Fortitude
The public has remained calm in the fort- night since Sir Henry Marking, retiring head of the British Tourist Authority observed that Britain has the worst tourist information services in Western Europe. Nor have Sir Henry's detailed criticisms of the tourist facilities at Victoria Station led to a crusade on behalf of the unfortunate users of those particular facilities. But we would urge friends of the tourist not to despair. Two measures could be taken at Victoria to improve the lot of the tourist (and everyone else) without swelling the ranks of the Tourist Authority. First, Lon- don Transport could devise a way of selling tickets efficiently enough to abolish the queues of travellers which for years have encumbered the underground station there. Secondly the music with which British Rail began, in a fit of jollity, to flood the station before Christmas, and which has played ever since, could be turned off. This would save many an innocent visitor from the alar- ming impression that a military coup has just occurred.
As s Richard West has reported recently, .the Punjab is seething with Sikh discontent. In Swansea, however, Sikhs are happier. According to Blitz magazine, Peter Singh, who works on his family market stall, models himself on Elvis Presley and plans to become 'the first Sikh superstar'. Mr Singh's songs — which in- clude titles like `Who's Sari Now?' and 'My Poppadum Told Me' — are, says Blitz, `hotter than a vindaloo curry'. But Mr Singh does not imitate Presley's decadence. One of his songs declares: 'I don't smoke dope, l don't drink bourbon — all I want to do is shake my turban.'
It seems absurd, when so many people want a British passport, that Miss Zola Budd, the South African athlete, should be preferred so that she may have the chance of winning an Olympic medal 'for Britain'. But perhaps the precedent will be fruitful. One senior Cabinet minister has been sug- gesting that the Home Office should give passports to all South African teams' which tour Britain, and so enable them to play rugby, or whatever, unimpeded.
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