Jottings
News from the UK and around the World
. . . the wild, the wacky, the wonderful, the weird and the downright infuriating
Victor Meldrew moment
Bonnie Hoyte, wife of Watford defender
Gavin Hoyte, had her £31,000 Range
Rover stolen in July. The thief then sold
it for £14,000 and the car’s new “owner”
is refusing to return it to her. Police say
she and the receiver of stolen property
have equal rights to the vehicle and they
may have to go to court to resolve the
issue. Even then, the judge could award
the car to the finance company to whom
she continues to pay £450 a month.
Snowflake shower
For decades, British soldiers have been
given a small pack including needle and
thread for carrying out running repairs
to their uniforms, and for decades this
has been called a “housewife.” Now, the
UK’s Ministry of Defence has decided
the term is “outdated” and has been
dropped, “in order to identify and
eliminate casual sexism.” The ban on
using the term follows complaints from
both Labour and the Liberal Democrats
that the term is “sexist” and
“embarrassing.” A squaddie repairing
holes in socks must now use the term
“sewing kit” while all manuals with
references to the good, old-fashioned
army housewife are to be pulped.
The knee-jerk reaction to those who take
offence at anything is entirely
predictable. A little research would have
clarified the term is not sexist, but is a
play on “hussif,” a traditional military
name from the 18th century for a sewing
kit. The move follows other
reclassifications in the armed forces
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where, for example, infantrymen have
become “infantry soldiers” to avoid
offending women.
Fifty years ago, a newly-formed band
recorded a song which was a statement
against racial intolerance. “Melting Pot”
by Blue Mink was a hit, peaking at
Number 3 on the UK chart and became
one of the biggest selling singles of 1969.
Now, however, playing it on the radio
has now been banned by Ofcom. The
decision by the media regulator was
triggered by one complaint (that’s one,
as in fewer than two) after it was played
on a British oldies radio station. The
lyric suggests that the world’s problems
could be solved by “a great big melting
pot” which would “turn out coffee
coloured people by the score.”