615: Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette

(Written whilst in the throes of insomnia).

The picture above is of Princess Caroline of Monaco, which I found on a blog called The LooseLeaf Report, which I discovered whilst researching Iris Tree for a recent piece about Dora Carrington.

During a recent edition of  The Moral Maze on BBC Radio 4 which concerned itself with the ever-increasing government interference in our lives, I was disappointed to hear former government minister Michael Portillo remark "If you smoke I get lung cancer from your second-hand smoke."

Bollocks of course, and I am very disappointed to discover that Portillo, whom I generally consider to be a reasonable man,  has joined, or belongs to, the ranks of the health fascists and national nannies.

And interestingly during the course of the programme we were told that smoking is really only practised by the lower 20% or so of society; the "underclass."

That statement is obviously as fatuous as Portillo's.  I suppose I must accept that the example of Princess Caroline will be cited by my innumerable opponents as an exception, but I 'd be willing to bet a substantial sum that there are plenty more in the upper echelons, and perhaps even in the aristocracy (God bless 'em).

Words fail me.

Proper Cigarettes - sadly no longer available; Thank you Brussels (UGH)

Until the next time.