Good morning lovely people, and happy Mother’s Day for all you even lovelier mummies.
If No 1 daughter was at home, I’d be getting warm homemade scones in bed, whipped cream, strawberry jam and Mr Rocco would be making an appearance in territory that he is not normally permitted. She’s not, so chances are it will be coffee and a date, with a few Medjools, at the kitchen table.
It’s a bad day (yes no scones can have that effect) when the chat is better than the match. Gary Lineker’s red card turned into an own goal for the BBC. Fiona Bruce on the other hand chose to step back as Ambassador of Refuge, over the Mr Johnson (senior) comments. Silence from Richard Sharp, maybe he’s retreated to his bunker re-writing his diaries.
If this story has taught us anything, as this football giant quoting Orwell said “if liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear” I agree. I’m all ears.
Not much happened last week. The budget always feels like an English affair. Despite £320m added through the Barnett Consequential, with two delayed ferry’s costing over £450m, I don’t think there will be much left for potholes or anything else to help boost the economy or support the NHS.
I always think Jeremy Hunt looks like Ken, Barbie’s friend. That exceptionally chiselled jaw and those bright eyes. Let’s face it, who wants a charismatic dynamic chancellor, it’s not in the job description. It takes a man cast in his convictions to announce a give away for pension millionaires when energy bills, mortgage repayments, food costs, travel and council tax increases are affecting almost everyone else. The OBR have said this plan to scrap the lifetime savings limit and increase the contributions limit will cost £1bn a year, targeting 15,000 happy relaxers back to work. Maybe, if Hunt got the doctors that were out on strike back to work that might be quicker? The Conservatives say they have a plan. We all know who their plan is working for. Many businesses are struggling. High interest rates are becoming a big problem. With Credit Suisse being bailed out, the banking sector knows what trouble looks like. Shocks hurt and all the recent rapid rises in rates, directly affecting families, businesses and government debt repayment, are creating shocks and this budget has done nothing to ease the waves.
On the other hand, England got £63m to keep English swimming pools open with those artificial waves. That’s why the PM asked the national grid to increase his electricity supply for his pool; he knew it would be covered. That trip to California clearly was inspired. The hardy Scots, I know there are a good few of you, will continue wild open water swimming. Let’s face it with so much sewage down south our neighbours can’t.
Our potential new FM’s are predicting Independence in the next 5 years. (You’ve got to agree, Mr Jardine really is the best for those big debates.) We’ve got team waiting over 3 years, already, for NHS consultations and others can’t get a GP appointment for love nor money. Have they got our priorities in the right order? The two ladies have definitely got one thing right, calling for independence as far as an auditor for the election is concerned. The SNP currently has 72,000 members, higher than any other political party per population. It still seems low, having lost 10,000 in the last 3 months alone. It makes you think about that missing money even more. More interesting is that 78,000 ballots were posted. Who gets those spare 6000 votes?
Murrell has never been in the headlines as much. My twitter feed was saying that Yousaf was stepping back, oh the intrigue, maybe he’s stepping back because all the Ukrainian ladies won’t leave him alone as he was the only man in the room. Seriously, we have a problem. With so many leaving the SNP; perhaps due to Alba, Gender reform or a simple disillusion that looking at Brexit, Independence won’t be any easier. The problem is that those left to make the call will be the die hard loyalists to the nationalism cause and it’s looking like they will go with the continuity candidate. This blog is sent to about 20,000 each fortnight, I love you all. As a restaurant business we think this is a great number. As a national political party, how can we have so few making this choice. Yes they should decide which candidate they want for their party as leader but a minority shouldn’t be choosing our FM or PM. Where that will leave the SNP at the next general election will be interesting indeed. The Conservatives did win a council seat from the SNP at the Dunblane and Bridge of Allan by-election on Thursday, but maybe that’s not so uninteresting.
Scotch whisky will be facing a 10.1% duty increase, no energy support for businesses, no VAT changes for hospitality and no business rate support in Scotland. The only thing to get us out of this is a summer of sunshine. Global warming sometimes isn’t a bad thing. (Don’t give me a red card for that one).
Meanwhile Prince Andrew has just realised that his big brother got all mummies money. How many volumes of his life story do you think we’re going to get to make up his inheritance wishlist shortfall?
I’m fortunate, as much as we have our moments, to have my mother, Nonna G, alive, well, sharp as her daily wardrobe changes and 94. I know there are many of you who will be missing your mother today. You may not be able to visit or sadly she is no longer with you. (FYI Nonna G is available, free of charge, for parties, afternoon tea, lunches and always comes well presented with loads of chat.) Victor’s mum, Nonna Olivia conjures up all those happy mummy memories, most are around food. From pancakes, to chicken soup to pizza or even the mustard sauce that she made to transform haggis neeps and tatties that took them to a whole other level, her cooking and love shared in her kitchen and around her dining table was one of the greatest. We miss her and we’ll be raising a glass in all the restaurants today with all you mummies that we’ve got the privilege to share our food with at your table.
Sending love from this mummy to all of you
Keep well and keep sharing what we all need to know, but might not want to hear (Victor says my trousers are too tight and I need to have less dates.)
Carina
PS if you haven’t watched The Piano on Channel 4, don’t miss it. Beautiful, refreshing and emotional viewing and some beautiful mummies too, supporting their amazingly talented children.
