16/05/2016, London has a new Mayor.

Much has been written in the papers here about Londoners electing a Muslim as their mayor. I would not have voted for a Labour candidate, nor would have I voted for a Conservative candidate. My vote would have been a PROTEST vote,had I been at home on 5th May. My husband would have voted for Mr Khan. I can hear him say - let's give the man a chance. Not because he is a Muslim or a member of the Labour political party, they all are Labour until they get to the trough and smell the money. But because he is of a Pakistani origins. My Olly had the highest regard for all Pakistanis, they make the best carpenters,he would say. And the Irish make the best plasterers, I say. Years ago we had employed one such Irishman,he called me a little dumpling. I was only a slip of a girl then, not even 54 kg,so he was not referring to my weight,it was just his affectionate nickname for me. There was a pub just round the corner [ and still is ],and nothing makes an Irish plasterer happier and work better than a pint of Guinness,as I had come to learn. It is a thirsty work,Paddy would say,and disappear frequently,returning in the nick of time to polish and shine the wall further. Now that is what I call timing, that is what I call plastering ,my husband would nod approvingly with admiration. Some years later Patrick would come back to do some pointing,still single, still the same harmless banter,still calling me a little dumpling [maybe that's what he called all women, I never asked]. My hat down to Mr Mayor's bus driver father. Negotiating the streets of London in a bus with cars perched left right and every which way,is no mean task. Any-one who can drive a bus and have no accident is a miracle man. If our new Mayor is half as good at his job as his father was,we have nothing to fear. That said, I have had some hair-raising moments with drivers who think they are on a racing track or who do not know what the progressive braking is. If there is one thing I know about, it is progressive driving,my darling husband had never mastered the art,may he rest in peace,but that is another story for another time! I have witnessed several minor scrapes between a 52 and a 23 bus at the junction of Westbourne Grove and Kensington Park Road,drivers blaming each other,shouting in broken English. I am sure no Pakistanis were involved,more likely a hot tempered Spaniard or an arrogant Frenchman. The London Transport does a lot of recruiting in these countries. SO GOOD LUCK MR MAYOR!