Queen gets 2000 pints of lager
Laugh of the day was when twelve barrels of lager containing 2000 pints of the amber fluid were mistakenly delivered to the Queen yesterday. They should have gone to a pub called the Windsor Castle.
Royal staff were baffled when the delivery turned up at the real Windsor Castle. Staff could find no record of the order.
Blushes were saved when a Royal protection officer twigged the problem and phoned the drinking establishment five miles away in Maidenhead.
Pub boss Misko Coric confirmed he was waiting for the beer to lubricate fans about to watch the England v. Croatia soccer match on the big screen TV. The supplies were more than three hours late and he was getting jumpy the pub would run out of beer.
The Landlord said, “[In the past} we have taken delivery of Windsor Castle headed notepaper and letters for Prince Charles — but this is the first time they had anything destined for us.”
A Royal spokesman said, “It was very funny. But there’s no way the Queen sits down in the evening with a pint.”
Where were William and Harry when they were needed?
I wonder, is it possible to get a pint with your meal at a State dinner if you aren’t a wine or champagne drinker?
By Dan on September 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I believe you can, but only a half in a special glass that doesn’t draw attention to itself.
By John on September 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
No keg that you can strap to your head with a tube running to your mouth? I suppose that’s no good for the toast.
By Dan on September 11th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I imagine something along those lines has been tried by persistent old soaks, but I guess the footmen are adept at spotting them and cutting their lifeline.
By John on September 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
According to Canada.com, Harry is back with his regiment training in Alberta. He was spotted in a pub, so he’s doing his bit.
He allegedly chatted up a fellow pub-crawler about his brother being “in love.” No news there.
This may take you there:
http://tinyurl.com/5fex8n
By Dan on September 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I seem to remember seeing the wine steward at Windsor Castle telling the staff to serve Prince Philip beer during the French State Visit in November, 2004 in the “A Year in the Life of Windsor Castle” video series. I also remember that the Princess Royal was to be given orange juice, her favorite. No wonder she is always so healthy and alert. My vitamin C would have required a bit of vodka to get through a State Visit.
By alsgal on September 11th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Oh Harry’s training in Canada, wasn’t his last training trip to Canada in 2007? This piece seems to imply it was “last June,” but I seem to remember it being the previous June.
Sounds like this visit will get better headlines.
By Evelyn on September 11th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Very amusing story. But assuming that a large portion of her subjects enjoy their pint, the Royal Spokesman could have been a little more diplomatic in his denial that the Queen is a beer drinker.
By Ursula on September 11th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
The Los Angeles Times has a somewhat silly opinion piece comparing John McCain and Sarah Palin to Prince Charles and Diana.
A bit of fluff for the end of the week!
http://tinyurl.com/3wnzz3
By Dan on September 12th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
That’s a good assessment of Diana, Dan. It accords with Tina Brown’s book and other observers’.
As for Sarah Palin, I think it was a masterstroke by McCain. She makes Obama and Biden seem like old statues.
By John on September 13th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Well John, she’s being picked out now, not only for lies but for staggering ignorance.
Since you British are typically first to follow America into its international blunders, often with tragic results, you ought to hope America does better in picking its next presidential team.
I’ll take old statues with brains before young “hockey moms” without (remember, she doesn’t believe in climate change or evolution) any day.
By Dan on September 13th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Dan, I heard her say she thinks climate change is a natural process — as do I — and that man’s contribution is not known but probably smaller than the fanatics believe. That’s a measured view by any standards.
As for Intelligent Design being mutually exclusive vis a vis evolution, it’s simply not true. Evolution could be the outer mechanism whereby ID works.
Nothing to frighten the horses there.
By John on September 13th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
V ery well said, John, I agree with you! The ABC interview was very nasty and much more incisive than any media has been with the Dems, but that is normal here, unfortunately, since we have a media that is largely controlled by the liberals and the DNC. I admire Sarah Palin, admire how she stood up to the corrupt Republican bully boys who were running Alaska and and the Big Oil execs who used Alaska as their own private playground and fiefdom. Palin and McCain have the strength and the courage we need to solve the problems America faces.
By Gigi on September 13th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
hi GIGi. I had to evacuate to Dallas. How about you?
By dally on September 13th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Gigi, your view of Sarah Palin’s “accomplishments” proves just the opposite: the Conservative Propaganda Machine is up and running.
The fact that Ms. Palin couldn’t answer the questions doesn’t make the questions “nasty.” I think candidates for the most important offices in the land should be able to answer tough questions.
But I am probably in the minority on this. Recent history demonstrates that Americans don’t like intelligent people. Our primary criteria for President is whether we would be willing to sit next to them in church. God help us.
We Americans get what we deserve. It’s just a pity that so many innocent people around the world have to pay such a high price for America’s failures.
By Dan on September 14th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Incidently, John, Ms. Palin’s current views on climate change do not match her past statements. When she talks about “change,” she’s talking about changing her statements in order to get elected.
I’m sure you don’t have that problem in Britain!
By Dan on September 14th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I have thought further about my comment about the conflict between Americans and “intelligent people” and would like to modify it, substituting the word. It is knowledgeable people that Americans have a problem with. I don’t question Ms. Palin’s intelligence, however I may debate her on matters of ideology and policy. (”Abstinence-only” sex education clearly didn’t do her pregnant 17-year-old daughter any good.)
But Americans don’t like to have serious debates about issues. Rather, Americans want a president who “talks like me, and sounds like me, and shares my problems and understands where I’m coming from.”
We used to be the country where every American could grow up to be President. Now we’re the country where every American might as well BE President. Knowledge and ability be damned.
By Dan on September 14th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
The Americans have more to worry about then ideology and safe sex as the GDP for next year has been revised from 2.8 % down to a projected 1.5 percent for next year. In contrast, China’s GDP has been revised from 9.55 % this year down to 9.35. Big whoop.
In addition, the financial markets continue to take a hit as one American bank after another falls. It’s Sunday night 9.30 est and word off the wires is Merrill Lynch has agreed to be purchased by BofA for $ 29. per share.
Lehmann is preparing their bankruptcy filing as we speak.
Won’t be a pretty day tomorrow for anyone on Wall Street.
By alsgal on September 15th, 2008 at 1:39 am
That’s Lehman with one n btw — financial news always makes my fingers excited.
By alsgal on September 15th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Dan, in Britain we have one of the most intelligent and well-read Prime Ministers we have ever had. Before becoming PM he spent 10 years as Chancellor of the Exchequer — the equivalent of Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, in the States.
Whereas Paulson was an investment banker before holding office, Gordon Brown was a policy wonk, straight out of Wonk School.
My point, is that despite his formidable intelligence, Brown has wasted up to $3 trillion of our money (according to a recent academic assessment) and run the economy into the ground. He takes 45 percent of our national income to run parasitic state services — which are hopeless — and he recently believed he had solved all our economic ills for all time.
So “intelligent people” are not always the answer to our prayers. Hands on experience in the real world is the more valuable characteristic. Sarah Palin’s comment that Barack Obama’s only work experience outside academia was as a “community organizer,” which is as meaningless as it gets, was a perfectly aimed point and has stung the Democrat’s team.
Obama’s undoubted intelligence and reading will just not cut it in power. I see too much of Gordon Brown in him.
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Dan, in terms of “climate change” many people have changed their minds in recent months because of new information coming in and the increasing paranoia of the fanatics.
As the debate has refined itself, and more data become available, there are now many more sceptics in the world.
We’ve had 11 years of left-wing government here in Britain and the country is on its knees, not just because of the credit crunch but because the very fabric of society has been broken due to social engineering by people who have no understanding of simple psychology. Palin talks the language of hard experience learned in hard environments, not the fantasy constructions of policy wonks.
You’ve no idea how well that plays over here compared to the arid ideas of our rulers.
Read Camille Paglia in yesterday’s UK Sunday Times. She used to be a shaven-headed militant feminist (I remember despising her) but now she supports Sarah Palin and talks real sense.
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Now, time to put up some more Royal news!!!!
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 9:02 am
We’re waiting, John, if you’ve got some.
By Dan on September 15th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
John, will you be writing a piece on the latest news? I see that Prince William will be transferring to the RAF and joining search and rescue, flying Sea King helicopters. He’ll begin with 18 months of training in January, followed by 30 months of service. So is this a 4-year commitment, or are the 18 months training part of the 30 months commitment?
It doesn’t sound like there will be a wedding next summer.
By Evelyn on September 15th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Hey, alsgal, if there’s a bright side, it’s that Merrill sold at $29 a share, a 70% premium over it’s Friday stock price of $17.05. At least it didn’t go for pennies on the dollar, like Bear Stearns did.
(Of course, last year, Merrill was trading above $98 a share. Welcome to the real estate market!)
By Dan on September 15th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Evelyn, I’m in the middle of writing a piece on William’s new assignment. That came out of the blue, although you did hint at this a few month’s ago. Most of us thought it would be a short-term thing.
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Dan, hard to take in what’s going on Wall Street way. When Alan Greenspan says it’s the worst since the Great Depression, you wonder what’s going to hit us next: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs?
I’m having to write a piece on this for our Moneyizor site, but the data keeps on coming in. Where to begin …
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Thanks, John. I’ll await your new piece before commenting further on this development.
By Evelyn on September 15th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Goldman is the gold standard of Wall Street. If Goldman goes, we’re all going down.
But some see the downfall of Lehman and the buyout of Merrill as a possible bottom. Let’s blame it all on Gordon Brown and be done with it!
By Dan on September 15th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Yeah, the man should be made to buy Lehman’s as a penance.
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
The SEC should also be held to task for the lack of regulatory oversight as no one should have allowed Lehman to be this leveraged in the first place.
Caught Jon Corzine on Squawk Box this morning. When asked if Goldman and Morgan would hold up, he replied that he thought so, although it would be bad if they were forced to restate earnings. He closed his eyes as he said this, which is by many who enjoy studying body language, is considered a sign of lying.
Perhaps Goldman and Morgan will merge? They may have no other choice.
By alsgal on September 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I agree, Alsgal, slicing and dicing securities is a way of concealing the collateral supporting debt. It should be declared illegal in all major jurisdictions. And someone needs to sort out the derivatives markets.
By John on September 15th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Uhmmm. Dan. Run that by me again. The Republicans (read Bush et.al.) have been in control determining policies for the 8 years directly leading to our financial “issues” and you are blaming Gordon Brown?
By lionhound on September 15th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Just kidding, lionhound. I’ll take Brown over Bush any time!
By Dan on September 15th, 2008 at 6:03 pm