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Revolution?

I am not a political animal but even I got off my butt to go and listen to Martin Bell last week when he came to Stockton to give an informal talk. I didn’t realise at the time that his subject, ‘A Very British Revolution. The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy,’ was the title of his book that he said repeatedly he ‘wasn’t promoting.’ I even bought a copy.   The title he had thought of first was ‘Swindlers’ List.’ Instead the book starts, with a poem that Trevor would be proud of, called Swindlers’ List. [I am trying to get permission from the publisher to reproduce it here.]   Martin Bell’s explanation of the scandal and its background benefited from the fact that he had been an Independent MP elected as a result of the Neil Hamilton affair.   It was apparent that the audience was politically well informed and interested in how the system can be put right. A move is being made to get rid of the cheats; the next election will see many new MPs in the House. Bell believes that independents need to stand against the miscreants; local candidates are needed, not just celebrities, who will fight for every vote. He identified a number of constituencies where MPs may be vulnerable to such an approach including Salford (Hazel Blears) and Rutland (Alan Duncan). Bell is obviously advising people how to proceed.   This was a thought provoking event which showed how badly our MPs have lost sight of the principles of common sense, right and wrong.   Is it a revolution? Only if we do something about it in the run-up to, and at, the election next year.

Al Khatun, the Fearless

Al Khatun, the Fearless Archaeologist, linguist, mountaineer, soldier, spy, map maker, kingmaker. Not a bad list of accomplishments from a woman born in County Durham in 1868. Gertrude Bell spoke 16 languages and once survived 53 hours hanging on a rope in a blizzard on a mountain face. She participated in the founding of Iraq, drawing its boundaries and was instrumental in the Hashemite Prince Faisal becoming its first King, although she wrote in one of her letters, "I'll never engage in creating a king again, it's too great a strain." One of her legacies is the Baghdad Archaeological Museum - the one looted in the battle for Baghdad this century, following the overthrow of Sadaam Hussain. Gertrude died in Baghdad and rests in the British Cemetery there. It was said of her, "One of the reasons you stand out is because you are a woman. There's only one Khatun. For a hundred years they'll talk of the Khatun riding by." {Khatun = lady or gentlewoman} Ian Stubbs, Assistant Curator of the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough, in outlining the exhibitions available during his talk to this week's Books and Banter used illustrations of the artefacts collected by Gertrude Bell. She was one of the first archaeologists to propose that any treasures found should remain in their country of origin and that only 2% should be removed. A major exhibit at the museum used to be a lion standing on a zebra which it had killed. These were part of the collection of Sir Alfred Pease. These days the lion remains on show and ‘Leo' has become the icon used to illustrate the different galleries to be seen. A fascinating part of Ian's presentation was the famous Theodore Roosevelt African safari in 1909 when he stayed at the British East African house of Sir Alfred Pease in what is now Kenya. Included in the presentation were movies made at the time showing Roosevelt's first lion which weighed 285lbs. Roosevelt's book, African Game Trails, contains his account of how he came to shoot the lion - two shots and a third from close quarters were required. Kermit, Roosevelt's son accompanied on the safari and is also on the film. One of the movies showed a Ferris wheel made of wood which looked as though it had been put together with 6 inch nails. There were only four carriages and it appeared to be powered by a native pulling on a rope. Nevertheless all the carriages were full and what's' more it, and a second similar wheel, were being enjoyed by the crowd not just those having a ride. Alfred Pease's wife went on the safari with the men. When she died back in England Pease had a memorial stained glass window installed in Guisborough's St Nicholas Church. A detail in the glass shows Pease's lion - the one that finished up at the Dorman Museum. [More information on Gertrude Bell is available at: http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk under The Gertrude Bell Project. You can read her diaries and some 1600 of her letters and browse 7000 of the photos she took - many of which have never been published. Details of the Dorman Museum can be found at: http://www.dormanmuseum.co.uk ]

More Revolution.

Martin Bell and ICON Books kindly gave me permission to reproduce the poem below. It speaks for itself in a week when there have been more expense revelations.   Swindlers’ List   I wish I had my own duck house, Redacted and anonymous, A shaded pool where ducks could float, A pond, a river or a moat, A place unto the manor born Where moles would not uproot the lawn. I was not born to privilege, But loitered at the water’s edge, And played the Honourable Member From January to December. I wish to thank the voters’ sense For choosing me at their expense; On their behalf I did my best, Including things they never guessed. Though my accomplishments were zero. In fiddling I was next to Nero, I was a self philanthropist, Master of the John Lewis List; I had a profitable innings And duly pocketed the winnings, The subsidies, the perks, the pay, The petty cash, the ACA. The Tudor beams, the chandeliers, The bills for swimming pool repairs, The hanging plants, the trouser press, Nothing exceeded like excess, The whirlpool bath, the horse manure, Whiter than white, purer than pure. And so it was until, alas, The MPs’ scandals came to pass. I was your Honourable Friend – A pity that it had to end. And then to avoid the sneers of Mr Paxman I wrote a cheque and sent it to the taxman. This poem by Martin Bell is extracted from A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy (Icon Books, Oct09) by Martin Bell.

Book Review 2009

Book Review 2009   I thought of calling this the literary review of the year. But that would be pretentious. After all it’s only a report on the books I read in 2009.   It had been one of my resolutions for the year to read more. You could say I achieved that. I’ll leave you to judge whether I used my time wisely.   My 46 books included a biography of Brunel, three non-fiction titles (A Good Walk Spoilt {on golf}, Margaret Drabble’s The Pattern in the Carpet and Martin Bell’s A Very British Revolution), and Marit’s collection of short stories.   The top five fiction authors were Robert Goddard (9), Harlan Coben (5), Tess Gerritsen (5), Jonathan Kellerman (3), Patricia Cornwell and Daphne du Maurier (2 each). I enjoyed a number of Robert Goddard’s books probably because I was familiar with the places in which they were set. Otherwise I can’t see that they rest will be as well remembered as those by Daphne du Maurier.   I managed to acquire four of Charles Darwin’s books in one volume two years ago. I completed The Voyage of the Beagle in 2008 but have spent several months in 2009 wading through Origin of the Species. Darwin’s prose is superb but takes some reading to follow his arguments. I will finish it soon I’m sure.   I also bought a leather bound edition of the works of Edgar Alan Poe. I had read many of his stories a long time ago but knew nothing about his poems. Thanks to the charity shop in which my wife works once a week I have also collected copies of the poems of Wordsworth and John Betjeman. I cannot imagine I would have every have done this if it weren’t for the influence of Writelink.   My favourite for the year turns out to be the poem by Betjeman on Seaside Golf which contains a line that says it all about my game, ‘That quite unprecedented three.’

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