My German mate, Thomas, sent me this picture of our dear and departed friend, Colin, yesterday. He would always give the Germans (Thomas and Tobias) a warm welcome if he knew exactly when they were due to arrive in the little Cotswold village, but failing that he would give them this sort of send-off as they left.
Some sort of flag would be hidden in the undergrowth, ready to pull out and wave as they drove off. Sometimes it was a skull and crossbones. Other flags included the German one (WW2 version), but never the European Union blue with a circle of stars.
When I introduced him to Thomas and Tobias, I took him to Hamburg with me, and we spend a few riotous nights on the Reeperbahn, going home at 10 in the morning after Colin had spent a couple of happy hours unwittingly kissing transvestites.
When we left, he said to T & T that there were two sorts of people that he had despised all his life - Germans and homosexuals. Meeting Tobias - who is both - had completely changed his attitude and made him understand that there was no great difference in humanity between people of all varieties, which was a welcome education for him. They became best of friends.
Thomas wondered in this email what Colin would have thought about the Brexit vote, and I said with complete confidence that he would have vouted 'out', and then regretted it the next morning, along with about 50% of the rest of us Brits who do not make goods for export.
I have only just thought of yet another cost to Europe caused by the exit - having to knock one star off all those flags. Shocking.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry that spare star can be used by Scotland.
ReplyDeleteOh yes. Good thinking.
DeleteIt's a good job they never bothered to add more stars when the later arrivals joined in, so no worries. I suspect that there will be a dreadful arguement now in the EU as to what will be their non English common language.
ReplyDelete