Treading the boards
Page 13

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Take a stroll with us through the untraveled bywa) of road transport; the diversions and detours, the quirky, the quixotic and the downright strange...
As a journal of record there is no way we could ignore the "ci sive'' goings on at the SMMT annual dinner-dance-jambc charity-raffle-a-then (and to be honest we'd be left wit awkward space to fill). Step forward then Mr William Ha, late of Conservative Central Office, who, for a fee in the re of £7,000, proceeded to entertain/offend the asseml guests with a string of Irish and gay jokes. Comments al not wanting a 'reverse gear" with Peter Mandleson arc are a little near the knuckle (so to speak), but in fairnes also had a go at former Tory peers, America, Australian rt, players and, especially, John Prescott. Our man shamelE admits to being one of the 99% who enjoyed the pert ance, probably because there were no anti-Welsh jokes influence of Mrs Fffffffff ion Hague, maybe?
On the subject of Conservative MPs, can you guess the con tion between a former iveco truck salesman turned sha cabinet minister, and the TV and film work of Richard Cu Observant viewers will have noticed that all of Curtis's v from Blackadder to his latest Love Actually, features a c acter, usually stupid, called Bernard. The reason, apparE is that Curtis's former girlfriend Anne went on to become Bernard Jenkin, a fact that the writer is loath to let go.
Congratulations and a William Hague-style toast to several t age types who recently competed in the 31st annual C Ormond Street Hospital Charity Driving Challenge. 7 Barking Mad, comprising Roger Burrows of Kent-ix John Bourne & Co and co-driver James Piddock, scoc the 'Best Newcomer' award and finished third overall. have raised over £3,500 for GOSH with donations frorr likes of John Bourne & Co, British Sugar Topsoil, Han Woodland Horticulture, Heicom Tree Sand, TMA, Trevor I Gardenscape, County Mulch, Tarmac, G Webb, Mike Transport, FM Conway, DAT, Mid Hants Haulage and RN