FAR BE IT for a humble Commercial Mc man to
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question the words of the sixth 1 count Sidmouth, but wasn't his Lords slightly wrong when he recalled that in last century the Schleswig-Holstein qu tion was understood by only two men, c of whom was dead?
If memory serves aright, whoever int the claim to know all about that territ wanted by Germany and Denmark said t there was a third knowledgeable charac — and he was mad.
Well, we haven't had time to check, t presumably Lord Sidmouth had no fan political diaries to look up — after all, it v at the beginning of the last century that great-great-great grandfather succeec William Pitt as the fifth Prime Minister. let us call the situation stalemate.
Mark you, it might have been to Lord mouth's advantage if he had been ablE call in aid that third man — for he speculating that perhaps only two men whom he was not one) understood the tal investment of British Rail.
For, in his speech opening the Lords bate on transport policy, he implied t only a madman could understand what happening.
Certainly he — and many of the It speakers — seemed more in favour of than road. And some surprising speali there were.
Lord Noel-Baker, for instance. Nowad he is associated almost entirely with ct paigns for world peace, yet there he v) full of facts and figures and recalling days as Churchill's Parliamentary Secret in the Ministry of War Transport.
It will not surprise anyone who has tened to an Upper House debate to kr that it was not all transport facts and figt. which occupied the attention of their Lc ships and Ladyships.
There was the odd literary reference, s as the Countess of Loudon saying that quiries into a by-pass round Ashby-d€ Zouch, where she lives, had become a ter-day Jamdyce v Jarndyce (see Si House, with only the mad Miss 'Rite pecting judgment. On a more homely le Lord Davies of Leek remembered that of his favourite books when he wa: youngster was Moleskin Joe, all abot. man who helped to build the Woodh Rail Tunnel.
Then there were times when the Yot Davies lay in bed listening to the ti whistle — marvellous sounds that made worth living, he recalled.
It must be admitted that the sound c lorry or its horn does not have the SE magic.