Great Western Coffee Shop

From The Metro (http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/10/john-prescott-got-bored-on-a-train-and-started-helping-make-tea-in-the-buffet-car-6120534)


What new roles would you envisage for retired politicians?

Interesting. I know he was a steward in a previous life but doesn't one have to have a multitude of hygiene and safety certificates to do as much as lean on the other side of the counter? He'll be opening the doors next!

How can anyone be bored on a train - unless you end up next to a pillar erroneously described as a 'window'?

In a tunnel, either of stone/brick/concrete or trees? Or possibly on the southern part of the ECML (wide open flat terrain with little variation for several hours)?

On how well Corbyn sat on the floor he could be a busker  ;D

Hardly a long term career, buffets cars are now considered to be an unaffordable luxury on new trains, and the survey to prove that they are no longer wanted has been done.

He's wasted on tea. He should whip something up with eggs.

 :D

I recently learnt from some Icelandic friends I met this summer, that Prescott, in 1974 as a junior backbencher, put a lot of effort, and went out on a limb against the wishes of the UK government, into brokering a peaceful end to the last cod war.  He gained a lot of respect from the Icelanders for being the voice of reason, someone who had actually been to sea and therefore knew just how dangerous the UK-Icelandic skirmishes could be, and, as MP for Hull and Hessle, someone who actually understood something about the fishing industry. 

There is a maritime museum in Reykjavik with newspaper photos and TV footage of a tall, dark, handsome and young (but still undeniably recognisable  :) ) "Englendingurinn" confidently strolling around Reykjavik harbour and warmly shaking the hand of various Icelandic Coastguard captains.   

Iceland is indeed a wonderful place notwithstanding I was there last 36 years ago. My university colleague who joined me on that scientific mission is half Icelandic and his retired father was the British ambassador to Iceland at the time of the Third (and last) Cod War. He [the father] took a pragmatic approach to the problem –  which did not please his superiors in Whitehall.  He too was a well-respected man in Iceland, as I personally observed. There are not many career diplomats that do not retire with a knighthood – he was one of them.  The Establishment is not easily crossed.

Reviewing footage of the conflict my colleague asked …

“Do you remember the Mad Axeman?”

[… a Viking captain of an Icelandic gunboat who famously, on TV footage, waved a double-headed battle-axe at a fully armed Royal Navy frigate shouting [in Icelandic] words to the effect of “come on, if you think you’re hard enough!”]

“Yes” I said.

“That's Uncle Olaf … !”

Thanks for your memories. 

You might be interested in this Film which is on the iplayer for 7 months http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074lrg (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074lrg)  It suggests that the British Embassy came very close to being burnt down at one point. 

.....he was a steward on an Ocean Liner, latterly when he walked into the House of Commons he was greeted with shouts of "Gin & Tonic please Giovanni!" from the Conservative benches............

John Prescott was also known in the House as 'Two Jags', because he owned two Jaguar cars.  He was challenged about his environmental credentials on that, by someone who suggested that John Prescott's idea of a 'park and ride' was to park one of them and ride in the other.  ::)

However, Prescott was also something of an amateur boxer, in his younger days.  His nickname was therefore changed, when he had something of a contretemps with a man who allegedly threw an egg at him: John was thenceforward known as 'Two Jabs'.  ;) :D ;D

As Tony Blair was quoted as saying after the incident with the egg - "John is John".  ;D

Thanks Tim, That was indeed very interesting and I did get to finally meet 'Uncle Olaf'. A well balanced article and I can now fully understand the old Ambassador's frustration.  No mention of him - and he was long gone by the time the programme was recorded.  It appears to have been driven primarily by the MAFF and not the FO. Couldn't find the bit about wanting to burning the UK embassy though!