What a load of Cob---blers.....

No, I have not been over-taxing the local shoe repair industry here in Fenland.

Rather, I have been following the story of Mr Asbo, the swan, in The Cambridge News.

Actually, it's really all quite reassuring.

I mean, here we all are, poised on the brink of global financial meltdown, facing the end of the Euro, and, therefore, The-World-As-We-Know-It, and what occupys the minds of the professional protesters of rent-a-mob?

A swan.

Yes.

He's been moved off the Cam, somewhere he and his brood can live in peace without fear of being annoyed by oarsmen.

BUT, an Anarchist organisation (I know, the non-sequitor warning indicator light is steady red....), calling itself Class War has threatened to disrupt the Cambridge Bumps (rowing races) in order to protest against the removal of Mr Asbo from these waters, the clipping of his wings to prevent his return, and generally to stick it to the bunch off 'toffs' and 'chinless wonders' (both appellations have been widely noised abroad in the paper's letters page) who row the river Cam.

I am a boater, not a rower.

Sometimes, some rowers have done silly things near the bows or stern of The Mighty Pippin which have caused me more than a few grey hairs. And yes, because of them, we avoid the upper Cam (above Baits Bite lock) during term-time weekends.

Instead we go all the way to Ely to pump out.

Do I hate them for it?

No.

It's just commonsense.

I like rowers. (Just not within 20 feet of Pippin's moving prow, or mucking around in our wash near the big bad mincer thingy.....)

A lot of complete idiots, of all colours of the political spectrum, have sought to use poor Mr Asbo as a weapon to beat the rowers, the University, the 'establishment' and even that benighted organisation of failure and doom, Camcon, with.

Just because some arrogant Australian self-publicist managed to halt the Boat Race, must we now put up with Dave Spart and his ilk jumping on the band wagon (band raft?) and bellowing obscenities from the bank?

Oh for God's sake, grow up!

You are beginning to piss me off.

(See earlier post 'The Boater's Prayer'.............)

:-)