Saturday 2 July 2011

The pleasure of giving?


I don't understand meanness. One of the great pleasures in life is giving. I think those of us who have children all recognise that moment when a child realises that the giving of Christmas presents is (almost!) as much fun as receiving them.

Some of the most generous people I have known have been the poorest. My mother was a case in point; she would - quite literally - give a friend the coat off her back if they happened to like it, and she never had any money. My sister is the same. Handicapped, and living in sheltered accomodation, she has never had her own house, and if she had two brass farthings, she would give them away even before she had time to rub them together.

Thus I was interested to read that the Blairs, who are apparently worth £60m, have charged their son's classmates £10 each towards the coach fare to convey them to an end-of-term party they are holding at their country pile (see above photo). Cars are not allowed, for security reasons.

That's all.

8 comments:

  1. If that's true - and let's acknowledge that one can't always believe what one reads in the press - then that is meanness of a quite astonishing order.

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  2. Hi, Alis. Yes - someone told me about it, and I Googled it to check. Unless the press have got it wrong, that's what happeed. It beggars belief, doesn't it.

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  3. Well that says it all, doesn't it. But what can you expect from a man who leaves the country in the state he did and then goes on to make millions giving speeches about it.
    I'm afraid I'm not at all surprised to hear he is so tight-fisted.

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  4. I'm surprised he can be so bare-faced, Gail. If I were going to be that mean, I'd try to be a bit more surreptitious about it. Sneak buttons into the church collection. That kind of thing.

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  5. Hi Frances .. I wonder if charity begins at home in the Blair household .. less said the better.

    You though have a wonderful week .. Hilary

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  6. Thanks, Hilary.

    Is charity that begins at home really charity? Discuss!

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  7. Hi Frances .. rather not! Thoughts about my family aren't too charitable and the Blairs less so .. just hope others have happier times. Quite certain it's my fault - but that's not up for discussion either!! Cheers for now - wonderful weather .. Hilary

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  8. Sounds most intriguing, Hilary...?

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