Facebook Involved in Divorces
It had to happen, that what you write on Facebook, would start to drop you in the mire over your marriage. One of the reasons, I blog rather than use Facebook seriously, as I have total control over what goes up. Also if someone uses bad spelling or grammar, I can remove the worst of the horrors. C also did some of her training in libel chambers, so I know enough to hopefully make sure, I stay the right side of that line. I also choose my targets with care.
This article in the Telegraph explains the problem of divorce and Facebook.
One lawyer is quoted as saying.
Many of divorces came after partners found “flirty messages” on the Facebook wall of their partner – and also “inappropriate suggestive chats” which spouses can see.
Note that I’ve corrected the punctuation in this extract. Times must be bad when you can’t rely on the Tory Party at Gossip.
As a widow, some would be surprised at some of the messages, I’ve exchanged with other widows. Flirting and the odd suggestion are very much part of life and help everybody to keep a balance in the darkest of times.
So that adds another layer of complexity to the problem and puts more icing on the legal bill.
The Wife Market
When I say that there used to be a wife-market in Smithfield, I’m generally not believed. But here’s the proof.
Smithfield Market
If you look at the enlarged picture you’ll see the details of the wife-market.
An Appropriate Day for the Royal Wedding?
It would appear that the date of the Royal Wedding is the same as Save The Frogs Day.
The Kitsch is Here
BBC Breakfast has a piece from the Royal Crown Derby works showing some of the kitsch that is being produced for the wedding next year.
One piece actualy had an entwined W and C on it. She should have stuck to Kate, rather than Catherine.
The only thing to be said for it, is that it gives employment to people and creates a bit of money for the company.
A Royal Wedding! Is that what we need?
I only met Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana, once and that was in Buckingham Palace at a reception for Queen’s Award winners in 1991. I should have met Mrs. Thatcher that day, but one of her ministers had died so she had more important things to do than meeting me!
Some things stand out from that party. Obviously, the setting was magnificent and the service was up to the highest standards. But afterwards as you thought about it, nothing that was served was extravagant, and anybody could make a party run as smoothly, by just being good and watching the small details. The drink flowed well and a couple of souls, were a bit merry as they left.
But what really stood out was the treatment of Diana by the guests. To say she was hounded would not be out of hand. But then she was going to marry Prince Charles in the summer and everybody wanted to talk to her. We didn’t, but we had quite a very long conversation with the Duke of Kent.
Diana really wasn’t up to coping with this type of do and it was good to see that Katherine Middleton is a much stronger personality, who can probably hold her own in the sort of receptions and dinners, that she will be expected to attend.
Also too, she’s marrying one of her generation and peer group from University, so they’ve probably done a lot of the things that might be difficult in future. Diana didn’t have that luxury. But marrying someone you’d met at university certainly helped give us nearly forty years of reasonably happy marriage.
So here’s hoping for them!
But I won’t be watching or listening!
I did notice that they’re using Diana’s ring for an engagement ring. Let’s hope that this theme passes through the plans for the wedding. Make it a happy and fun affair, but do make it in keeping with today’s austerity.
That way it might help to lift the gloom and bring in lots of tourists, who’ll spent money. It wll be a good test for the Olympics in 2012.
The Familiar Skirt
As I sat in Carluccio’s in Spitalfields tonight, I realised that the lady on the next table, was wearing a skirt, that was very similar to one that C had sometimes worn in the last couple of years of her life.
I didn’t get emotional, but quietly wished to myself, that the lady didn’t sufer a similar fate to C. Last Thursday would have been C’s sixty-second birthday and next Tuesday would have been our forty-second wedding anniversary.
I could put a cliche in here but I won’t! Add one yourself!
One for the Lawyers
My late wife, who was a barrister, always used to put a legal slant on events in the news. She would have commented strongly on the case of the couple, Nigel Payne and Justine Laycock, who won £56million on the Euromillions lottery at the weekend.
They look happy now, but they aren’t married and the check was paid to white van man, Nigel. My wife would have known, what rights Justine has to the money, but I suspect if he decided to trade her in for a new younger and more sporty model, that she wouldn’t be entitled to half of the money. What she did get would be a nice little earner for the lawyers.
I know she would be saying to Justine, that she should be using all of her feminine wiles to get Nigel to the altar.
Wedding Boom at Gretna Green
According to the BBC, the number of weddings today in Gretna Green is more than double the normal level today.
There are rumours that many are members of the emergency services.
Michael and Rochelle
Michael Shields, who was jailed for an attack in Bulgaria has now been released by the Home Secretary using his prerogative. The conviction was always dubious, especially when it involved such a horrendous offence. You just feel that in such cases, everyone should make their best efforts to get the right conviction. I don’t think they did here and preferred the anyone would do to discourage the others. I have not seen the evidence, but because that eminent organisation, Fair Trials International, have been supporting Mr. Shields, the conclusion is most likely just.
Rochelle Adams is a 19 year-old Canadian, who made the mistake of falling in love and getting married to Adam from Wales. In fact, she was just a few months younger than my late wife was when we got married in 1968, We succeeded and were married for 39 years until her untimely death.
A few years ago, Rochelle would have been allowed to stay in the United Kingdom, as is fit and proper for anybody setting out in that noble joining between two people. But because we must protect people against forced marriages, she can’t, and so Adam and Rochelle must start their married life for eighteen months five thousand kilometres apart until she is 21. She should then be able to get a spousal visa. Or one would hope so, but if Prudence’s disreputable bunch are still in power, you could imagine a different result.
Now the Home Secretary has the power under the Forced Marriages Act to allow Rochelle to stay. As the BBC says.
He had the discretion to let Mrs Wallis remain with her husband at their home near Aberystwyth but refused to do so because many other innocent victims may also be caught out by the same rule.
But he remains stubborn and is hiding behind the bureaucratic mess that has been created in the last few years. We need to protect against forced marriages, but there are better ways of doing it. After all one forced marriage case involved a thirty-year-old or so doctor! Did their Act help?
Perhaps though you can see his reasoning. Allow one exception and he’d have to allow many more because of a very badly drafted piece of legislation. And let’s face it Prudence and his cronies have been responsible for a lot of that!
Or could I just be cynical and say there are more Labour votes on Merseyside than in the Aberystwyth area?
Forty-One Years Ago
The seventh of September in 1968 was the day we got married. It was perhaps the one sunny Saturday in a summer of rain. Last year, I wanted to do something different to get away from the day. The reason was for the last few years the seventh was a day where we ate a great meal at somewhere like The River Cafe and then went on holiday for ten days or so. So in the end, I went to the Grand Prix at Spa.
At least it cured me of ever wanting to go to a Grand Prix again!
I had planned to go somewhere for a good meal for myself, but in the end I just cooked myself a rabbit casserole. However, this time using chicken instead. I had worried that the Waitrose rabbit was packed in flour, but I have since checked and they were just pure unadulterated bunny! They were just rock hard in the freezer.
All those years ago, we had got married in Christ Church, Cockfosters. I remember little of the day and we don’t even have any photographs, as the album got lost when my mother-in-law died. There is just one photo on the side.
In some ways that is sad, but then we had a very happy forty years together. There were ups and downs, but we did have a lot more ups and downs.
The Anonymous Widower 