I’ve planned this visit for some time says Mr Bean as he makes a visit to Afghanistan to promise more equipment to British troops just one day after appearing at the Iraq Inquiry and being accused of being ‘disingenuous’ by two former army chiefs on the question of earlier requests for more and better equipment. Alternatives to disingenuous: artful, crooked, …
Due care and attention
It’s probably everyone’s dream to find a lost masterpiece in the attic, but it doesn’t always work out as expected. In 1993, a painting came to light during a house clearance and the owners took the canvas to Christie’s in London for a valuation. They were told that the painting was probably from the ‘school of Titian’ but unlikely to …
Possible dilemma
The controversial body scanners are now in widespread use in the USA and limited use in the UK, although implementation in the two countries is vastly different, but the latest developments could throw up an interesting dilemma for the UK authorities.
Extracting the Michael
The good news is that the MP’s expenses scandal in the UK seems to be spawning a new growth industry. The bad news is that it is going to cost the taxpayer a fortune and appears to be another case of jobs for the boys.
Quiche and tell
Cashiers at Tesco in Cannons Park, Coventry, refused to sell a slice of quiche to a 24 year old woman until she produced some sort if identification to prove that she was over 21 years old. What on earth do they put in quiche these days? Or was the crust so sharp it counted as an illegal weapon? But it’s …
After the snow
A week after trouble with snow in the UK, it’s now melting and, of course, floods are the new threat.
A week in Blighty
Arriving at Gatwick airport in the dead of night, one of the perils of using budget airlines, it was certainly cool but it didn’t seem overly cold. After waiting for over an hour staring at empty baggage conveyers – either the staff had gone home or there was a go-slow, never found out which – we were on our way …
Dressing for the occasion
The general trend in many places does appear to be that the amount of clothing worn by party-goers is in inverse proportion to the prevailing weather conditions.
P-p-p-pick it up
A UK penguin.