New Agenda on Sunday. is out! Edition of 11 December 2016

https://paper.li/f-1346065353

Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday, it what many regular readers of this weekly circular may regard as a glaring oversight, I omitted to mention that Balls had departed. No longer will we and his long suffering partner have to endure the gingham check shirts, the vivid eye watering yellow suit, the rather curious hat and waistcoat and the other assorted garbs which Balls managed to lever himself into over the weeks. Nor will we have the embarrassing spectacle of the former Shadow Chancellor plodding around the dance floor, roughly in time with the music but out of sync with his facial expression. Not as bad as John Sergeant back in 2008, but certainly giving the impression of trying for Sergeant's title.

"Why", you are wondering am I raising the matter of the departed Balls this week. Well, it seems that a recent poll has revealed that the popularity of the

Former shadow Chancellor has soared among voters by a staggering 28 percentage points. Apparently, Mr Balls's performances, "shed light on a more playful, amenable side to Mr Balls" lifting his "favourability" rating from minus 39% in 2015 to the dizzy heights of only minus 11% today. An achievement worthy of mention.

Adrian Anthony"A. A."Gill (28 June 1954 – 10 December 2016) R I P.

An English writer and critic. He was The Sunday Times' restaurant reviewer as well as a television critic.

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921– December 8, 2016) R I P.

An American aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. In 1962 he became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling three times.

I mention these two men as further additions to the list of personalties, celebrities or others who have passed away during this year. A number of names on the list were of some age where it would not come as any great surprise to learn of their passing. However, it seems to me that the year 2016 has witnessed an inordinate amount of obituaries announced in the media, on television and in the press.

It may be my imagination, but it certainly seems odd.

You must have seen the "story" of Boris Johnson, Saudi Arabia and Theresa May. Now I am no big fan of the buffoon (but not such a buffoon as he would have us believe), Johnson. In fact I am not a little fan either, but in fairness, I find that the reaction of Theresa May in "slapping down," Johnson for telling the truth to be hypocritical in the extreme.

Read my "take" at: http://new-agenda2012.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/the-hypocrisy-of-diplomacy-concealing.html (copy and paste link.)

Meanwhile, back in Jersey, a planning decision on the conversion of the former NatWest bank in St Aubin into an Indian restaurant has been delayed for a month. I love St Aubin as I have previously mentioned, and I was looping forward to having a "real" Indian restaurant added to the choice of restaurants in the village. 

The original "Shapla"

We used to eat at the Shapla before it was taken over by the Boat House group and turned into the "Spice House" (Not recommended read my Tripp advisor review).

The Spice House. (Not recommended)

Hopefully it will not be too long before the application is passed and the Miah family, who ran the Shapla, can begin work on the conversion. We are looking forward with watering mouth to Papadums with dips, Chicken Korma, Pilau rice, Nann bread, etc etc.

The predictions of extreme cold, frost, snow biting winds and a very White Christmas have not materialised. Clearly, the seaweed is well passed its sell by date and the media may have to resort to the old fashioned guess work.

In the meantime, it seems to be getting warmer with temperatures in double figures !

Have a nice week.