Dawn

Dawn

Thursday, March 28, 2013

A few random and unconnected observations, born of a trip from Liverpool to London:-
  • The person on the train who used to be called 'The Guard' is now called 'The Train Manager'. Title creep in action.
  • The Quiet Coach on the train really seems to work; no one one makes a phone call. Or at least not until you're within 5 minutes of Euston station.
  • If you don't have an Oyster Card (whatever that is), it'll cost you four pounds fifty (say 5 euros) to go one stop on the London underground(metro).
  • Beer costs the same per pint - 4.50.
  • Almost no one who serves you in London is British. The barmaid (Bar Manager?) of the pub we went to midday today was French. And extremely pleasant. I was a tad uncomfortable when John told her that, because of this, she couldn't be French. But she has learned to laugh at customer's funnies.
  • Australian wines have names like Spitting Spider, Scaredy Cat and, would you believe?, Innocent Bystander.
  • Spanish wines appear to be priced at twice their euro price back home, converted 1:1 into pounds. So 10 euros becomes 20 pounds.
  • Contrary to expectation, it's as cold here in the South as it was in the North West.
You'll have heard that the bones of the British king Richard III ('Richard of York') were found a short while ago underneath a Leicester car-park. And you may have heard that a decision has been taken that he'll be re-interred in Leicester cathedral, rather than in York cathedral. But you may not have heard that the Richard III Society – which includes 11 folk said to be descendants of the king – has gone to court to get this decision changed in York's favour. Their claim is that the decision is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically of the injunction that family life should be respected. Quite surreal, really. I wouldn't have thought that Richard can have had any sort of life left in him after 500 years under the sod. But I'll be fascinated to see the lawyers' arguments.

Cyprus and the EU: Our Ambrose has some characteristically trenchant views on recent developments. For a start:- The punishment regime imposed on Cyprus is a trick against everybody involved in this squalid saga, against the Cypriot people and the German people, against savers and creditors. All are being deceived. And:- The willingness of the Cypriot authorities last week to seize money from anybody in any bank in Cyprus – even healthy banks – was an act of state madness. We will find out over time whether this epic blunder has destroyed confidence in the country as a financial centre, or whether parts of the financial and legal services sector can rebound. And:- The Cyprus debacle has taught us yet again that EMU has gone off the rails, is a danger to stability, and should be dismantled before it destroys Europe’s post-War order. Click here for more.

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