Monday Moan 43

Keep up ……. or keep quiet

Watching the news the other day that instant irritant Margaret Hodge appeared on my screen.  Readers of previous editions will understand that comment (see Moans 6 and 27). My immediate thought was what on earth had her House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found worthy of an insightful and newsworthy report?

She didn’t disappoint me.  After months of deep investigation and consideration into last summer’s London Olympic Games, the PAC had decided that there was a bit of a problem with the security arrangements, and that ticket allocations had been flawed, with too many empty seats in the first few days in the areas set aside for officials and athletes .
 
None of this is news, of course.  So I’m not quite sure why the media decided it was important enough to interview Margaret Hodge yet again.
 

No doubt those who are responsible for such things in the Olympic movement in Lausanne and the organising committee for the next Games in Rio de Janiero are even now poring over the text of the report and the tapes of Margaret Hodge’s interviews in order to take heed of her advice.

  

 

Would you invite this man to dinner?

Amidst all the interest in the antics of Luis Suarez it is easy to forget that behind the headlines is a man shaped by his background, just like the rest of us. 

Little Luis comes from a poor Uruguayan family, one of seven children, and had to move to Europe in order to earn a crust.  His career has been blighted by allegations that he dives, acts, handles the ball, racially abuses other players and, on occasions, tries to eat them. He feels alone and that the world is against him.

 

Then he discovers that they have stopped the tradition of the half time orange that has been the main sustenance available to players during a game since the beginning of time.  Is it any wonder that he decides to snack on his opponents once in a while?

 

 

A gold star for Sainsbury’s

I have had occasion to complain in these Moans about the way Sainsbury’s have thrown away perfectly good food.  So, in the spirit of telling a good story when there is one, I am pleased to say that on a visit to the ‘offending’ branch at the weekend I witnessed them reducing the price of their cakes rather than throwing them away.  Good to see.

 

No stars for Marks & Spencer though

As one store rises in my estimation another descends.

 

In Marks & Spencer at the weekend I needed to use the toilet.  Standing there and minding my own business (required behaviour if you don’t want to be misunderstood) I heard the door open, someone stand there without coming in, and some rustling of paper.  Then the door closed.

 

Turning round I realised that the sheet of paper on which they record when they have ‘inspected’ the toilets had been on the wall just inside the door and that this must have been what I had heard rustling.  OK, I was grateful for the privacy I had been granted instead of someone coming in and giving the place a thorough inspection whilst it was being used, and I assumed that whoever was supposed to do the inspection was probably standing outside and waiting for me to leave.

 

But no, I soon realised that I had imagined a far greater sense of responsibility and tact on the part of Marks & Spencer than was actually true.  Looking at the inspection sheet as I went out I saw that even though it was only 15.30, the toilets had, apparently, been inspected and found to be clean at both 16.00 and 17.00 already! 

 

I was outraged and thought I’d take a photo of the sheet on my smartphone, with my wristwatch next to it to prove the deceit of the store. Fortunately, I soon decided that taking photographs in a public toilet was not a good idea after all, so you’ll just have to take my word for it!

  

Finally, a missing person appeal

Anybody seen Ed Miliband?  Missing without trace for too long now.