Saturday 27 November 2010

Diplomatic Leek

Amid allegations of the stifling of `free speech` and `D` Notices allegedly whizzing like fireworks  amongst those guardians of truth and liberty, the British Press, the `world` waits for the latest wikid leaks to cause red faces and a possible breakdown in diplomatic relations between America and everyone else. I can steal a little of the thunder of these odious ticks, but this time it wasn't my own spies that slipped me the gossip, it was something that has been in the public domain for some considerable time.  I nevertheless felt it was appropriate to show it again, here, so that any of my blog pals can prepare themselves for the worst...brace yourselves gang, it seems that Turkey is in for it again.


7 comments:

Old BE said...

Three cheers for the thirty year rule! Although I am in principle pro-Freedom of Information, it does rather limit the potential for humour between civil servants.

JuliaM said...

I don't know if that's true or a wind up. But by god, if it's not true, it ought to be!

Hogdayafternoon said...

Blue/JuliaM: I believe this to be a genuine letter. It's priceless!

Anonymous said...

It's a good job we never became penpals Hoggie - I'm sure we must both have said lots about some of the berks we worked for that would have been career suicide if made public.

The ludicrous thing about Wikileaks is that we actually do know what it claims to expose; it's just most people can't deal with the education needed. Gosh! We call each other ****s behind each other's backs!
Given what is happening over the Robin Hood Airport 'threat' and these D notices over dross, I'm inclined to think we need to get a grip in favour of free speech and against 'manners'.

Hogdayafternoon said...

ACO/Roller Dude: I totally agree. The career suicide I committed was rejecting the irritating and regular demands of my old Chief for me to join his bloody senior officers mess. I was an outlaw from then onwards.

It takes a real Senior Foreign Office Civil Servant to insult someone in such a way that they don't realise it's happened until days/weeks/months/years later.

I once saw something said by a Diplomat, that summed it up nicely: "The British may have a Morris Minor economy, compared to that of America, but they have a Rolls Royce diplomacy" I wonder if that still holds true?

Anonymous said...

Your boiler story nearly had me travelling north with an arrest warrant Hoggie. News of your new installation broke coincidentally with that of one being nicked in Greater Manchester. The old conspiratorial detective mind was ticking away, until I heard they'd already been lifted. A leak from the boiler left a frozen trail to the scumbags' drum! Sometimes, I really miss the Job!

Hogdayafternoon said...

Archy`: The guys who fitted the new one placed the old, heavy duty, cast iron one at the end of our drive. They were amazed to see it was still there at lunchtime. They said that where they do most of their work, in and around Hull, it would have gone in under 15 minutes and have been at the scrap metal dealers in under 30. I guess we live in an area with different values. Perhaps I should tell our estate agents!