Monday, October 08, 2007

Boris the Bear


Yesterday, while out walking in the English countryside and woods in Bedfordshire I saw a black bear. The bear looked very much ill at ease, unsure of what to do and which way to turn. It moved slowly and awkwardly, stumbled from left to right, it was unkempt, overweight and bumbling and even at a distance of 100m you can sense a far from pleasant aroma. I kept my distance.

In the excitement of last week, my “better half” had insisted that since she was likely to become an “election widow” that we go off for a long walk on what could have been our last free Sunday for a while.

On the drive there we listened to Parkinson on Radio 2. Poor old Gordon was getting a bit of undeserved stick over the postponed election. In his honour Parkie played “It’s lonely at the top” by Randy Newman.

Admittedly the 8 mile circular walk (No 23 “one of the great classic walks in Bedfordshire”) was through the public footpaths that crisscross Woburn Abbey. Home of the famous Safari Park and 3000 acre deer park, golf courses, racing stables and farmland. The Abbey and Park are still owned by the latest descendant of the famous Russell family (currently led by the 15th Duke of Bedford).

It does stick in your throat that one family could own just so much land, you can walk for hours and hours and still be on the family estate. However, to be fair the deer park is well looked after and gorgeous, at least they haven’t turned it into an upmarket Country hotel and conference centre like they have with Brocket Hall.

For part of the walk the footpath goes alongside the Safari Park. To try and see the animals you have to recreate your own Kinder Scout trespass and leave the public footpath and cross over the road, the final perimeter fence is a further 50m away. Beyond the fences there is the bears and wolves reserve. Safari parks are much better than Zoo's but still not suitable for wild animals. Animals as well as Tory game show hosts should also keep to their own natural environment.

There we saw our bear. We just had to call him Boris. GLA elections May 2008. In London and elsewhere the battle continues.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Top man Boris...so clever he won a scholarship to Eton, successful entrepreneur..Ken's an old socialist politically correct, dinosaur...he's going to be history! Bring it on!

John Gray said...

Hi Anon
Actually it is really interesting to listen to Ken on how wrong he use to be about capitalism (per se) and the role of free markets.

Of course he is still "Ken", but fair play, he has learned from life and moved on. Wish you could say the same about poor old Boris?

Anonymous said...

Yes it's good Ken can learn from his mistakes....Boris is going to wipe the floor with him!

John Gray said...

and if he doesn't anon? Want a little wager (not involving filthy lucre obviously). You would have to come clean about your ID?

Anonymous said...

Ken has zero charisma...he's stuck in a 1970's time warp! He's going to be crushed.

John Gray said...

Come on Anon - what about the bet, I hope you are not "bottling it"

Anonymous said...

A night out at your expense eating a curry? It would be like taking candy from a baby.

John Gray said...

Ok Anon – May 5th 2008, mutually agreed date, loser picks Curry restaurant and pays for food, drinks split (if you drink), Central London.
Send me a “comment” with your email address (which I won’t publish).
I warn you I can eat a lot of curry. If you wimp out of this challenge you will be in the words of your beloved Boris “a big girls blouse”.

Anonymous said...

Here's my address http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Election-year/

John Gray said...

Hi Big girls blouse
That is not an address, someone is trying to cheat me out of a curry!!! Tories!! – BTW I’m having a row with Number 10 petitions at the mo – If I win row watch this blog