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Wednesday, 31 May 2006
Name to conjure with
 London's Evening Standard reports that a 79-year-old market trader has been given an ASBO (anti-social behaviour order) for swearing at council officials. His name? George Mothersole. I can't be the first person to conjure with this name. His schooldays must have been made a misery. You'd think they'd take this into account, as well as his age and the fact that the council officials probably deserved to be sworn at, because council officials often do. And what did he used to sell at the market? Bananas. Posted on 8:22 AM by Mary Jackson
Comments
31 May 2006
Esmerelda Weatherwax An ASBO. How times have changed. When my paternal grandmother (15 stone and very bad tempered) raced to my grandfather's aid with a rifle and fixed bayonet during an altercation in the market (this was early 1940 and my oldest uncle had brought it home from the militia, and probably against regulations, to show my youngest uncles) I believe that she was only bound over and fined half a guinea. That's 10/6 in old money, 55p or $1 & E1 in new. 31 May 2006
Mary Jackson ASBOs are used by Stalinist New Labour to penalise the eccentric. I hate to be pedantic, but wouldn't half a guinea (it was a lot of money in them days) be 52.5p, rather than 55p? No wonder they got rid of them. 31 May 2006
Esmerelda Weatherwax You are quite right. I ran out of thumbs doing the maths. |