12th of November 2012 - Contrast In Governors

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX
Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/

12th of November 2012

Dear Sir/Madam,

CONTRAST IN GOVERNORS

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Sir Rex Hunt who, as Governor, Commander-in-Chief and Vice Admiral of the Falkland Islands during the 1982 invasion, proudly wore his gubernatorial uniform on the dark day that he surrendered to the Argentinians.

Contrast this dignified regard for tradition with the disgraceful action of Lord Patten as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Hong Kong when it was handed over to the Chinese in 1997 in refusing to wear the proper uniform so that, when the sun set on this last part of Empire, he was dressed in a dowdy black suit and looked more like spiv or man of business rather than representative of Queen and Country.  A bus conductor or nurse would not have been permitted such impertinence! And this man was allowed to become Chair of the BBC Trust?

John Eoin Douglas

8th of November 2012 - Tale Of Two Cities

7 Spey Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 4PX
Telephone: 0131-550 0895
E-mail: JohnEDouglas@gmail.com
Blog: http://johneoindouglas.blogspot.com/

8th of November 2012

Dear Sir/Madam,

TALE OF TWO CITIES

From a Dutch tourist, I recently learned that Amsterdam is having similar problems to Edinburgh's trams with the extension to their Metro sytem suffering from delays due to unforseen construction problems and resultant cost over-runs.

Would it not be useful for the two Capital cities to "twin" in some way thus allowing senior local government officers and elected representatives to make exchange visits to compare notes on how these problems can best be solved?

John Eoin Douglas