Why this Blog?

A place where I can lament the changing times; for eccentric comments on current affairs and for unfashionable views, expressed I hope, in cogent style; also occasional cris de coeur largely concerned, I regret to say, with myself.



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Monday 8 November 2010

What does it all cost?

Inspired by a piece on Frogsmoke, I have collected a small selection of videos of "motorcades". The French, always lovers of uniforms and pomp appear to have broken all records in the case of the visit of the President of China. As I have commented on the YouTube site, I would have cheerfully picked him up myself in my 1989 Renault 5, which is totally reliable. I doubt anyone would have noticed - Paris is full of Chinese anyway! And who the hell wants to ride in a Vel Satis?? Ugh.

Chinese President



Here's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid of I understand, the UAE, making a noise in Berlin:



The poster says "amazing '46-vehicle convoy"; I think it's scandalous. Some of these big shots make me ill.

And again from Paris, here's President Medvedev of Russia; I cannot see if the cars have diamond-studded door-handles, but I wouldn't be at all surprised.




Finally a little touch of restraint and class with H.M. The Queen's visit to Williamsburg: dignified and probably very secure:



ça suffit!

Until the next time

2 comments:

banned said...

My small city was once disrupted for a morning as a cavlcade of blacked out armoured Range Rovers with police motorcycle outriders roared around the place. I thought it must be someone important like Prince Phillip but it turned out to be that oaf Prescott, while Deputy PM, on a private visit to the local Labour party.

Paul said...

"That oaf Prescott"

Quite so.

Whilst I have frequently found Jeremy Clarkson to be profoundly annoying, I roared at the Top Gear episode where for £250 they created a sort of low-budget James Bond car that destroyed speed cameras and fired paint (I think) at a cardboard cut-out of Prescott.