What's the word?

Words can be dangerous; careless use of language hit the headlines quite a bit last week. There was an outcry over Gordon Ramsay's over-use of some colourful language on a television programme, then the other Gordon got into hot water for saying 'depression' when he meant 'recession' - an easy mistake to make.
But topping the lot was the fragrant Carol Thatcher, who apparently likened a tennis player to a golliwog - not on air but in the informal setting of the One Show's Green Room. Some of her fellow guests took exception to her comments, and the BBC reacted swiftly - but wrongly in my view.
The BBC has been running scared since the Brand/Ross incident, and clearly felt that it had to act, even although the remarks were made in private. Now I'm no fan of Ms Thatcher - I would be less than upset if I never saw her on television again - but if the BBC was serious about punishing the presenter surely they should have issued a statement saying that Thatcher would no longer be used by them - full stop. Instead, however, they have decided to drop her from The One Show but have not ruled out using her on other projects! What seemed at the time to be firm, decisive action is really nothing of the sort. The modern-day Beeb seems to lurch from one crisis to another, invariably self inflicted. For those of us who hold public service broadcasting dear, it's tragic - and offers another opportunity for critics to get the knives out. There are a lot of people out there who want the TV Licence scrapped and to see the BBC compete in the commercial market, and they'll be rubbing their hands at this latest faux pas.

Budget - winners and losers
The Scottish Government got it's £33 billion budget through at the second attempt, which will come as a huge relief to the country's local authorities. It's hard to see what was so different between Budgets Mark 1 and 2, yet all the opposition parties (save the Greens, who were shafted for getting uppity) seem to think that the new version saw them achieving great concessions from the SNP. Labour got 8000 apprenticeships - which apparently they were getting anyway. The Lib Dems got a commitment from the Government to sign up to the Calman Commission - well, whoopie do! The Tories seem to be the party who have emerged from the process with most credit.
In reality, the endorsement of the Budget has less to do with wringing concessions from the Government as the realisation that the public would take a dim view of the great and the good at Holyrood playing petty party politics at a time like this - the last thing anyone wants or needs just now is a Holyrood election. Our politicians belatedly twigged and common sense has prevailed - for now. Normal hostilities will doubtless soon be resumed.

Party Time
Last night's party went very well - around fifty house guests was a bit of a squeeze but great fun nonetheless. In the early hours of this morning I discovered a delicious new drink - a M&S White Chocolate and Vanilla liquer with a shot of whisky added to give it that extra kick. Heavenly, and so easy to quaff - with hindsight, perhaps too easy. I am now suffering the inevitable consequences of over-indugence. I really should be old enough to know better, but hey ho ...
See you next week.

This week's picture is the sun trying to break through at dawn.