Tales From the Norton Sub Hamdon bus

We are lucky to have a good hourly bus service taking 25 mins from Norton into Yeovil from roughly 7 am to 7 pm. OAP bus passes work from 9:30 onwards and it’s quite a nice social group that meet up at the bus stop  just opposite Paddy’s house around 9:50 for 10:00 bus and a natter. I have never seen Paddy or Jane on the bus which is a great pity as it’s a great way of finding out people’s views on everything local and international.

When my son was 2, he was a great talker and much preferred buses to cars. He used to walk up and down the gangway engaging anyone who wanted to speak to him in conversation. He had a captive audience for 25 minutes and boy did he make the most of it. He still is a great talker, and I remember having a meal in our local, the Lord Nelson, and owing to a shortage of tables we were seated with a former Tory agent and his wife. Neil, my son, by then at Oxford and president of OUCA, started talking as was his want and the lady was vastly impressed and suggested he consider a career in politics. Neil is very close and already knew everybody worth knowing in the Tory party but was much too clever to be involved with the Tories.

It was clear that even at the age of 2 Neil knew better how to work an audience than Paddy and the Lib Dems ever did. They have become so out of touch with the electorate and only like talking to other Lib Dems. All they have to do is to wait for the 10:00 bus and talk to ordinary people but this is an anathema to Lib Dem bien pensants. I fear they will lose big in the coming election.

I took my title today from Rudyard Kipling’s, ‘Plain tales from the hills’ and I hope to cast a Mrs Haswksbee from the regular passengers.