knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101
is the worst thing in the world.' - From "1984" by George Orwell
"Room 101" is so much a part of British consciousness that we have even had a TV comedy show called "Room 101". This has now become a radio show hosted by Paul Merton. I was listening to an episode of it this very evening when the guest was another very clever funny man called Mark Steel.
The guest is asked to put five things into Room 101 - things that really annoy them or things they really do not like. Tonight Mark Steel's choices were tinned custard, unnecessary modern technology, old people who think that everything was better in the old days, people who don't get jokes and "my old angry self". Of course the guest has to present cases for each of their choices.
I was thinking - what might I choose to put into Room 101 - and came up with the following...
Jugs or teapots that do not pour properly. I mean, these everyday items have just one prime function - to pour. And yet so often they drip on the table or kitchen surface. This makes me growl every time it happens. Who designed them? They want shooting!
Boris Johnson. I have despised this puffed up Old Etonian since I first set eyes upon him on our television set. He is an inveterate liar and hypocrite who loves the sound of his own voice. As prime minister of this kingdom, he never did his homework - preferring to wing it just as he did at during his education at Eton and Oxford. Worst of all, he tipped the balance with regard to the Brexit referendum. Without his input, we would still be in The European Union.
Variations in airport security. Of course we need airport security but why does it vary from airport to airport? Shouldn't it be exactly the same the whole world over? At some airports they make you take your shoes off - in others they don't. Some security teams frisk every passenger but others never frisk anybody. In some airports you have to take laptops out of your cabin bag while in others they insist that electronic equipment should remain in your bag. There are many other differences but I will leave it at that.
Ties (Neckties) I accept that women often have a raw deal and that historical sexism never truly went away but women were never expected to wear ties in their workplaces! The tie is a ridiculous accessory, requiring shirts to be buttoned right up to the top. Ties are often an unnecessary hazard when dining. If food drops onto a tie it is usually ruined for good as ties are not easily cleaned. Who ever imagined that ties look smart and business-like must have been completely bonkers! I say: "Ban the tie!" It's like having a noose around your neck.
Dentists - Just as we need airport security, we need dentists. Not many of us have teeth that never require treatment. Most of the dentists I have encountered have wild eyes and bad breath. They attempt to hold conversations when your mouth has been filled with their stuff - including saliva syphons and drills that threaten to invade your hippocampus . Maybe I am a wuss but I have always been afraid of dentists and that unavoidable intimacy whenever we visit them.
What would you choose to put into Room 101?
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/SKPEhCb