Smoke Gets In Your Square Eyes

I see those publicity-seeking Top Gear chaps have whipped up a bit more controversy by smoking pipes during last Sunday's programme. I say 'whipped up' because I suspect they knew exactly what they were doing, being an old hand at the TV game myself.

You see, the smoking ban in England covers workplaces and enclosed public spaces, but, unlike Scotland, excludes theatre stages and film and TV sets. So by lighting up their briars during the programme, they would have known that it would get the anti-smoking brigade, er, hot under the collar, but were safe in the knowledge that they couldn't be hauled off to spend time at Her Majesty's pleasure (where one can also, of course, puff as much as one likes).

A clear cut case of the BBC faking a controversy, if you ask me!

Fake BBC controversy on real BBC website

Nice Little Earner

Flaming pay packets! I see that the Chief Executive of Kent County Council is on £229,000 a year, according to a new report by the Taxpayers' Alliance.

Peter Gilroy is one of five UK council officers who earnt more than 200,000 smackers last year. Talk about snouts in the trough! For that kind of dosh, I'd expect him to come round here and scoop up the barkers' nests personally!