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www.celtic-connection.com
NOVEMBER 2012
A POSTCARD FROM LONDON
'London Mayor Boris Johnson is to fashion what Genghis Kahn was to fine artsJ
ONDON - With the euphoria of the Olympics and Paralympics a fading memory, life in London has returned to normal and the sports pages of the papers are full of the antics of the overpaid, over-hyped football stars.
After a month of sportsmanship, it is sad to see these so called superstars diving to the floor in the hope that the referee will award them a penalty.
Last Saturday, I accidently nudged the television on the way to the toilet, and two Chelsea players fell over.
The English Soccer team captain John Terry has resigned from International Football because he was found guilty of making racist remarks to a fellow English footballer, Rio Ferdinand, who is black.
This again being a stark contrast to the competitive fellowship witnessed in the Olympics.
Fifteen to 20 years ago, he would no doubt have been sorted out by Rio Ferdinand's mates and lawyers would have been hundreds of thousands of pounds worse off.
We, the British public, would then have been spared the hypocritical nonsense written about it.
Politics is back on the front pages. A few weeks ago, the Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell caused a stir by blowing his top, and shouting abuse at the policeman who was guarding the entrance to 10 Downing Street.
He would not allow Mitchell to wheel his bicycle through the gates on his way to make Britain great again. So apparently Mitchell called the policeman an -1........Pleb".
Had the chief whip been a yob drinking on a Saturday night, this language would have earned him a night in the chokey and a £50 fine, but as a member of parliament, no one would be surprised if he was promoted to Home Secretary.
Hie major political parties all have their conferences around this time of year. The Liberals kicked off the season, but their ratings are so low that nobody showed much interest.
Last week was the turn of the Labour Party and their illustrious leader Ed Miliband declared that his Labour Party was now the "One Nation Party."
I don't know what that means, and suspect neither does anybody voting Scottish Nationalist.
Mliband's main claim to fame so far, apart from stabbing his brother David Mliband in the back to become leader of the Labour party, is that he bears an uncanny resemblance to the plasticine film star "Wallace" from Wallace and Gromit.
If you are not familiar with these cartoon characters, they are wonderful. Gromit is a dog and a genius and his master is a simple minded inventor with a passion for a Yorkshire Cheese known asWensleydale.
By
ELFAN JONES
9
If there is anyone
out there with influence, it would be a kindness to tell dear old Paul McCartney to hang up his guitar, shut the piano lid, put on his slippers and gracefully retire.
Wallace gets into all sorts of scrapes, and Gromit invariably gets him out of
them. They are loved by children and adults alike, and if they started a political party would have a better chance of getting into power than Ed Mliband.
London mayor Boris Johnson, darling of the Conservative party, received a film star's welcome when he arrived at this week's Conservative conference.
His hair looks as if it is combed at least once a year, whether it needs it or not, and he is to fashion what Genghis Kahn was to fine arts.
He is generally popular because he is not afraid to make a fool of himself, but no one is fooled by his buffoonery because he is known to be a smart cookie.
If the papers are to be believed, he is a serious contender as a future prime minister.
In his first term as mayor he introduced "Boris's Bikes," a scheme where thousands of bicycles are parked all over London in "Docking Stations" and people can hire them for short journeys in and around the city.
During the Olympics 47,000 hires were made in a single day, and over a million people have registered to use them.
The breaking news concerns the departed Sir Jimmy Savile, an English disc jockey, television personality and eccentric, who was knighted by the Queen for his charity work.
The main benefactor was Stoke Mandeville Hospital where the Paralympics began.
Allegations are being made that he sexually assaulted dozens of women and the occasional man.
LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson is hugely popular and has a reputation as a man of the people. He is shown above travelling on the Tube.
makes it difficult for him to defend himself but no doubt all the lurid details will be appearing in the coming weeks.
Abu Hamza has finally been deported to the U.S.A. to stand trial on terrorist charges.
The radical Muslim cleric, known as the "Hate" cleric because of his extreme views, has been fighting extradition for eight years at a cost of several million to the British taxpayer.
Depending on one's point of view, it is good riddance, or a failure for Voltaire's maxim "I disapprove of what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it."
Egyptian born, Abu Hamza lost both hands and an eye in an explosion. He has hooks for hands, and his given name is Mustapha Kamel Mustapha.
His departure means that comedians in the U.K. have just lost one of their best sources of material.
On a happier note, this week saw the start of celebrating 50 years of the Beatles which means all the old tunes will be played on the radio and there will be documentaries on television.
there with influence, it would be a kindness to tell dear old Paul McCartney to hang up his guitar, shut the piano lid, put on his slippers and gracefully retire.
I was in the Mall (the road that runs from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square) for the Queen's Jubilee concert and saw his performance.
I then witnessed on television his effort at the opening ceromony of the Olympics, and it was like watching an old boxing champion taking on one too many fights.
Finally a Vladimir Umanets has been arrested and charged with criminal damage. He is alleged to have defaced a painting by Mark Rothko, which is worth millions of pounds, and is hanging in the London Tate Modem gallery. His defence is that he is a "Yellowist."
He declared, "I don't need to be famous. I don't want money, I don't want fame. I am not seeking attention. Maybe I would like to point people's attention to what it's all about. What is 1 Yellowism'? What is art?"
My opinion is: What is out of his tiny mind?
Jimmy Savile died a year ago which Thls 18 fme but lf there 18 any°ne out Best wishes, until next month.....
Derry/Londonderry: City of Culture 2013
ERRY - Northern Irish Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney will be among an array of international and local talent featured during Deny/Londonderry's year as the first UK City of Culture in 2013.
The Royal Ballet will visit Northern Ireland for the first time in more than 12 years and there will be a new commission by the London Symphony Orchestra, while an All-Ireland fleadh will be the largest festival of Irish culture anywhere in the world - part of a programme drawing from the best in British, Irish and international creativity.
A new play by American playwright Sam Shepard, the return of Brian Friel's celebrated Field Day theatre company to the city and the first presentation outside England of the Turner Prize for art are among other highlights.
Despite a peace process which has helped transform a city once blighted by violence, Deny has been targeted by dissident republicans for bombings
and shootings multiple times in recent years - including an incident where explosives were planted outside the company which is organizing next year's festivities - and security is expected to be tight.
Traditionally divided by the River Foy le between nationalists and unionists, it was dubbed one of the best cities in the world to visit next year by the Lonely Planet travel company.
Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Culture Company 2013, said, "We hope that Deny/Londonderry's City of Culture year brings a sense of joy, a sense of ambition, a sense of pride in our community, a sense of being part of a global community, and in the end a sense of achievement - that we all did this together and it meant something. A huge success for a small city."
Deny triumphed over stiff opposition to win the title for 2013 - the first time it has ever been awarded.
Hundreds of events are planned, covering genres of theatre, music, dance,
THE 2013 UK City Of Culture 2013 programme was delivered in Derry/Londonderry by speedboat on the River Foyle on the morning of October 25. It was handed over to local marathon runners dressed as Amelia Earhart and Colmcille who crossed the iconic Peace Bridge to be presented to the Mayor Councillor Kevin Campbell; Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP; Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Culture Company; and Martin Bradley, Chairman of the Culture Company.
visual arts, architecture and film.
The offical programme was delivered with great fanfare by speedboat, before a marathon runner then ran with it over the Peace Bridge spanning the river dividing the mainly nationalist west from the mainly unionist east, to deliver it to the mayor of Deny.
First Citizen Kevin Campbell said, "The City of Culture year will transform our city and region.
"The range of contemporary music, dance, theatre, arts and performance events will link our diverse communities in programmes of celebration."