Carried away by emotions of the battlefield
Feb 10 2009 By John Bright
Lord Jones of Birmingham has been going all misty-eyed over his recent visit to the Falklands.
But his good wife, Lady Pat, has as usual been bringing him back to reality.
Seems that Digby, rather like Bright’s vicar on earth, John Duckers, former business editor of this great newspaper, can’t pass a battlefield site without the urge to tour round it.
He writes: “As you know I am rather a sad lad when it comes to battlefields.
“I am so intrigued with the judgment calls, the amazing stories of courage by unremarkable people, and the decisions made under fire in a split second upon which continents shift.
“Pat and I did a South American cruise. From Rio to Valparaisovia Montevideo, Buenos Aires and the Falklands.
“She enjoyed it all, except the yomp over the Goose Green battlefield. Three hours it took us – 2 Para took 36 hours of brave fighting.
“It was mid-summer, mid-day and two degrees above freezing!
“As we scaled the gulley and ridge where H Jones posthumously won the VC, I turned to a rather windswept, footsore, very cold Lady Pat and fulminated on the enormity of what these guys achieved and how lucky we were to be able to stand there and share in their glory … across the winds and rains of the South Atlantic.”
To which her response was: “Digs … get a life!”
Wonderful.
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Digby and Pat were not the only Brummies signed up for the cruise.
Also aboard were Ian Mackay and his wife Sheila – Ian is a director of BTG Tax, part of the Begbies Traynor group, in Birmingham.
Except, when they flew out to join up with the vessel, neither couple knew the other was on the trip.
“I heard this booming voice at Sao Paulo airport,” Ian notes. “I said, ‘I know that voice’, and sure enough it was Digby.
“I thought, ‘blow me, it’s a small world’.”
Yep, that Digby is pretty distinctive wherever he is.
Cunningly, Ian didn’t do the yomp. It seems the delights of the Globe Tavern in Port Stanley proved more attractive.
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And Digby is on holiday again soon – skiing in Zermatt in March.
Old chum Roman McAlindon and a host of others are going on their annual Arse First Club trip.
They’ve been all over the world down the years.
Digby writes: “We’re not renting a car from the airport in Switzerland, but catching a train … eeek!
“It’s the AFC’s acknowledgement to the recession, I am told.
“I don’t plan these things – the accountants in our group are doing it. Sign of the times!”
