Back again after a great trip to Iceland, The Faroes and Orkneys.  What can be better than twelve nights with a bunch of pensioners of every shape, size and opinion?  Almost anything, I hear younger people voice, but what do they know?  We’ve been involved in discussions about politics, sport, the environment and every medical condition known to man.  In a couple of cases we only had symptoms to guide us and the suggestions about what they indicated would have filled several issues the British Medical Journal.  The ideas voiced will make for an interesting discussion with the appropriate doctor on their return from the cruise.

    One highlight for me was a visit to the Italian Church near Scapa Flow. Built inside Nissan huts, it is testimony to the Italian POW’s who did the work and will remain in memory of them. The Churchill Barriers also act as a reminder of the German submarine that penetrated the anchorage early in The Second World War.  It’s not often we see Jez looking reflective but an 18 year old relative of his went down with the Royal Oak.  Long may we remember them, and all the others who paid the ultimate price, regardless of which side they fought for. 

    None of us are mad keen soccer fans and England’s ignominious early exit from the World Cup caused a minimum of pain.  More interesting in some respects was listening to the pundits holding forth on England’s performances.  In business we used to call that sort of pointless discussion, ‘paralysis by analysis’.  Perhaps they miss the basic point that we just aren’t good enough.  Our players are good, but world class is a whole different level.  Never mind, the players will continue to pick up their £5mill or thereabouts back in The Premiership next season and that should help to ease any pain they felt.  Perhaps the failure to even reach the knockout stage should lead to a halving of their salaries, the other half being used to develop soccer skill centres for children up to the age of twelve.  I’m sure the players concerned would be happy to contribute the money in order to produce genuine world class contenders.  Did anyone see that squadron of pigs in the flypast as the players deplaned?

    The ‘knicker’ police have been busier than ever at Wimbledon, white the only acceptable colour.  We can only hope they’re checking gusset thickness as well since even ladies perspire.  A failure to check absorbent quality may result in spectators thinking Brazilians have taken over the competition!  Ben loves tennis and watched a couple of games in the pub while we were away.  With lady players grunting like mares on heat and white undies flashing in the sunlight, the effect on Ben was said to be hypnotic.  Pam described the look on his face as acute longing overlaid by the pain of realistic expectation.  She has a lovely turn of phrase does our landlady.   

    David Cameron has found himself outmanoeuvred by the European Union yet again.  Never having a proper job can be a real handicap when entering negotiations; it seems that the concept of leverage is beyond his understanding. Waving an In-Out referendum that is dependent on the Conservatives winning the next election carries little weight unless the odds of winning are strongly in Cameron’s favour.  With a built in advantage to Labour it can be no surprise that bookmakers have Ed Miliband as slight favourite, and I tend to believe the odds-makers rather more than the polls. 

    Angela Merkel was the key to the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker.  She remains the key to most aspects of the EU right now, and once her support was lost, so was the battle. Now the deed is done, Angela is trying to apply a plaster to Cameron’s wounds, not directly you understand.  Wolfgang Schauble, Germany’s finance minister now says that the UK is indispensable to the EU and almost in stereo, Dr Michael Fuchs, a leading member of Angela’s Christian Democrats chimed in to say “he couldn’t imagine an EU without Britain.”  When Mrs Merkel has had enough of politics, she could make a fortune as a ventriloquist.  At least she let her mouthpieces use their own voices.

    We hear interesting news from the scientific world about a camera that can see round corners.  We can only hope they take a while to reach the consumer market.  Jez continues to take his version of selfies with his phone and prior to that he owned a camera that refused to centre any object that he photographed.  People always appeared at the edge of his prints, generally missing a portion of head or feet.  The mind boggles at the thought of him shooting blind round corners, though Paddy thinks it might improve his pictures.