There is very little nationally to comment on apart from Colonel Tom’s 100th birthday (Promoted today from Captain to Colonel by The Army). Did you see the bit of attempted administrator jobsworth effort to spoil the great day for him?

A private preservation group who have restored a WW2 Spitfire fighter to certified flying status said they would send it today on a fly past of his house to celebrate his birthday. Great Idea? Oh no said this very important official. You can’t do that. It would be a non essential journey. Fortunately this mealy mouthed moron (how’s that for alliteration) was trumped by the RAF. In that case said the Top Brass we’ll send a flight of THREE vintage aircraft to pass over his house and it will be designated a training flight so it will be essential business. Consequently I gather a Spitfire and A Hurricane buzzed his residence. Well done both branches of the Armed Services.

Turning to the domestic front this estate possesses a cat. It is a very large white one, completely without brains but without bravery as well. It does however possess a certain amount of low cunning along with a greatly inflated concept of its own importance. An IQ test for cats has been devised and this test was applied to the animal by a junior member of the establishment. When recorded and transferred to the graph the results showed that this animal was not only ESN (Educationally sub normal) but also SSS (Severely sub normal). Nevertheless the animal lives a charmed existance.

The animal although quite elderly is consistently refusing to do the decent thing and shuffle off to the great cat sanctuary in the sky (or possibly the lower alternative). In fact it continues in rather good health. However it does need to be fed special, and expensive cat food and dosed twice a day with medicine. Administering these is within the duties of Junior Management and herein lies a source of ongoing domestic strife. The cat considers his position in the hierarchy as being above that of Junior Management, a situation disputed by the aforementioned Junior Management. The cat’s view is that food should be served on demand as and when required and of a superior quality to that usually on offer. Junior Management has a significantly different opinion. This leads to frequent complaints from the cat to me about the failings of Junior management, today being such a day.

Upon descending this morning I was met by the cat very loudly demanding where was the Old *** .In fairness Junior Management had been a little tardy in arriving on the scene. However breakfast was served but in the middle of my breakfast the cat reappeared to complain loudly and persistently about the quality of food and apparently its presentation. Using a Solomon type judgement I evicted the cat from the premises and told Junior Management to get out of bed earlier. I then attempted to finish my breakfast in peace. I sometimes wonder if being in Senior management is worth it!