A New Year Curate's Egg

Overheard I:

Chairman: "Did you know that only one Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with gold oak leaves, swords, and diamonds was ever awarded? The chap was a flyer."

Hay: "English, was he?"

Overheard II - The Chairman and Hay are approaching 4 male teenagers in the street at about 10:30am:

Chairman: "Why are they awake and, more importantly, if they are awake why aren't they in their bedrooms gaming?"

Hay: "Perhaps they've been radicalised."

Overheard III - in the butcher's:

Chairman: "Are humans white or red meat?"

Hay: "White, but in your case, roadkill."

Butcher: "I'd call them 'the special stuff'."

Went to bed at 21:30, was woken by fireworks at midnight and felt rather ill shortly after that. Rest of the night was peaceful and woke at 06:00, rather later than usual. Don't think I've managed to reach midnight on New Year's Eve for the last 5 years - at least.

The 'hoverboard' is banned in the UK in public spaces. I'm sometimes at a loss to understand what constitutes a public space. Perhaps shared space would be a more appropriate definition. That said, what will be banned next - wheels?

Harking back to the honours system - not sure I'm in favour of awarding people gongs simply for being top golfers, tennis players or suchlike. The awards are couched in terms of 'services to' whatever, but in most cases it's a bit like awarding a gong to a lottery winner. Services to something should be defined as furthering it, whatever it is, rather than merely participating in it and getting paid lots of money. The latter is nothing more than the reward for participation - or as we experts call it, doing your job. As for a K for Barbara Windsor, she isn't even an actress - she's a character. The only thing she's ever contributed to acting is the phrase; "Get aaht o' mah pub!". About time the system was overhauled or scrapped.

Regarding yesterday's comment about inappropriate pop songs at the end of films - heard it again after the TV film about Paul Potts. Potts sang bloody opera, and then the end credits had some vacuous pop song over the top of them..