I came across an old post of mine last night as I was cleaning up my files. It seems a pity to bin it so here it is (drafted in October 2016). As my memory ain't what it was, apologies if you've seen it previously.
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If I was a local Labour councillor in one of Neath's Town wards I'd be wary of broadcasting certain things on social media. That's because I'd be extremely conscious of the fact that not all could live in as affluent a manner as I could, and writing openly about frequent wining and dining out wouldn't do one's reputation any favours. As a gourmet and bon vivant perhaps - but not as a councillor.
Remember, these are Wards where beggars doss in shop doorways, drunks p*ss in the streets, a woman had public sex with several men and the results posted on social media - with the inevitable intervention by Peter Hain MP. No - not at the sh*gging patently. I mean a comment for the Evening Post! Yet Labour councillors proudly proclaim the initiative known as Operation Avalanche for the police to clean up the place.
Well I tell you this - it still looks exactly the bleeding same to me.
But coming back to one of the councillors responsible for this patch, tweeting you are enjoying a "bottle of bolly" suggests an extravagance that few can or would want to stretch to, even if the occasion was a special one. Especially when the menu for the establishment lists said bottle (Bollinger, naturellement) at the price of £65.
Now the armchair psychologist in me reckons that "bolly" is this councillor (and his wife's) drink of choice because it features in so many Bond movies. Maybe they have bought in to the advertiser's link between their fizzy product and the exciting, hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle of 007. Maybe our councillor secretly sees himself as an MI5 Agent. Maybe his wife looks in the mirror and sees a Bond girl? Maybe, Stan, you'd better remember that Bond has a Licence to Kill! But seriously, I can remember that we once had a Plaid Cymru councillor who was in the running to be the actual movie Bond. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8147651.stm
My own experience of expensive alcohol is that it is over-rated and over-priced. Anyone who really appreciates bang for your buck knows that you can indulge yourself with some excellent beverages for a modest outlay even these days. Spending all that money on a bottle of bubbly is sheer snobbery and ignorance - I'd warrant I could find you better stuff at a third of the cost or less. But it ain't "Bolly" so wouldn't have the same kudos in a tweet to be seen by your friends and fellow councillors. After all, what's the point of social media posts of this type if not to make friends and colleagues jealous and prove what an utter prat you are?
There are people in NPT, probably in that councillor's own ward, dependent on foodbanks to feed themselves. How would you think they felt if they read what was posted? Have some humility for Christ's sake! (Stan - come on? A humble Labour councillor? That's the classic definition of an oxymoron!)
With elections coming up soon some of these Labour councillors may need to moderate what they are posting in the public domain, and that may be the reason for the wife of the Labour councillor I am referring to now hiding her tweets like a squirrel stashing away its nuts.
Many people are pretty peed off with their lot right now and are in the mood to give the established order a kicking. As a nation of animal lovers, traditionally we have been loth to give our beloved Donkey a good thrashing. It's about time that changed. There will be a golden opportunity come May.
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It would be remiss of me not to show the original social media post (it was posted August 2016 for history buffs) that led to me drafting this so here it is:
"Ab Fab" clearly refers to "Absolutely Fabulous". Draw your own conclusions on that statement. But the series and film are based on women who use their considerable financial resources to fund an over-indulgent lifestyle in an attempt to maintain their youth and recapture their glory days. I rest my case......
