Zurich Citizens News, 1981-07-30, Page 4Page 4
Citizens News July 30, 1981
A
Miscellaneous
Rumblings
ROB CHESTER
Yesterday's wedding of Prince Charles and
Lady Diana has prompted me to give careful con-
sideration to my own impending wedding.
Of course Carol and I don't plan anything as .os-
tentatious as St. Paul's Cathedral, nor do we ex-
pect world-wide television coverage( A photographer
with a Brownie will be recording events for
posterity) or an unofficial guest list of some 7.5
million onlookers. I plan to be nervous enough with
just the 75 or -so guests.
Our vows too, you will be happy to note, do not
include the words "promise to obey". (Carol
wanted me to say them but I'd have no part of it.)
But in our wedding there is a significant difference.
While most everyone in the world will not obey me,
Lady Di may be the only British subject who will
not have made the pledge to her king.
It's the stuff gothic novels are made of — evok-
ing perhaps the tale of King Arthur. Arthur of
course. beloved by his countrymen is betrayed by a
faithless wife. This isn't assuming anything about
the Prince and his lady's relationship, but unlike
most of us erstwhile British colonials tripping off to
the gallows for treason, Lady Di could smile her lit-
tle smile and say, "I never promised you a rose gar-
den." and no court in the land would convict her.
The point however of this column is not to be
grim.
And I am sure that Prince Charles will be
gladdened when he hears the Zurich Citizen's News
sends the royal couple best wishes.
Though I haven't discussed it with HRH, I think
by mutual agreement we decided not to exchange
"Sorry, I don't make house calls.
wedding presents. I had to work during yesterday's
wedding, so I'm not dissappointed that I did not get
invited.
Charles I'm sure will have a busy schedule
around the middle. of August and with the mail
strike a lot of our invitations are not -getting out.
So rather than me send them a coffee per-
colator and they sending Carol and I an estate in
Wales, I thought it would be'best for both couples
just to keep the money and buy something we both
really like.
The news of the wedding has dominated inter-
national front pages for many days. The rest of the
news has appeared in smaller type and almost as a
sideshow to the main event of the marriage.
With the third world war about to break out in
the middle east, riots in Northern Ireland and even
in cities such as Liverpool in England, our own
postal strike and the Canadian dollar going down for
its last gasp — good god man there's even a baseball
strike — it seems a little irrelevant for the details of
Lady Di's wedding dress to make the front page.
Before you jump the gun and suggest this sort of
coverage is better then pictures of Margaret
Trudeau, I agree. However, with middle page fillers
over the years dominated by news of who Charles
might or might not be going out with and who the
bride-to-be is going to be, I remind you that the next
item of no -news will be the simple question of "is
she or isn't she?"
Hint: Lady Diana's main interest is children.
Need I say more?
An interesting interview which may have made
front page were it not for more pressing social
events was a twelfth page interview in Tuesday's
Globe.
It interviewed the general commanding the
PLO forces in Lebanon.
In short he was sticking out his tongue at the
Israelis and daring them to invade Lebanon.
He stated, and most would agree, that the only
way his guerilla troops could be defeated was by a
full-scale invasion. It showed a complete lack of
compromise on the part of the PLO.
He seemed to think it was humorous that the
Israelis were shelling and bombing targets in
Lebanon where guerilla activity had been taking
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News Editor Rob Chester
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place. The Israelis bomb the roads and bridges, but
the guerillas rarely use vehicles and can easily
travel across country.
I'm afraid that we are going to come to the
stage where the Israelis will point out this lack of
compromise to the world by launching a full scale
invasion.
I'm sure the Lebanese who are caught in the
middle have more important things on their minds
than royal weddings.
k
With the fair theme dealing with days gone by and
the 125th. anniversary still much in everyone's
minds Zurich parents may be excused for thinking
more about the past than the future.
But like the royal family our future is our
children.
When Constable Gaeler of the OPP inspected 29
bicycles at the Zurich playground, not one of the 29
would pass the check.
Loose handle bars and no bell were only the
lesser problems. One bike had no working brake
system, and another had wicked metal tubes stick-
ing out where the pedals should go.
While Constable Gaeler was able to maintian
his sense of humor (all the bikes were liable to fines
if ridden on the roads) he seemed to almost shudder
at the condition of the bicycles.
After 13 years on the force, I can only imagine
the variety of bike -related accidents he's seen.
He suggests a twice monthly inspection of
children's bikes.
I must agree with him when he says he can't un-
derstand how you can ride a bike with loose handle
bars.
THIRSTY STATUE - No this isn't another lifestyle beer ad,
simply evidence of pranksters at work in Hensall. It does make
you wonder though- standing there all day in the recent heat
wave...