Howard and Paul contemplate life together in the Nursing Home

‘The great man’ (aka Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK) is out and about in the media beavering away in line with his mantra that Tynwald have not all buggered of on holiday it’s business as usual. Strangely although one or two Minister are about there’s no sign of Cannan and Thomas they are in a bunker somewhere no doubt reprising Oliver Hirschbiegel’s film ‘Downfall’

First Howard pops up on Manx Radio warning us that dire things could await if we don’t observe the MUA hosepipe ban. I read into this that ‘the great man’ having to reinforce the message from 'Popeye' (aka Alex Allinson MHK) indicates that he has no confidence that anyone takes ‘Popeye’ seriously. It seems the good doctor scrapped his double-jobbing too soon I doubt that a seat in COMIN awaits (link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/chief-minister-urges-wat...

You would wonder how the Isle of Man gets itself in a pickle over drinking water after all Poon Lim who survived 133 days at sea in the South Atlantic in 1942 on a 8 foot square raft managed to maintain the water supply so what’s wrong with those clowns at the MUA.

If you think water supply is a problem it is it seems just the tip of an iceberg as IOM Today has Health Minister David Ashford desperately reassuring us that medicines will not run out post Brexit (link):

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=42127&headline=Beware%20medicin...

I might have been reassured by David only a few stories up the DHSC CEO is talking about the Departments failure to face up to its failings.

There is more doom and gloom on MTTV with Howard talking about death and dying and an earnings survey chucked in at the end as an afterthought. The only light moment is when Moulton speculates that he and Howard may end up in a nursing home together. MTTV weekly reports will then become like episodes of ‘Last of the Summer Wine’.

I comfort myself with the thought that ‘Howard and Paul the Nursing Home Years’ will occur when to use a phrase of the great man I have ‘shuffled off this mortal coil’.

On the other hand you never know. I heard to my astonishment that a gentleman I worked with at my first job on the Forestry Board in the early 1960s is still alive well over 100 years old. You never know all those bleak winter mornings climbing up Slieuwhallian to the snow line or following a massive plough out the back of Creg Ny Baa (Conrhenny) could yet ensure my longevity. Please god I don’t end up in the same home as Howard and Paul though!

Here’s the link - they are becoming quite a double act:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GBjLF-OFIA&feature=youtu.be

Bernard Moffatt