The Royal Wedding 2011

It is indeed good to see a Royal wedding where the main participants are so poised and focused on their aim, it was, on the reverse side of the coin, particularly galling to see the crusty old grandmother scowling for much of the service, as if she had been sucking on a lemon. Now why should this be? There did seem the occasional smile but this seemed to be after the result of some dental surgery to correct the grimace that she had had fixed on her face throughout the whole panoply of the service.
      Mind you I am not here to discuss the aftermath of such facial expressions but to wish the young couple well and to hope that this will be a turn away from the old school of stiff and starchy behaviour that has so often permeated the lives of the older royals which is hardly a good example of current day authenticity. You see, like many older people there is a magnetic attraction to live in the past, it is after all what is familiar to them and has a sort of warm comforting feel about it. The issues that I feel need to be addressed are the insidious and somewhat disturbing levels of hypocrisy that the Crown have been accused of regarding throne succession. Back in the 1930's when Edward VIII decided to relinquish the throne for the woman he loved causing utter consternation to constitutional experts, it seemed to act as a tenet to any future divorcees being treated the same way. He was honourable in choosing the decision that he made realising that he could not rule without Wallis Simpson by his side however the same does not seem to apply in these times of modernity. The current incumbent of the " Prince of Wales " title seems to go against the grain as he has indeed married a divorcee, as he himself is, and still seems to be the next natural successor to the Crown. Now we have no way of knowing whether he will be bypassed or whether his accession to the throne will be rubber stamped on the demise of the current monarch. One thing seems clear, that Elizabeth Regina Mark 2 is in no mood to cede power over to her eldest son and it may be by the time Charles is ready to succeed her he will be getting quite elderly. It might then be deemed more appropriate for the power shift to veer towards the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but that's for the future. The central point in all my rantings is that the open hypocrisy of the Crown is quite palpable and it does make some of us realise how dysfunctional they still are, and what a long way they have to go in order to attract the warmth and support of the British public again. A wedding is not really going to rectify their problems, just paper over the cracks of a long standing and dwindling dynasty that was once great but now.........? well that sentence must be completed by those of you reading this diatribe. William and Catherine are young and will have their own opinions as they get older and more experienced when doing the job but their rise to eventual power should be tempered with a sense of duty but also caution. Three of the Queen's current children are already divorced, this should be a lasting reflection of what is a very tenuous hold that they have on their desire for privacy and happiness, but I wish them both well in the circumstances.

Family additions

My life was somewhat turfed upside down last year when my wife arrived on these shores in tandem with her furry, hairy canine friends who had joined her in the immigration to be with me in this country of wealth and opulence. Now don't call me insensitive but at the outset I was rather disturbed at having to share my creature comforts with three small canines, as my previous experience with these vulpine typed animals had been with much larger breeds. I had no idea how they would take to me, or more's the point, how I would cope with them. Well if first experiences were anything to go by I would have thought that I had been dealt a triple whammy by earth's creator as three very small and noisy dogs emerged from the animal reception centre at Heathrow to launch themselves upon my wife and then unceremoniously licked me uncontrollably in the reception centre lounge. Not exactly the most auspicious beginning and I dread to think what would have happened if we were on our way to a Royal garden party with me displaying distinct elements of dog slobber all over my face. Ah from such ignominious beginnings are love affairs borne. I had already mentioned that my experience of small dogs was limited and my perception of them was pesky and somewhat difficult to handle but as the days wore on in a very languid way, my burgeoning affection for these pesky little creatures took on new heights. There was the two boys, same breed but different characters, and the small chipin, with the dainty legs and the porcelain styled body and the stubby tail that just melted a person's heart.The two boys bounded out of the reception centre in a playful mood until they reached the car where they proceeded to have a distinctly unsavoury disagreement which ended in a maelstrom of snarling and biting, and for what reason. It seemed that one of them took a dislike to the other wanting to travel in the front seat instead of him and so their Jekyll and Hyde personalities emerged at that point. One minute they were " mummy's little darlings " and the next, they were the devils incarnate sent to their " father " for correction but I was still reeling from the shock of their arrival and in no fit state to correct any misdemeanour at this time. Things did eventually improve  and we all became close buddies amidst all the fur flying and disgruntled egos that we had to put up with daily. The point of all this, is that at the time, I wasn't sure about their presence or what I had done, allowing them to come here too, but you know now I wouldn't be without any of them especially my wife who I can honestly say is one of the most caring, sweet and good neighbourly people I could ever hope to meet. These dogs are surely a gift from God and they have  taught me a great deal even if they are naughty to the n-th extreme and my love for them has deepened over the time they have been here. They provide us both with happiness, entertainment and humour which enriches and strengthens our lives and relationship. Dogs are such great social stabilisers and they instinctively know when to play up and when to act in a sympathetic way towards you. They are such great socialisers and are able to change a person's mood at the drop of a hat. If you ever get the urge for a challenge in life then give a dog a home. It will make you a better person and make you more aware of your own shortcomings which you can iron out. They never discriminate against anyone or anything and their love for you as a human being is unconditional and without reproach, they can be truly man's best friend if only man would behave appropriately too. We can learn from animals in so many ways so ensure that we take advantage of this in the future to enhance not only our lives but the lives of the followers ie the animals who love us and in some cases would lay their life on the line for us, truly the act of a noble and courageous spirit. I salute them all and give them the highest commendation.