It’s these little gems which make it all worthwhile … ‘Thank you for making this call enjoyable.’. That was Chris in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I thought I was just phoning Elephant regarding my car insurance renewal but, surprise, surprise, I had called Canada! We had a lovely chat about the weather, the upcoming winter, my envy of his being in such a beautiful part of the world, his 5- year-old’s school – and restrictions. They are wearing masks over there, he says, but cases are few and far between in his neck of the woods. Anyway, he was lovely and I got £150 off my car insurance to boot! It just takes that one phone call but how many people can be bothered to make it?
There’s little humour in the world of late but Donald Trump can be relied upon to tell it how it is! He doesn’t like Meghan Markle – join the crowd – and has made little effort to conceal his feelings but, yesterday, he felt justified in taking a swipe. The sight of Meghan and Harry sitting there in the grounds of their £11million+ mansion encouraging the people – in so many words – to vote for Biden tipped him over the edge, prompting him to verbalise what so many are thinking: ‘I wish a lot of luck to Harry because he’s going to need it!’. Few can dispute that. There Harry was, placed on the bench beside Meghan like some kind of dummy. Ever seen a duck out of water? He looks so out of place and awkward while Meghan is all but standing on him, in her stilettos, to look over the wall at her future! Apparently, putting feelers out for a British guy of note – in 2016 – she was introduced to Harry and jackpot! Tick. Soon royalty, she realised, too late, that she was expected to be a team player and, moreover, she would never be leader of that team. What now? Harry is clearly devoted to her and has thrown all his eggs into one basket. Desperate to be a father, though, the arrival of Archie only sealed Meghan’s power over him for all time. Hence, she threw her toys out of the pram, aspiring to an Oscar-worthy performance as the innocent victim, and left Harry no choice but to give up everything – for her. Supposedly, driven to leave by the media – and craving a life of privacy to promote humanity – they have ended up a stone’s throw from LA in a luxury mansion with a spa, tennis court, swimming pool, gym, cinema and 16 bathrooms! Oh, did I mention that it just happens to be in the same neighbourhood as Oprah and Ellen? Seriously? Harry? Does £11million mean a guest house for the therapist and a runway for the private jet? Silly me! Just borrow Oprah’s. Looks better for the carbon footprint …
It is all so sad. While Meghan aims for the White House, cold-calling US voters and taking every opportunity to become politically active, Harry has yet to receive his job description. Effectively abdicating that he was born into, he finds himself plonked in La La land in a world of celebs, ego and Botox estranged from his brother and a world away from the grandparents he adores; the grandparents for whom time is not on their side. Perhaps, however, the greatest – and most painful – loss, for Harry, is that of his grandfather’s respect. Prince Philip is 99; the navy is in his DNA, the military all-important. He sacrificed his career for the Queen and, like her, devoted his life to duty. His grandson turned his back on everything he deems of value; the grandson of whom he was, once, so proud. Harry can never change that, now, and he must live the rest of his life with that regret. Luck is irrelevant.
Harry won’t be home for Christmas. Unbelievably, it seems university students may not be, either! Once again, how utterly ridiculous! As thousands of students are imprisoned in their rooms attending online lectures, pubs are forbidden, parties are forbidden and life is, effectively, cancelled. Think of all the freshers, many away from home for the first time, deprived of the opportunity to make friends, who may be miserable and lonely only to be told that they may not, even, be allowed to go home for Christmas! Well, we all just have to comply for the greater good … No! It is up to the individual, to each family to decide what is important. Confined for three months, existing rather than leading a normal student life, I would not, then, have my son or daughter miss Christmas at home – just in case – purely because the Government has failed to master efficient testing. Shambolic, as ever, with the now characteristic, ludicrous stabs at increased control. Cancel life. What’s left? Cancel Christmas!
Meanwhile, the message ringing in our ears is that we must stick together; work together; mourn life as we know it, together. Why? Nicola thinks this is her show; the gift which keeps on giving and she is determined to do nothing together with Boris. She waits for him to be wheeled out – never thought Boris would end up being a mouthpiece – and then adjusts her latest commandments accordingly. Banned from crossing the threshold of anyone else’s house in Scotland, the exceptions are extended families, couples not co-habiting and childcare. Makes no sense but the brainwashing continues, effectively numbing those programmed to receive, together. She has students locked up, suitably isolated from their families, together! Forgive me but have I missed something? In this world of ‘woke’, it would seem that ‘together’ has procured new meaning. Perchance the traditional connotation has been perceived to offend? The sensitivities of the woke – sorry, weak – must surely be addressed regardless of mere trivialities such as history or majority? Hereafter, therefore – for the purpose of Ms Sturgeon, alone – the definition of ‘together’ shall read ‘divide and conquer’.
Oh, well … Time to go home. For those of a certain age, that is not time to get into the basket but rather time to sign off and pour a large gin! I’ll finish on cars. I hate flash cars! Middle-aged, balding men in their sports cars … Give me an old, classic any day, requiring of no ego boost. Then, there’s the soft-top Bentley which followed me up to the lights, yesterday. Roof down, admittedly, the old guy was still sporting a full head of white hair and the female in the passenger seat, too, was grey rather than peroxide blonde. Image everything. The desire to be noticed … and noticed he was, picking his nose! Whoever said one can’t buy class?
‘The modern world belongs to the half-educated, a rather difficult class because they do not realise how little they know.’
William R. Inge
I think we could have been friends!
This is Trish, signing off.
