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And so we wakes up to news that the UK is facing a hung parliament, and the possibility -watching a very tired Mandelson spar with Paxman about it now- of Brown hanging on via a LD coalition.

Terrible news for Spain, as the pound plummets on the news – from 1.19 last night to just over 1.15 over night. Think it´s going to go back up in time for the holiday season?

Crikey! Remind me to never again say that the British parliament is more efficient that the Spanish one (not that I ever had, mind you).

People selling adult videos, including pornography, to children are to escape prosecution after the discovery of a Whitehall blunder that means that the 1984 law regulating the video industry was never enacted.

It also leaves the industry in disarray with the classification system designed to protect the under-18s from violent and explicit material no longer officially in operation.

More here:

http://www.thereader.es/en/spain-news-stories/550-uk-government-blunder-allows-sale-of-over-18-videos-to-kids.html

Back in the UK for a few days. It´s cold (15 degrees) and wet and rainy and somewhat windy and all in all it´s a glorious change from the heat!

No doubt I will be bored of it by this afternoon, but I did just enjoy five minutes in the rain.

Resign. (here).

Gets twice as many votes as “not reduce the national speed limit to 50 mph”.

Mind you, on his frontpage he admits that Joanna Lumley is now the ruler of the country.

Quick tip:

If you’re ever in a rented VW Passat Estate, driving down the A40 into Monmouth, and an Aston Martin overtakes you, do not attempt to keep up. It’s a fun road, steep incline and very windy down through the Forest of Dean, and in an Aston Martin must be great fun. However, if it hadn’t been for the quick reactions of that lorry driver I would have returned a VW Lupo back to the rental company. The Passat Estate is a comfy car, but not even The Stig can prevent the back end for sliding out when going downhill round a corner at 60.

I shall bring the Mazda over (4 wheel drive, ye ken) and try it again.

While planning a trip around the ancestral homesteads in the Cotswolds, I was informed by L that she had always wanted to sleep in a castle. Her wish being my command, (and bearing in mind that castles tend be draughty places, at least all the ones I’ve been in so far) I booked into Thornbury Castle, which happened to be on our way down to S. Wales.

Arriving, I was startled by the sheer tradition of the place. Beautifully decorated and tastefully restored, it’s set in some stunning grounds and is right next to Thornbury Church, which is a wonderful backdrop as you have afternoon tea on the lawn. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, immaculate waiters were doing their thing with the pink champers, and the whole scene was only slightly marred by two elderly Lords and their respective wives, telling dirty jokes about MPs and demanding pigeon for dinner the next night. I shall refrain from saying which Lords they were so as not to be accused of namedropping.

The chambers are enormous, and ours was up in a tower up a rather narrow and winding staircase of stone. While fully equipped with all modcons, I was able to sit in an incredibly overstuffed armchair and pretend it was still the middle ages.

Dinner was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Mr Lee Heptinstall and his little chum Marco Mellace certainly know their stuff. I had the seared Scallops followed by Loin of Exmoor Venison, L had the Ballontine of Beetroot Cured Salmon and Taste of Local Duck. We discovered that the elderly waiter was Spanish, and had been at the castle since day one (32 years, if you’re interested). Much chatting, we discovered that his brother in law was from Almeria, and so we got an extra large helping of cheese from the trolley.

The Lords again sat next to us at dinner, and upon leaving one of the Ladys came over and apologised if they had been too noisy (they hadn’t, simply being happy in a very discreet, upperclass way). A nice touch. It must have been the handmade silk and cashmere jacket I was wearing.

The entire experience was one I intend to repeat as soon as possible, and was marred only by the bill the next morning. I should have expected it from a place that offers to fly you down from London in a private helicopter. I shall not tell you how much it was, only that for the same money 20 years ago you could have brought a house here. *

http://www.thornburycastle.co.uk/

*Should anybody have a parttime job going for cash in hand, please do let me know.