Passchendale blues

Tomorrow Queenie Brenda Windsor will travel to Ypres where she will form part of an international gathering to mark the 90th anniversary of the third battle of Ypres – more popularly known as the battle of Passchendale. She will be accompanied at this event by representatives of the devolved administrations. Oor Eck is already in Brussels wining and dining with the EU's big Commissioner boys and girls in readiness for the day when he rules the roost in an independent Scotland. And as a consequence of Rhodri M’s unfortunate health blip, the devolved Welsh government will be represented at the commemorations by the newly sworn-in deputy first minister of the Assembly and leader of Plaid Cymru, Ieuan Wyn Jones. RRR is unsure if Northern Ireland will be represented at the event – though if so then Brenda might well find herself accompanied by a Scottish nationalist, a Welsh nationalist, and quite possibly a former leading light in the provisional IRA. As Ollie might be heard to muse on the vagaries of constitutional reform...“that’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into Mr Blair.” All of this to be followed next week by a meeting of the British-Irish Council...strange, though interesting, days.