Reflections

It's been a hell of a week my little flock of starlings - a hell of a week, with elections and the ongoing Bin Laden saga and ending with the death of Seve Ballesteros.

In relation to the elections, well the country will get what it voted for - which is the Tories pretty much having free rein for the rest of time, as Nick Robinson quoted many times in the news, 'be careful what you wish for'!

The urge to punish Clegg has really put Cameron in a very strong position, nobody really believes that Labour can govern until they become credible in fiscal terms - banging on about how you don't like what the others are doing is not a long term agenda nor a platform from which to get elected in 2015. No, the Tories are here to stay - I predict we will see them in power until 2020.

Bin Laden is still dead - but the news of his death is alive and well and filling our news coverage. Enough already!

The battle now seems to be about how we should have treated him with more common decency, more respect - because in acting as we have we have shown ourselves (The West) to be no better than him.

Let me think about that...'bollocks' is my considered response...if you take him prisoner you have hostages being taken all around the world to try and bargain for his release - the world is a better place without him, not necessarily a safer place I agree, but his loss is something we should not lose sleep over.

We are changed because of terrorism, we have to accept restrictions on our freedoms to protect those freedoms - in an ideal world we would have tried him, found him guilty and locked him away for the rest of his life - in an ideal world there would be no terrorism!

Locking him up would have made him the centre of attention and a new hero for the fanatics, just as moderate Islam is reasserting itself.

Bin Laden did not have respect for the law therefore he should not be allowed to avail himself of its protection.

I have the urge to apply this rule to people who break the speed limit or smoke in restaurants - send in Special Forces and blow them away.



In 1996, myself and two friends managed to play a round of golf at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club - it was about a week before the 1996 Open and the course was immaculate and the empty stands all stood awaiting the crowds. They would witness Tom Lehman win on that historic bunker strewn course, as many had witnessed other great champions crowned in the past, Bob Charles, Gary Player and of course Seve.

As I made my par 4 down the final hole, the empty stands echoed with the faded roars of smiling patrons as they witnessed the flashing blade of Ballesteros conjure magic from impossible positions - he was majestic and he was charismatic.

In 2009, during an interview with Peter Alliss, Seve asked people not to recall the illness he was suffering, but the great joy and fortune of his life - he didn't want tears he wanted smiles.

His brother, who was at his side as he died, is reported to have spoken about how he held Seve by the hands, and as he passed away thought 'what these hands have done in the world' - the hands, the smile, the whole package - my par four at Lytham on that day was achieved partly because I had grown up watching Seve play - he was inspiring.

Well, time to go and make toast for Mrs B.

Have a nice day, have a good week and just think about the smiles you will make in your life.