit and photocall to tackle the problems of the Euro. No mention of the root cause, the currency's dysfunctional parent the EU. Current religion is that both are "a good thing" and doubters like Cameron get scowls from giants of the world stage like Herman van Rumphey and Baroness (in itself a ludicrously antiquated title and encumbrance) Ashton. The latter lady, never in her career democratically elected to any post, is now is incidentally one of the world's highest paid politicians.
Presumably the attendees enjoyed their Awayaday and were happy enough to go on their way with nothing much achieved.
One good thing leads to another . The EU contingent then returned home only to quickly reconvene for another chat over a good dinner (the wine doesn't come from Tesco's offers of the week), photocall and again no measurable output other than to reiterate with only one dissenting voice :"Oh dear, this Greek thing is a mess. We do wish it would go away , paid for by those rich Germans who were prudent virgins who put their house in order during the good times while we had a borrowing and spending ball. " Angela was clearly unimpressed and something like "Over my dead body" was etched across her face in the group photo.
Here at home, the British are limbering up for what they believe will be austerity summer season. Only it won't be. June kicks off with a double Bank Holiday to celebrate 60 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 2. At 86 she continues to manage a remarkably energetic schedule and to fulfil her regal role with growing admiration even from the ranks of the sceptical. She became Queen when World War 2 was a very recent and fresh memory. Its victims, war widows, orphans, the seriously maimed were everywhere as were unrebuilt bombsites in towns all over the country. Rationing continued and the country , saddled with the additional debt of what it owed its special friend the USA for keeping Hitler away from their trans Atlantic doorstep was truly broke. Anyone who seriously thinks we are experiencing austerity now would be laughed out of court by those who really struggled to bring up families in the early 50s. At times the Queen has been slow to adapt and at others she has almost flatly refused to do so, but for being a rock of stability she has earned a huge , if sometimes grudging respect. Perhaps motivated party by a determination to keep her son Charles' reign as short as possible, she shows no sign of moving on other than eventually "by natural causes". Most of the nation is grateful and even the anti-monarchists scan the horizon in vain for any constitutional alternative. President Blair? President Brown? Clegg? Cameron? Balls? Hmm. "Best stick with what we've got" is a common conclusion.
Once the Jubilee celebrations are over we are into the braying season. Royal Ascot starts off on 19th June, with tightened dress code this year. No brave new bare knees, never mind midriffs
world there. Wimbledon follows on 25th with lots of bonk, bonk and grunting on the courts and maybe even more off them, and to round off the June jollity there is Henley, boom time for Brakespeare's beers and Pimms.
Once June is past, the schools are out and the braying in particular moves out to Rock (16+ age group right through to 60+) and offshore to fashionable parts of France and Italy. The rest tend to go elsewhere , the socio/economic group heading for each place being closely aligned to the price of fizzy lager. Wives and children generally precede the males of the better off "hard working families". In August the rest of the population moves out of the workplace and this year more than ever people are encouraged not to clog up London during the Olympics by going to work.
For any visitors hoping to walk into the UK and see all the occupants of any offices they may wish to do business with, the very earliest date we recommend is Monday 3rd September but safer would be Monday 10th when the schools are going back. We in Britain really are determined to see off this economic crisis thing and will be going all out for it from then until at least the Half Term break in mid October.
It already seems a long time ago but David Cameron crossed the Atlantic to meet with President Obama and other G8 leaders for another non-action packed summit and photocall to tackle the problems of the Euro. No mention of the root cause, the currency's dysfunctional parent the EU. Current religion is that both are "a good thing" and doubters like Cameron get scowls from giants of the world stage like Herman van Rumphey and Baroness (in itself a ludicrously antiquated title and encumbrance) Ashton. The latter lady, never in her career democratically elected to any post, is now is incidentally one of the world's highest paid politicians.
Presumably the attendees enjoyed their Awayaday and were happy enough to go on their way with nothing much achieved.
One good thing leads to another . The EU contingent then returned home only to quickly reconvene for another chat over a good dinner (the wine doesn't come from Tesco's offers of the week), photocall and again no measurable output other than to reiterate with only one dissenting voice :"Oh dear, this Greek thing is a mess. We do wish it would go away , paid for by those rich Germans who were prudent virgins who put their house in order during the good times while we had a borrowing and spending ball. " Angela was clearly unimpressed and something like "Over my dead body" was etched across her face in the group photo.
Here at home, the British are limbering up for what they believe will be austerity summer season. Only it won't be. June kicks off with a double Bank Holiday to celebrate 60 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 2. At 86 she continues to manage a remarkably energetic schedule and to fulfil her regal role with growing admiration even from the ranks of the sceptical. She became Queen when World War 2 was a very recent and fresh memory. Its victims, war widows, orphans, the seriously maimed were everywhere as were unrebuilt bombsites in towns all over the country. Rationing continued and the country , saddled with the additional debt of what it owed its special friend the USA for keeping Hitler away from their trans Atlantic doorstep was truly broke. Anyone who seriously thinks we are experiencing austerity now would be laughed out of court by those who really struggled to bring up families in the early 50s. At times the Queen has been slow to adapt and at others she has almost flatly refused to do so, but for being a rock of stability she has earned a huge , if sometimes grudging respect. Perhaps motivated party by a determination to keep her son Charles' reign as short as possible, she shows no sign of moving on other than eventually "by natural causes". Most of the nation is grateful and even the anti-monarchists scan the horizon in vain for any constitutional alternative. President Blair? President Brown? Clegg? Cameron? Balls? Hmm. "Best stick with what we've got" is a common conclusion.
Once the Jubilee celebrations are over we are into the braying season. Royal Ascot starts off on 19th June, with tightened dress code this year. No brave new bare knees, never mind midriffs
world there. Wimbledon follows on 25th with lots of bonk, bonk and grunting on the courts and maybe even more off them, and to round off the June jollity there is Henley, boom time for Brakespeare's beers and Pimms.
Once June is past, the schools are out and the braying in particular moves out to Rock (16+ age group right through to 60+) and offshore to fashionable parts of France and Italy. The rest tend to go elsewhere , the socio/economic group heading for each place being closely aligned to the price of fizzy lager. Wives and children generally precede the males of the better off "hard working families". In August the rest of the population moves out of the workplace and this year more than ever people are encouraged not to clog up London during the Olympics by going to work.
For any visitors hoping to walk into the UK and see all the occupants of any offices they may wish to do business with, the very earliest date we recommend is Monday 3rd September but safer would be Monday 10th when the schools are going back. We in Britain really are determined to see off this economic crisis thing and will be going all out for it from then until at least the Half Term break in mid October.
