Pricey Jaguar, the Aston Martin double-decker, a Bourne ultimatum and the mobile treadmill

A week-ending round-up:
The billionaire Ratan Tata presumably has quite a bulging wallet. But does he also have very deep pockets in which to hide it?
The Government’s suggestion that the chairman of the Tata group should spend some of his own personal fortune to save Jaguar Land Rover, which he purchased for £1.7bn in June, seems pretty fair.
Indeed, it [...]

Pies and pasties, the return of Arctic Roll, a giant spud and other comfort food

A food related round-up of stuff that caught my eye and got my stomach rumbling:
Who said the politicos at the EU don’t know their peas from their quinoa?
Brussels has agreed to grant Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish pasties the same protection and status as Parma ham and Gorgonzola.
Following a 10-year campaign, the pork pie will get [...]

The death of pubs, reading to impress, biofuelled planes and secret dreams

A round-up of some things that I’ve read over the last couple of days with seemingly no real link but which I found interesting all the same:
On our summer road trip to the North-East, it was noticeable just how many traditional pubs were either boarded up, turned into restaurants or looking for new owners.
As we [...]

Ivor forever, Wales cares and East meets West

A round-up that includes my childhood, the land of my fathers and my adopted home:
Ivor the Engine and the Clangers shaped my early life.
The little steam engine from North Wales and the slightly surreal depiction of life in space were the two programmes guaranteed to get me inside and watching TV – back in the [...]

Do politicians only care about their own welfare?

The Queen’s Speech has come around again in another ceremonial fanfare of meaningless soundbites and worthless policies.
Cynical, me? Never.
We’re reliably informed that welfare and crime are at the heart of this year’s speech, which is understandable as politicians of almost all persuasions seem to regard most benefit claimants as criminals these days.
There I go again [...]

We will never unravel the mystery of Bonekickers

What am I talking about?
Of course we will unravel the broadcasting mystery that was Bonekickers, the BBC’s big budget flop.
The solution is as clear as the bad script, over-acting and waste of licence payers’ money.
Bonekickers was the worst programme on TV, so commissioning a second series was never going to be a serious option.

The really [...]