Too much information from Tony's missus

Maurice O'Brien • Published 22 May 2008 08:45 0 Comments

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HOW interesting that all those years we thought Cherie Blair/Booth was too good to be true, she really was.

All that tosh about protecting her children and family from intrusive eyes seemingly had little to do with privacy and everything to do with ensuring there would be enough original material for her book.

Poised to commence my 60th year without ever having given a second thought to where, when, or by what means I may have been conceived, it is difficult not to sympathise with young Leo B.

Until last week he was so protectively wrapped in cotton wool but now, not only does the entire world know when and where, we also know the why and how.

Some may, of course, also ponder whether the method of contraception inconveniently absent at the crucial moment might cast doubts over the "devout Catholic" label so loosely attached by the media to anyone who manages to get to Mass of a Sunday.

Whether the book contains erudite passages on jurisprudence or other pearls of legal wisdom, the newspaper serialisation and the merry-go-round of media interviews haven't enlightened us.

But we do know the identities of the briefs CB debriefed, all revealed with an excessive attention to unnecessary detail of which Jackie Collins would be proud. Speaking for myself I'd rather flick through a Prezza stomach churner. But if anyone does read it, can you please answer something for me?

Is there a chapter on hypocrisy?

- DURING his self-redemption circuit of the broadcasting studios last week, how many times did Gordon Brown promise better things during something called the "next period of time"? Is that the beleaguered politician's equivalent of the Twelfth of Never?

- WAY back on February 21 an email promised me Thames Water would "shortly arrange" for someone to check out whether I was a suitable case for a meter.

There's a little iron flap bearing the company's initials in the pavement at the top of my drive, so I waited with a fair degree of confidence for the moment when I would be relieved of the burden of paying for everyone else's water usage.

Having heard nothing, shortly or otherwise, I wrote a piece on this page on April 24 about being left high and dry.

Last Thursday I received a letter from Thames Water, bearing the facsimile signature of Puneet Prabhakar, customer agent.

It read: "Dear Mr O'brien [sic], Thank you for your request for a water meter via our Website in February 2008.

"Unfortunately, due to a technical problem your request did not reach the appropriate team at the time of the request. We are taking measures to ensure that your request is dealt with as a matter of priority."

Guess how bad I feel for ever suggesting they were deliberately ignoring me.

This blog appeared in Reading Chronicle 22 May 08

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