Guess Who is Coming to Dinner

Hi Everyone

One hundred and twenty three years ago in 1900, Britain had the largest empire in the history of the world controlling the lives of 500,000,000 million people. When you consider that, at that time, the population of the world was much smaller than it is now, you begin to realise what a staggering number of people that was. If you think that all this was a very long time ago, my dad, you know the junior partner, was one year old in 1900 so for me that is just one generation ago. The problem we have 123 years later is that some delusional characters, many of whom control our lives still think that we have a right to be a world power. I have never been a placard waving protester, although in many cases I applaud those who are but perhaps what we should be doing is demanding that we take a step back and aspire to be the small country that we are rapidly becoming. Perhaps then we could begin to repair what many believe to be broken Britain. Boris promised to "make Britain great again". If you look at some of the dubious history that built our Empire, do we want or need to be great again?

Over the years I am sure that all of us have considered which famous person you would like to invite to your dinner party. For most of us, there were many lovely people we would loved to have invited especially if, for me, they played a musical instrument. Like many things, however, during our lifetime the pendulum seems to have swung to the point where it is much easier to find people that we would definitely not want anywhere near our dinner table. I have to accept however that this week's media "bad boy" Russell Brand would be welcome at someone's table but certainly not mine.

This week we went to a funeral, sadly not unusual for those of us approaching middle age. We had known the lovely lady for 35 years. She had a very short illness and passed away peacefully, something that I am sure we would all settle for when our time comes. What made the occasion different was that it brought together many friends and acquaintances some we had seen just last week but many that we hadn't seen for months or even years. I am sure that she would have been very pleased to know that it had brought so many of us together in friendship and shared memories.

Just a thought :

What is the only time a man thinks about a candlelight dinner party? When the power goes off.

My friend who drowned had his funeral the other day. We put a life jackey on his coffin.

It's what he would have wanted.

Brian