Chapter 9
All alone with Anne’s Mother, not the Woman with the Lamp but certainly the one with the money, Les had known all along there would be a price to pay. But who cared? He was more than happy to throw honour out of the window and anything else that was surplus to requirements.
A Response
I must take issue with the assertions made under the above title in the November 2002 issue; they seem to be an oblique swipe at the Monarchy rather than any solid criticism of Prince Charles. Ron concedes that the Prince has the ‘same right as anyone else to air his views’, but objects to his writing about them to the Prime Minister. Ron suggests that ‘because his letters will be read’, Charles is ‘using his position to enter the political ring’. Now, if Charles is entitled to air his views, does it not follow that he is entitled to air them in a letter to the P.M. and, to expect that letter to be read? I personally do not regard myself as being strongly political, but one does not have to enter the political arena either to have, or to air genuine concerns about developments which one considers to be detrimental. Over the past few years I have had concerns which have prompted me to write both to my MP and to government ministers. My letters have been read and I have bad replies; I am quite happy for Prince Charles to have those same privileges.
Ron Watts
Isn’t it nice for a change to have a government minister say something with which you agree. What was it that Kim Howells said of the Turner Prize offerings? “….British art is lost…..(it is) cold, mechanical, conceptual bullshit………particularly pathetic and symptomatic of a lack of conviction.” Hooray! Well said Kim. (You can tell he’s the Minister for Culture)
Trivia
Something a little bit different this month as the “Pump” seems to like trivia amongst its pages. As retired “old folks” we seem to spend lots of our time doing crosswords and puzzles and one of our most used and well-worn possessions is a 1966 Collins New Gem dictionary.
Christmas is worth celebrating
Christmas is a busy time and not just for me. It can also be a tense time, with bills mounting up, presents to buy and send, meals to cook or eat, places to go and people to see. With all this business it is so easy to miss the joy of Christmas. So many adults say to me that Christmas is only special if there are children around. It is true that children’s excitement adds a very special feel to Christmas. But Christmas is not just for the children. Christmas is for all of us. Christmas is a time for all of us to celebrate because at Christmas we are remembering the time when God became a human being and became part of this world of ours.