You know when you see an advert on telly and it gets you sobbing? No? Well it happened to me. Fresh from the success of their wonderfully uplifting Christmas advert , John Lewis did it again.
This went straight over the head of my other half who pointed and laughed at my hormonal blubings, but apparently in the world of the female, it wasn’t just me.
And for perhaps the first time in my life I’m going to link to the Mail, who wrote an article on the uplifting and moving advert which has had Britain ‘sobbing into their breakfast bowls’.
As the ad follows a girl in a red dress as she grows older through the years (yes, I know Рabsolute clich̩ rolled in clich̩) but in typical John Lewis understated style. Modern yet traditional, independent yet family orientated.
She’s Always a Woman To Me by Fyfe Dangerfield lulls you through each developing moment in this woman’s life and, bravo, Mr Lewis, it got me right in the goolies.
Friday 30 April 2010
Not enough meat
Having slept on last night's Leaders' Debate (not literally) I just don't think it cut the mustard. After the spectacle of the first debate - the first in British history, we were so blown away that these men could stand, speak and make jokes all on their own, we thought it was marvellous. The second debate brought with it the very challenge of having to watch such an event happen on Sky - Sky for God's sake!
But last night? Last night we wanted something a little different - we wanted a little meat. Leaders repeated party lines which although are important, need not repeating 5 times in one evening. We are not stupid, thank you Mr Leader. We heard you the first time, 3 weeks ago.
Brown thinks Lib Dems and Conservatives are going to cut child tax credits. They are. They are they are they are. And you can't take £6bn out of the economy when it's already on its knees. Did you hear that everyone? £6bn. That’s 6 times £1 bn. 12 times £.5bn. £6 bloody billion.
Clegg is going to be fair. That's fair everyone. Fairness. He wants to be fair. Did you get that?
And Cameron? Well he can't believe the Reds are going to increase NI. Can't believe it.
Labour's economic recovery plans are being pushed as the main string to their bow. That Cameron's a threat to the economy and Clegg is a threat to security. But Brown fails repeatedly to pin point exactly what they're going to do apart from put NI up.
Cameron fails repeatedly to tell us where he's going to make savings being that he's still protecting millionaires and their inheritance tax.
Clegg just plays the peace-maker between the two, without really giving us much more substance.
As Publishing Director, Robert Hardie pointed out to me this morning, the winner of the night was surely Dimbleby himself…
But last night? Last night we wanted something a little different - we wanted a little meat. Leaders repeated party lines which although are important, need not repeating 5 times in one evening. We are not stupid, thank you Mr Leader. We heard you the first time, 3 weeks ago.
Brown thinks Lib Dems and Conservatives are going to cut child tax credits. They are. They are they are they are. And you can't take £6bn out of the economy when it's already on its knees. Did you hear that everyone? £6bn. That’s 6 times £1 bn. 12 times £.5bn. £6 bloody billion.
Clegg is going to be fair. That's fair everyone. Fairness. He wants to be fair. Did you get that?
And Cameron? Well he can't believe the Reds are going to increase NI. Can't believe it.
Labour's economic recovery plans are being pushed as the main string to their bow. That Cameron's a threat to the economy and Clegg is a threat to security. But Brown fails repeatedly to pin point exactly what they're going to do apart from put NI up.
Cameron fails repeatedly to tell us where he's going to make savings being that he's still protecting millionaires and their inheritance tax.
Clegg just plays the peace-maker between the two, without really giving us much more substance.
As Publishing Director, Robert Hardie pointed out to me this morning, the winner of the night was surely Dimbleby himself…
Thursday 29 April 2010
Getting even, Mr Churchill
I’ve got to say, I don’t know a great deal about Winston Churchill. But I know I don’t think about Nick Griffin whenever I do think about him. In fairness I try quite hard to not think about Nick Griffin if at all possible.
So it was with some surprise that I find the two nestled together on my local constituency BNP candidate flier.
Also of surprise were the words ‘We’re not second class citizens!’ (the exclamation mark scares me). To whom? How do they know who I am? Should I presume they mean ‘we’ are ‘British born’? Or ‘white’? And should I presume if there’s an ‘us’ there’s a ‘them’? Non British born? Non white? With BNP struggling against a racist image, this candidate flier seems deliberately vague on the details.
Even more chilling is the final statement ‘GET EVEN – vote British National Party’. Get even? Let us try to forget the fact we’re still not entirely clear on whom we’re supposed to be getting even on, how is voting BNP going to ‘get even’? And how do the BNP intend on 'getting even’ on our behalf?
The whole leaflet left me feeling a little chilled and even more grateful that I don’t swing in circles dark enough to know anyone who votes to ‘get even’.
Crumbs. A long way to go, Mr Griffin, a long way to go...
Hear the St Austell and Newquay constituency candidate debate on podcast here.
So it was with some surprise that I find the two nestled together on my local constituency BNP candidate flier.
Also of surprise were the words ‘We’re not second class citizens!’ (the exclamation mark scares me). To whom? How do they know who I am? Should I presume they mean ‘we’ are ‘British born’? Or ‘white’? And should I presume if there’s an ‘us’ there’s a ‘them’? Non British born? Non white? With BNP struggling against a racist image, this candidate flier seems deliberately vague on the details.
Even more chilling is the final statement ‘GET EVEN – vote British National Party’. Get even? Let us try to forget the fact we’re still not entirely clear on whom we’re supposed to be getting even on, how is voting BNP going to ‘get even’? And how do the BNP intend on 'getting even’ on our behalf?
The whole leaflet left me feeling a little chilled and even more grateful that I don’t swing in circles dark enough to know anyone who votes to ‘get even’.
Crumbs. A long way to go, Mr Griffin, a long way to go...
Hear the St Austell and Newquay constituency candidate debate on podcast here.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Whose idea was that?
As yes, poor Gordon. We've all done it. Met someone we don't particularly bond with. Be perfectly pleasant and socially graced to their face. Then sit in the back of our chauffeur driven car (*ok, not all of us) and had a little rant about how much we hated them.
But old Gord had his mic still on.
"...should never have put me with that woman - whose idea was that? Just ridiculous... she's just a bigoted woman - says she used to be Labour..."
In his apology he tries to put it in context for us. The woman asked about immigration. Brown says he didn't have reasonable time or quiet to give her a considered response because of the milieu around them. "I blame myself for what is done. You've got to remember that this was me being helpful to the broadcasters with my microphone on, rushing into the car because I had to get to another appointment. They have chosen to play my private conversation with the person who was in the car with me. I know these things can happen. I apologise profusely to the woman concerned."
I've got to say, I think it's a tiny bit sly of Sky. Would they have released the same audio had it been their bestest buddy Dave of the Cam?
We weren't there. Perhaps the woman in question was bigoted and we'd've said just the same. But perhaps she wasn't and she didn't deserve a slamming by a PM whose party has been held responsible for putting the issue of immigration back on the political agenda (there - spoken like a true Cameron).
But has it ruined Brown's chances of retaining the crown?
But old Gord had his mic still on.
"...should never have put me with that woman - whose idea was that? Just ridiculous... she's just a bigoted woman - says she used to be Labour..."
In his apology he tries to put it in context for us. The woman asked about immigration. Brown says he didn't have reasonable time or quiet to give her a considered response because of the milieu around them. "I blame myself for what is done. You've got to remember that this was me being helpful to the broadcasters with my microphone on, rushing into the car because I had to get to another appointment. They have chosen to play my private conversation with the person who was in the car with me. I know these things can happen. I apologise profusely to the woman concerned."
I've got to say, I think it's a tiny bit sly of Sky. Would they have released the same audio had it been their bestest buddy Dave of the Cam?
We weren't there. Perhaps the woman in question was bigoted and we'd've said just the same. But perhaps she wasn't and she didn't deserve a slamming by a PM whose party has been held responsible for putting the issue of immigration back on the political agenda (there - spoken like a true Cameron).
But has it ruined Brown's chances of retaining the crown?
Thursday 22 April 2010
All's fair in love and war
Or is it?
Sir Dave of the Cam visited us today. And by us I mean the royal ‘us’, here in Cornwall.
Visiting a local college in Saltash the Blue leader got a bit of a rude awakening when he was hit in the shoulder by a flying egg. Not just a random flying egg, you understand, but an egg thrown by one of our own – the future generation – the educated future generation – a student.
We all know that sometimes youngsters find it difficult to express themselves. We know they’re not just dealing with the big issues of the day like ‘should we pull our troops out of Afghanistan?’ or ‘how should we best pull the country out of economic meltdown?’ but with adding testosterone and growth hormones to the mix they’re dealing with ‘why doesn’t anybody like me?’ and ‘why can’t I get a girlfriend?’
We can perhaps, then, forgive a young man for not fighting with his brain, his wit, his worldly knowledge, but I think it is a sorry state of affairs when the egging season has become one to be expected in the run up to an election.
And shells off to Cam, he handled it like a grownup and laughed the whole thing off.
Until he got home where he probably slashed millions off the proposed education budgets. “That’ll teach em…”
Sir Dave of the Cam visited us today. And by us I mean the royal ‘us’, here in Cornwall.
Visiting a local college in Saltash the Blue leader got a bit of a rude awakening when he was hit in the shoulder by a flying egg. Not just a random flying egg, you understand, but an egg thrown by one of our own – the future generation – the educated future generation – a student.
We all know that sometimes youngsters find it difficult to express themselves. We know they’re not just dealing with the big issues of the day like ‘should we pull our troops out of Afghanistan?’ or ‘how should we best pull the country out of economic meltdown?’ but with adding testosterone and growth hormones to the mix they’re dealing with ‘why doesn’t anybody like me?’ and ‘why can’t I get a girlfriend?’
We can perhaps, then, forgive a young man for not fighting with his brain, his wit, his worldly knowledge, but I think it is a sorry state of affairs when the egging season has become one to be expected in the run up to an election.
And shells off to Cam, he handled it like a grownup and laughed the whole thing off.
Until he got home where he probably slashed millions off the proposed education budgets. “That’ll teach em…”
Friday 16 April 2010
Leader's Debate The de-brief
“You can’t airbrush your policies as you do you posters”. I wonder who came up with that one. Perhaps is was Gordon himself as he cracked into his soft boiled egg and soldiers the day before. Perhaps he ran it by someone: “Hey, Sarah, check this one out…” guffaw, guffaw.
The Leaders' Debate saw a lighter side to Mr Brown. And a tighter side to Mr Cameron as he twisted and writhed his way through questions most thought he’s sail through. But the winner of the night? The other guy, what’s his name again? Our new hero, Mr Clegg. My other half came in halfway through the debate – “who’s that guy?” he asked. No, he hasn’t got the most memorable of faces. But how he stood up to Brown and Cameron was one of the most glorious moments in modern British politics that I can remember.
“Mr Clegg will agree with me on this…” gloated Brown to Cameron. To which the Yellow’s Leader retorted “the more they attack each other, the more they sound the same” - POW. “We will stop putting money into the development of unnecessary trident missiles” – BIFF. Then he proposed a 10% tax on all bank profits – WHAM. Game, set and match.
Brown’s trump card remained the economic recovery – which he promised us lies entirely in implementing a job’s tax. Cameron claimed this is the very tax which will bring the economy back to its knees. Brown wants ID cards, ‘personal promises’ for NHS delivery and an elected and much reduced House of Lords (a few intakes of breaths from ze’ upper classes).
Cameron stuck to the Tory thirst for world domination, believing we need to continue funding trident missile development (in case we need it, you know, “in case of China”) but lots of money for the NHS. At the expense of other services perhaps. But if you ‘work hard’ and save £8k on retirement, you won’t have to pay for care in your old age. He didn't mention what happens if you’ve ‘worked hard’ bringing up children, ‘worked hard’ for charity or ‘worked hard’ and simply not been able to save up such a nest egg due to soaring taxes…
While Clegg chillaxed on the back of his heels with his hands thrust deep into his pockets, Brown smirked and gurned and Cameron fidgeted and looked uncomfortable. For a man with nothing to loose, Clegg stuck himself outside and beyond the Reds and Blues; better education (although my mother the Educational Psychologist claims smaller classes and one-on-one tuition only works for specific age groups – she’s vowed to write to him to let him know), more transparent policing, a peace-friendly foreign policy and above all ‘fairness’.
Thanks Nick. We think you did marvellously. As did the St Ives and Isles of Scilly constituency who were voting in their droves for their Blue man prior to last night but this morning nudged the Yellows into the lead. It’s going to be a terrific race to the finish, but one thing’s clear – a Lib Dem vote’s no longer a ‘wasted vote’.
The Leaders' Debate saw a lighter side to Mr Brown. And a tighter side to Mr Cameron as he twisted and writhed his way through questions most thought he’s sail through. But the winner of the night? The other guy, what’s his name again? Our new hero, Mr Clegg. My other half came in halfway through the debate – “who’s that guy?” he asked. No, he hasn’t got the most memorable of faces. But how he stood up to Brown and Cameron was one of the most glorious moments in modern British politics that I can remember.
“Mr Clegg will agree with me on this…” gloated Brown to Cameron. To which the Yellow’s Leader retorted “the more they attack each other, the more they sound the same” - POW. “We will stop putting money into the development of unnecessary trident missiles” – BIFF. Then he proposed a 10% tax on all bank profits – WHAM. Game, set and match.
Brown’s trump card remained the economic recovery – which he promised us lies entirely in implementing a job’s tax. Cameron claimed this is the very tax which will bring the economy back to its knees. Brown wants ID cards, ‘personal promises’ for NHS delivery and an elected and much reduced House of Lords (a few intakes of breaths from ze’ upper classes).
Cameron stuck to the Tory thirst for world domination, believing we need to continue funding trident missile development (in case we need it, you know, “in case of China”) but lots of money for the NHS. At the expense of other services perhaps. But if you ‘work hard’ and save £8k on retirement, you won’t have to pay for care in your old age. He didn't mention what happens if you’ve ‘worked hard’ bringing up children, ‘worked hard’ for charity or ‘worked hard’ and simply not been able to save up such a nest egg due to soaring taxes…
While Clegg chillaxed on the back of his heels with his hands thrust deep into his pockets, Brown smirked and gurned and Cameron fidgeted and looked uncomfortable. For a man with nothing to loose, Clegg stuck himself outside and beyond the Reds and Blues; better education (although my mother the Educational Psychologist claims smaller classes and one-on-one tuition only works for specific age groups – she’s vowed to write to him to let him know), more transparent policing, a peace-friendly foreign policy and above all ‘fairness’.
Thanks Nick. We think you did marvellously. As did the St Ives and Isles of Scilly constituency who were voting in their droves for their Blue man prior to last night but this morning nudged the Yellows into the lead. It’s going to be a terrific race to the finish, but one thing’s clear – a Lib Dem vote’s no longer a ‘wasted vote’.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Friday 9 April 2010
A lesson to Tweeting Candidates
It's always a shame to fall at the first hurdle. I'm feeling a bit sorry for 24 year old Labour candidate for Moray, Stuart MacLennan today. Did I say candidate? I meant ex-candidate.
The poor lad obviously wasn't told that when you tweet, well, the whole world can see what you're saying.
That includes your boss, Stu. you know, the Prime Minister?
Stuart reportedly referred to the youngserly-challenged as 'coffin dodgers', the financially challenged as 'chavs', swore (a lot) and reportedly complained when his train had no first class to offer him. Good Lord, old boy - no first class? Whatever did you do? Tuck into some scones and a Pimms to remind the rest of the world you were in cattle-class by accident?
I can't prove any of this, of course, because the poor lad had to close his account, in vain it appears, as this afternoon the Labour party dropped him quicker than Cameron's going to drop the ban on fox hunting (still remembering one of the best Sun headines ever when protestors stormed the Commons - it read 'For Fox Sake').
I just can't help but wonder if ole' Stu was batting for the wrong team. I mean, a first-class loving, elderly and lower class hating Labour candidate? Whatever next? A black BNP member?
The poor lad obviously wasn't told that when you tweet, well, the whole world can see what you're saying.
That includes your boss, Stu. you know, the Prime Minister?
Stuart reportedly referred to the youngserly-challenged as 'coffin dodgers', the financially challenged as 'chavs', swore (a lot) and reportedly complained when his train had no first class to offer him. Good Lord, old boy - no first class? Whatever did you do? Tuck into some scones and a Pimms to remind the rest of the world you were in cattle-class by accident?
I can't prove any of this, of course, because the poor lad had to close his account, in vain it appears, as this afternoon the Labour party dropped him quicker than Cameron's going to drop the ban on fox hunting (still remembering one of the best Sun headines ever when protestors stormed the Commons - it read 'For Fox Sake').
I just can't help but wonder if ole' Stu was batting for the wrong team. I mean, a first-class loving, elderly and lower class hating Labour candidate? Whatever next? A black BNP member?
How Wood you vote
Once upon a time there was a girl from Kent (and lives in Cornwall) who would have voted nothing but Labour. Then there was a war.
Now she wants to vote for the right party for her county and her country - not just for the party she was socialised to vote for.
Her quest might bring her right back to the beginning - settling for a vote for Brown. But could an honest, no-holds barred dive into the 2010 elections bring her closer to the Tories than she ever thought possible?
Exploring the major parties and the lesser known ones, this is Jo's Blog, asking 'how would you vote?'
Now she wants to vote for the right party for her county and her country - not just for the party she was socialised to vote for.
Her quest might bring her right back to the beginning - settling for a vote for Brown. But could an honest, no-holds barred dive into the 2010 elections bring her closer to the Tories than she ever thought possible?
Exploring the major parties and the lesser known ones, this is Jo's Blog, asking 'how would you vote?'
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