Monday 9 August 2010

Grumpy Old Men

Alexander Chancellor in ‘CiF’:
The Queen's practice of sending telegrams to people on their 100th birthdays can hardly continue for ever when the country is to be flooded with centenarians.
Really? I fail to see why not.
Nobody wants to die young, but this ageing business is getting out of control. Having been born in 1940 rather than 2010, I am pleased to say that my chances of reaching 100 are extremely slim.
My, someone peed in your cornflakes this morning, didn’t they?
There comes a point when one starts to say to oneself that one is glad that certain scary things – the flooding of London, nuclear war, the end of the world or whatever – are unlikely to happen during one's lifetime. It is comforting to know that one's risk of exposure to serious unpleasantness is getting rapidly smaller, but future generations may not enjoy that solace.
Oh, good lord…
If expectations in France are anything to go by, the growing number of old people in Britain may also threaten Kenneth Clarke's plans to cut the prison population.
Well, certainly if the example of Mr Whatley is anything to go by.

I’m betting that’s not a comfort, though, Alexander?

7 comments:

Edwin Greenwood said...

Miserable old git.

One of my uncles, who is 78, recently spent some time in hospital. He had been performing handstands on the roof of my late father's bungalow (which we have been trying to sell), or some such strenuous activity, when he fell and broke his hip. Either that or he slipped on the ice during the recent cold snap.

His only complaint about his hospital stay was that they put him in a ward full of old people.

Life is what you make of it.

Oldrightie said...

Lay off this old stuff!

RAB said...

the Guild of Opinionated Busybodies dont appear to be singing from the same hymnsheet.

If Mr Chancellor, who apparently thinks we are living too long, would like to have a word with the Twat of a Doctor on a thread below, who thinks smoking in the house or car is child abuse, and Andrew Rawnsey, who wants to put calorie counts on restaurant meals, and alcohol "units" on the side of bloody wine glasses, in the belief that if we dont drink smoke or eat fatty foods, we are all going to live forever, it would be much appreciated.

They cant have it both ways now can they? The Ponzi scheme they call an Old Age Pension is not going to be able to cover us all living forever is it?

On a lighter note, we buried my aunt on Friday. She was 98. She wasn't dead or anything but we thought, well you've been a miserable old scrote all your life, enough's enough! Go give God an earful! ;-)

microdave said...

@ RAB - Loved your final paragraph! - I needed something to cheer me up....

RAB said...

Thanks Microdave, I do my best to lighten the mood. It's Monday. it's pissing down here in Bristol, and I'm still waiting for this bloody heatwave the Wet Office have been promising for months.Has anybody seen it?

NickM said...

No RAB,
It's been pissing down here and they have an effing hosepipe ban.

JuliaM said...

"Life is what you make of it."

Oh, ain't that the truth!

"Lay off this old stuff!"

:D

"the Guild of Opinionated Busybodies dont appear to be singing from the same hymnsheet."

You can understand why. With the egos on display, it would be like herding cats to even try...

"It's been pissing down here and they have an effing hosepipe ban."

'Wrong type of rain', Nick...