A Coloured Horse in the Royal Procession
The Royal Procession at Royal Ascot is always accompanied by police outriders. Some might be passing derogatory comments as one of these horses appeared to be coloured and some but only a few these days, look down on a skewbald or a piebald horse. But police forces in the UK, have had the odd coloured horse for some years now.
They’ve Now Occupied the Park
As I took the bus yesterday to Moorgate, I noticed a lot of tents in Shoreditch Park.
The Occupy Movement in Shoreditch Park
It would appear that the Occupy idiots have decided to ruin someone else’s environment. There’s a report here. Note the commenyts of locals in the report.
Later the bus passed their former site in Finsbury Square.
FInsbury Square After Occupy
So it’s probably been cleaned before they left, but this time last year, it was grass and flower beds.
A Sandwich Board in Islington
This guy was selling pensions in Islington yesterday.
I admire his methods, but I wouldn’t be sure about his products.
But saying that, trying to sell pensions to most people is very difficult.
Did You See That One Sepp?
I would suspect that Sepp Blatter may have seen the Ukrainian ghost goal last night for two reasons.
Firstly, even it had been scored, it wouldn’t have changed who went through to the next round.
But of course, he did see it, as it was against England, his bete-noir, who are always complaining about the suspender-loving Swiss idiot.
To be charitable to the England players and officials, they have not denied it was a goal. After all, we have a lot to gain from the Hawk Eye technology to check these problems. as it is developed by a company, based in Winchester. But after seeing Sepp’s judgements on this matter over the last few years, I suspect he’ll give his seal of approval to anybody but this company. Although it is rumoured that the company are working on a system especially for Sepp, that detects if women are wearing Stockings.
But what was the extra linesman doing on the goal-line? Answers on the back of a postage stamp please. He certainly wasn’t looking.
And Now It’s Super Obesity!
The BBC has two health stories today. One is about the fact that the NHS is in crisis and the other about super-obesity.
Are they by any chance related?
I recently had a visit to a hospital, where under pressure of clinic space, we had the consultation in a consulting room fitted out for the super obese.
It was extremely threatening. I was sitting in a chair, where three of me could have sat and the couch was like the bench, you’d get in a garage, where heavy trucks would be serviced.
I was surprised that the BBC didn’t put a warning before the obesity report, like they do for flash photography.
Jenny Hill has just said obesity will cost up £60billion a year in a few years. I hope that figure is wrong, as the total NHS budget for 2011-2012 is £120billion a year.
I’ve Found A Nice Cure For Adverts
I’ve got the ITV pictures on my television, but I’ve got the sound off and I’m listening to the commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live.
It doesn’t improve the football, but it does improve the broadcasting experience.
A lot of the adverts I’ve just watched now look totally ridiculous.
There’s one for Official Player Escorts, that could be insinuating things, we’d rather not know.
Silly Pill Packaging
These bisoprolol fumarate pills have the most infuriating packaging in that some of the bubbles don’t have a pill in them.
Silly Pill Packaging
But from the other side you wouldn’t know, which bubbles have pills in them.
My First Time on Stage
Surprisingly, a few weeks from my 65th birthday, I went on a theatrical stage for the first time last night.
On Stage at the Hackney Empire
It was a fundraising event for the Hackney Empire. The picture doesn’t really do justice to the interior of the theatre.
Will Harvey Smith Salute the Torch into York Racecourse?
It may seem a controversial choice, but Harvey Smith is carrying the torch on the final leg into York racecourse tonight.
So will he give the torch one of his special signature salutes?
Let’s hope he keeps both hands on the reins!
I once saw him give an equestrian demonstration with anecdotes of his life. If ever there was a larger-thsan-life Yorkshireman it’s Harvey.
Are You Watching Cyril?
Vague Shot is a horse I own and he goes by the nickname of Cyril. He is known for winning the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in 1987 under top weight in heavy going. He did have the advantage of carrying the best jockey, who ever rode for C or myself, Steve Cauthen. Sadly, we didn’t own the horse at that time and only acquired him later in the year.
A few years later he ran in the first race at Royal Ascot, the Queen Anne Stakes. He wasn’t expected to do well, but we did have a good day out.
I do remember that day, that he was saddled by Julie, Sir Henry Cecil‘s first wife. C commented her on her amazing jacket and Julie said that she’d got it for a few pounds in an Oxfam shop. C approved, especially as it was so good.
Incidentally, Vague Shot is now 29 and happily turned out in a field at the stud I still own and am trying to sell.
This year’s race incidentally was a procession, won by the best horse in the world, Frankel, who is trained by Sir Henry Cecil.
I used to think that Brigadier Gerard was the best horse, I’ve seen either in real life or on television. He now must be rated the best horse, I’ve only seen in black and white. I can still hear Peter O’Sullevan calling out “Here comes the Brigadier!” on the television commentary. Some years ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Joe Mercer, who rode Brigadier Gerard in his races, at a time when I think Xaar was being touted as the greatest. Joe still thought in his heart then that Brigadier was the best. If he still favours the Brigadier, it will be because of this incident.
The Sunday prior to the Brigadier’s third race of the season (at Royal Ascot) Mercer flew to France in a small plane with three others. Soon after take-off the plane crashed and luckily Mercer was thrown clear. He rushed back to the plane and pulled out the trainer Bill Marshall. He could not get the pilot out of the wreckage and gave up trying just before the plane went exploded. Unsurprisingly Mercer was shaken up and there was talk that he would not take the ride on the Brigadier on the first day of Royal Ascot. After taking a day off Mercer declared himself fit to ride on the Tuesday of Royal Ascot and he lined up on Brigadier Gerard for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. As it was the Brigadier gave one of his most stunning displays beating a field which included the future Irish Derby winner, Steel Pulse, effortlessly. Unlike other runs Mercer reported that the horse did not pull as much as usual. However Mercer felt unwell after the race and did not ride again at the meeting or for the next week.
Joe Mercer was reported at the time to have said something like, the horse did it all himself. There’s a video of it here on YouTube.
The Anonymous Widower 