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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 28 January 2013

The World Turned Upside-Down

About fifty years ago a pop-singer and guitarist, Joe Brown, enjoyed a minor success with a song that went (as I remember) something like this:

"Father's down the dog-track,
Mother's playing bingo,
Grandpa's swearing at the telly,
You should hear the lingo;
No-one seems to notice me,
Isn't it a sin?
What a crazy world we're living in."

Well Joe, I think it's a lot crazier now - this view prompted by the coverage on the BBC of the attempted robbery of a Ladbroke's betting shop by a fifty-year old habitual criminal who at the time of the attempt was wearing a gas-mask of second world war vintage and brandishing a pistol.  The would-be robber was tackled by some very brave customers and whilst under restraint, died.

In its earlier reports the BBC referred to a "tragedy"!!!  What tragedy please?  The death in flagrante so to speak, of a would-be armed robber is NOT a tragedy - it is never a tragedy.  Meanwhile in the article, the BBC informs us that the robber's family have said that there will be "no revenge" over the death; nice of them.

Bloody cheek.

The Late Alan Levers - Robber
Picture: BBC
It just remains for me to add the observation that it would have been a "tragedy" had the above person turned up not wearing his gas-mask...

Until the next time

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I went to see a Joe Brown concert a year or so ago.. an absolute delight...using a wide range of classic guitars. "why do I bring so many instruments on stage,...
Well you paid for them so it only seems fair". Lovely man, great show.

cheers

Anonymous Autonamous

Paul said...

I saw him in 1970 - at the Roundhouse - a rock 'n' roll gig that featured Bert Weedon (!)

Joe was very good - and so was Marty Wilde on the same bill.