View From The Window

Last weekend I took a break and headed south to the capital, I stayed with No.1 son and No.2 also came for some manly bonding, to round things off my brother would also be joining us on the Saturday. I travel First Class on the train despite my wife's protestations that I am wasting money, I don't care, it is comfortable, clean and you get a snack and a drink served up, very civilised.

I met Stewart off the train and we stopped for a quick pint before heading to Graham's, he wasn't impressed by the pub and even less impressed when I told him that most of the pubs we would be visiting the next day would be more or less the same. We started off early the next day and hit the first pub, one of London's oldest 'The George' where we struggled to get to the bar, this would be par for the course over the next eight or so hours. We drank in establishments frequented by Pepys and Shakespeare while making our way eventually to Soho and the West End. Do you, like me, think that bar staff should at least smile while they are robbing you? At one point I had had enough zero beer and simply couldn't drink any more, I asked for a single rum and coke in a small glass with two pieces of ice, not the usual large tumbler filled with the polar ice cap then brimming with coke, lemonade or tonic or whatever until it was pointless putting alcohol in it. She forgot the coke and I reminded her, only to be snapped at in an Eastern European accent while she then poured my drink into a large glass and headed for the ice bucket, 'Ho' shouted I, put the small amount of coke in the small glass like I asked! The worst during the evening was the last round of the night which I got, a dishevelled, dirty, unsmiling oik took £30 from me for two gins, one tonic, a pint and a tomato juice, I didn't even get offered Lea and Perrins which was on the bar, I don't think he even looked at me during the whole transaction.

Can anyone explain why a men only night out on the town warranted a discussion on the floor of the Commons and comments from the Prime Minister. I listened in disbelief to the bile coming from women MP's, especially Yvette Cooper who nearly had a seizure as she urged all sorts of condemnation upon mankind. Now, ever since this man hating madness began with Harv I don't believe one man has actually been arrested for anything, and even if one or two have the careers and reputations of many more have been ruined on what is usually hearsay or plain laughable, he touched my hand, he asked me to twirl, his hand brushed my bum etc. And what about the language, appalled, horrified, shocked, really? What about the countless Hen nights in cities up and down the country where drunk, scantily clad women hurl abuse and sexist comments while hanging out the windows of pink cadillacs, I once saw a bunch at an airport downing pints at six in the morning with slogans on their T-shirts which made me blush, and I was in the Navy. I used to worry that homosexuality would be compulsory, but now I fear that I am going to be castrated in the near future. What next.

No.1 son went to his bank to deposit some money, the machine didn't work so he took it to the counter, the teller did not have a money counter which worked so he had to take his money back home. No, I don't get it either.

I see that the Labour Party women only short lists which were brought in to 'balance' the disparity in the parliamentary party are being attacked by male social activists because transgenders are not allowed on a women only list. You couldn't make it up.

...3,000, Labour, 564,000, Liberal .....

So, Transport for London wiped a notice about the battle of Rorke's Drift from a daily history board because one or two people complained about being offended, they had worked themselves up into a lather and decided the notice celebrated colonialism, and here was me thinking it may have celebrated some extremely brave men. I hasten to add that extending the British Empire was probably the last thing on their minds on that day in January, 1879. Now I also have no doubt TFL's action in wiping the board offended far more people than did the innocent notice, so how do they choose which 'victims' to listen to, it would seem the less of you there are the more clout you have.

And just as you thought it couldn't get worse, I was trolling through YouTube for the last few minutes last night before closing and came across, wait for it, a piece on 'Racist and Foreign' trees. I watched spellbound as several people seriously proposed getting rid of trees in California which were racist and foreign to American, including one which was described as plain nasty!

It really isn't a laughing matter.