Page 14 w The Top
A View From
Welcome to my monthly column “A view from the top”. Hopefully you will find my rambling readable maybe even enjoyable. You may agree or you may disagree with my views, I care not. These are my views long held and forged over a life time of work, travel and experience. Now that’s over let’s have a look at what is really winding me up.
As it is Christmas time I thought I would continue my Christmas theme in terms of “My wonders at Christmas”. My wonders are the things that both fascinate and annoy me… Here goes.
1. I had to wonder at the news that as “Barclays bank” announced the closure of branches all over Britain… on the very same day the government announced that the UK’s first sperm bank was open for business. Brings a whole new meaning to the term “Making a deposit”.
2. I wondered as the Royal Air Force scrambled two supersonic fighter jets, that in turn broke the sound barrier over Kent, in a bid to force a Latvian cargo plane to land at Stansted airport. It turned out the twin prop cargo plane was carrying “car spare parts”. Do they still make Lada cars?
3. I wonder that why after years of corruption within the Banking industry… the crash… the liebor scandal… PPI… fixing money changing rates… etc, etc a banker still has not found his or her way to prison. Try fiddling a benefit and see how long you get in pokey.
4. The wonder of standing with my eldest son to buy a train ticket at East Croydon station… to save time, me in one queue him in another… two ticket machines… same journey… same time… same destination. Yes, you have guessed it! Two different prices quoted… Who, if anyone, runs British train services.
5. I really do wonder to what level the celebrity chefs of Britain will descend. Nothing within the animal chain appears above their determination to fry... bake... boil or roast it. I mean… baked squirrel with red wine jous… jous it used to be called gravy and came in a little cube. What next… starter of deep fried primate toe nail clippings followed by rocking horse pie and starfish mash… all cooked by a Michelin star chef? He has moved on from making tyres.
11. Watching the MOBO awards programme (music awards) I was left dumfounded by the answer the celebrity Amy Childs gave to a reporter’s question…the reporter asked “what do you think about Ebola?” without a clue but quick as a flash she replied “after tonight they will be massive”. My wonder here is how do these people get themselves dressed in the morning?
12. My last wonder on my 12 wonders of Christmas is one of the absolute joy that I get from watching the human race as it progresses along the path of day to day survival. I do in fact believe in the inherent goodness of people, yes some people are off key and struggle to be called human, but for the most part life is a joy. It is not without unhappiness and fears, it is not without sorrow and misfortune…but just to be alive and be able to appreciate the wonder that is the universe is a gift from God.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all.
QF Focus Magazine
6. My sporting wonder is why oh why after many years as the World’s most outstanding darts player Phil Taylor is not Sir Phil Taylor… just look at the array of ponces that get the honour and ask yourself why he has not been recognised. Perhaps they could give him one of the gongs that are being taken off corrupt politicians and child molesters… just to even up the whole shoddy business.
7. Another sporting wonder is the wonder of how FIFA have got away with it for so long despite seemingly the whole planet knowing about dodgy dealings and the like being carried out under their auspices. Can anything be proved… of course not when FIFA investigate themselves and bury the findings under the guise of legal practice. Reminds me of the way the British police investigate themselves… and the politicians… and the bankers… oh and the newspaper industry. I will stop while the keyboard is in one piece.
8. I wonder if David Cameron will ever answer a question posed to him at Prime Ministers questions every Wednesday in the house of frivolities. It’s democracy in a complete shambles, the very worst way to portray Britain and its institutions.
9. My biggest wonder is also my biggest fear in that “what will my family’s status be” if the UK leaves the European Union. I have followed the lunacy that is the UKIP policy on the EU especially the ramshackle statements on immigration, which are stated and corrected almost before the pronouncement ink is dry. If you live in Europe beware the madness that is UKIP.
10. My science wonder is the marvel that was the oh so fleeting Rosetta space mission. To land a small pile of tin foil and plastic wing panels on a moving object that is 300 or so million miles away and to get it to transmit information is/was nothing short of a miracle. Apparently man’s information on the universe was doubled by this little pile of nuts and bolts hanging on for dear life onto the side of an icy comet… Man’s wonder knows no boundaries.
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