Look on the bright side!

Even on a cloudy day there is always a silver lining somewhere.   This was the distant view from home this evening.




Yesterday evening we went to Birmingham NIA to the Classical Spectacular by the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with choir and band of the Welsh Guards.

Here, despite the daily economic gloom showered upon us by newspapers and television, we discovered light and music to confirm we are as Great a Britain as we ever were.

Issued with Union flags, four and a half thousand Englishmen and Ladies waved them in hysterical delight and sang their hearts out as the orchestra and choir thundered "Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves"; although we all know really we have only a couple of small ships remaining to do the job.

This was topped by what should truly be our national anthem, "Land of Hope and Glory", as many stood  and sang and waved their flags again and again as though we were just about to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking or conquest of yet another colony! The only discordant note, if anyone remembered, was the knowledge that "Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained" have moved somewhat to "Thine unequal laws, by the European Common Market decreed"; while "Thine Empire shall be strong" could be in slight jeopardy as a result of the machinations of Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy.

But, it was a great night out, set off in fine style in the nearby Bank Restaurant with that fine old English dish, Crispy Duck.