David Parkin on election burnout, Las Vegas challenges, Silver memories and James Bond in Yorkshire
ARE you sick of the General Election campaigning already?
We hadn’t even packed the tinsel and baubles away or made it to the first gym trip of the New Year before politicians were falling over themselves to kick off their electioneering.
So only another four months of this to go.
If Ed Milliband thinks that knocking on four million front doors across the UK is going to win Labour the election then good luck to him.
I just hope I’m not home when he visits my house. I might leave a note asking him to make himself useful and fetch the wheelie bin in.
Even though his speeches are mind numbingly dull and couldn’t be passionate even with mind-altering drugs, I’m not just anti Ed.
UKIP, Tories, Libs, Greens, I’m avoiding all of them.
In fact, I think I might try and avoid speaking to any politician in the run up to the General Election in May. I’ll award myself plus points for not conversing with them and minus points if they corner me or knock on my front door for a chat.
If I can be somewhere around zero by polling day then I’ll be a winner.
I may not have any idea who to vote for, but then, who does?
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THE tributes to respected entrepreneur and former Leeds United chairman Leslie Silver continue following his recent passing at the age of 89.
Newspaper obituaries of the great man list his many achievements but I love the more personal recollections of individuals, who all appear to share my view that it was privilege to know him.
My predecessor as Yorkshire Post business editor, Australian Peter Curtain, now running successful City PR company Allerton Communications, remembers Leslie well.
“I sat next to him at the [Variety Club] Business Awards – one of the nicest, most unassuming people I’ve met. He started praising the Australians he flew with in the war and it became clear he’d flown more than his share of missions (Patrick Bishop’s Bomber Boys gives a flavour), on top of all he achieved later. He was a terrific bloke.”
Former Leeds City Council and Eversheds chief executive David Ansbro returned from an overseas trip after Christmas to hear the sad news.
He remembers Leslie as a “lovely man”.
“I got to know him quite well through the city and the university and learned a great deal from him. He was wise, astute, generous and always courteous and charming.
“As we got to know each other he remembered that in the early days of SPL [Silver Paints Ltd] he did business with my favourite uncle, Uncle Tom, who worked at that time for 3M.
“They clearly got on very well and quite often had fish and chip lunches in Batley! Small world.”
To have had such a long career and been involved in so many organisations, particularly a football club, but be so universally respected, shows that Leslie did things the right way.
Who says the good guys can’t win?
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LIKE many of you, I’ve promised myself I will get fitter in 2015.
When an email popped into my inbox offering a fitness challenge to kick start the year, I was interested. I was even more interested when it said that the ActiVeman challenge with former Olympic oarsman James Cracknell involves competitors trying to expend enough calories and energy to light up Las Vegas.
Apparently it takes 1.9 million calories – eight megawatts to light up Sin City in the Nevada desert.
Well if the challenge involved going to Vegas, I was definitely interested.
Sadly that is where the Las Vegas link ended.
Apparently ActiVeman make nutrition supplements and fitness equipment including stationary speed bikes and the best you can win by taking part is one of the £399 bikes or a signed T shirt from Cracknell or 12 £50 fitness vouchers.
The firm says that “unlike in Vegas, by participating in this challenge, everyone’s a winner”.
Why pick Las Vegas if you are not going to offer a trip there as the ultimate prize for those taking part? They probably splurged that bit on James Cracknell’s fee.
I’ll go jogging in the park and put the money it would cost to buy an exercise bike towards a trip to the Strip.
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I WAS chatting to one of the members of staff at a well known hotel the other day and asked which celebrity names had stayed with them.
One memorable guest was none other than former 007 himself, Sir Roger Moore.
Now in his 80s the former James Bond and The Saint star was staying during a tour of his one man show where he talks about his eventful life both on screen and off – his series of marriages would provide colourful material alone.
When asked whether he would like anything waiting for him when he returned to the hotel after his show, Sir Roger apparently didn’t request a martini shaken not stirred or even hot and cold running maids.
He just wanted a hot water bottle.
Not licensed to chill then?
Have a great weekend.
