Corridors . . .
CONTRARY TO WHAT has been said the Government is trying to communicate. Mr Dick Marsh was woken lip early — about eight — the other mornire; by a palpitating Minister of Transport, John Peyton. Peyton wanted to know how well Marsh thought he got on with Sir Sidney Greene, the Rail Union Leader. The Prime Minister had been listening to an early morning BBC radio programme and had heard Greene say — or imply — that he did not much like Marsh. The PM therefore rang the Minister of Transport to find out w'ny he had not been keeping tabs on the relations between Peyton and Marsh. It is not recorded that there were satisfactory answers from either the Minister or Vile Rail Chief.
SO DETERMINED indeed, is the Government to communicate that the Prime Minister was himself buying drinks on Tuesday night in the Aperitif Bar. The Prime Minister's pound notes' were crumpled but the drinks good.
THE GOVERNMENT'S continuing struggle against inflation has scored one victory. During the Labour Party Conference a gin and tonic in the Aperitif bar at the Imperial hotel cost 30p; during the Tory Conference it went down to 29p. Puzzle, arriving at the Tory Conference, asked why the delicious bar knick-knacks displayed before him had not been available when Labour met at Blackpool. The answer given by the barman was that a certain allowance of knick-knacks were provided for the bar week by week; and that the socialists had consumed the entire available stock on the first evening.
THE BOW GROUP'S complaint in its magazine Crossbow that the Prime Minister doesn't appear enough on television surprises me. I fancy that Ted Heath knows that he is poor on television, particularly when he is speaking directly, as it were, to the nation. He is best when facing questioning which, if not hnoor, ' not friendly. But Crossbow wants ;at it calls " Prime Ministerial broadcasts," and if that is what it wants, then it wants a different Prime Minister. Perhaps George McGovern, alter November, Could be drafted.
WHEN A STUDENT, Norman St JohnStevas tiptoeing to bed, was summoned by a frightened fellow student who had just seen a ghost in his Oxford rooms. Stevas came kindly in and made coffee for the afflicted hauntee. Then he departed. Later in the night the afflicted one heard another sinister 'noise outside his window. He was brave, and investigated. He discovered Mr Stevas pacing around the building telling his beads and sprinkling Holy Water in an effort to dispose of the ghost.
Tom Puzzle
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