10 August 2011 (Wednesday) - Our Very Own Riot

As riots continue making the headlines, we had a riot of our own last night. Rumours had abounded yesterday about a riot planned to take place at the MacArthur Glen Outlet Centre, and apparently at about 10.30pm last night several hundred hoody-wearing children all turned up. No one actually did any rioting: everyone waited for someone else to be brave enough to start. The police arrived, and told the children all to go home, and so they did.

Thirty or so of them went home via Whitfeld Road (just round the corner from my house), and feeling brave because no police were about, they started running up and down the street shouting obscenities. Within minutes three police vehicles arrived and bundled up one or two of the braver oiks who’d been dumb enough to go through someone’s dustbin. The police then set off again, and the children went home.

Whilst that was happening the local people of my acquaintance were Facebooking like crazy. In retrospect very little harm was done, but at the time it was rather exciting, and local people were rather scared. If there’s a repeat performance any time soon I honestly believe it will be met with vigilantes. And then the trouble will really start.

There was excitement at work today as well. The ladies were all of a-twitter. They were all planning to go to the gym – tonight is (apparently) beefcake night. Which is nice if you like that sort of thing.

For those of us of a less athletic nature, a colleague was boasting of his new kitten. Apparently it’s a crossbreed cat. Half Siberian, and half (and I quote) “whatever shagged the mummy cat”. There are several theories as to precisely what it was that “shagged the mummy cat”. Bearing in mind that the only Siberian cat of which I am aware is a tiger, I’m of the opinion that whatever it was, it was big and scary. I wouldn’t mess with a tiger – I have first hand experience of them. Did I ever mention that among my many achievements, I have actually been bitten by a tiger?

And that’s me signing off till Monday. I’m off on my holiday. Should anyone see this as an advert that the house will be empty and an invitation to come robbing, I’d love to see the look on their face when they interrupt whatever it is that  “My Boy ^TM ” gets up to when his mummy and daddy aren’t supervising him….