Girls Not Aloud

By golly what a month November was! On a baronial level it has seen a visit to London so that dearest Dottie could attend some Palace of Westminster bash and yours truly could enjoy three day's wandering from one watering hole to another with a few chums, wearing out some shoe leather seeing the sights and sounds of London with the occasional cultural exhibition thrown in. Sampling a few London restaurants remains a pleasure with excellent food and service; although I do hope that monies raised by the universal practice of adding a 12.5% service charge plus often a cover charge to one's bill, do filter down to the hard working staff.
 Last month my thanks must also go to the Synod of The Church of England, not only for the caption title of these wanderings, but for then capping 20 years of moral torture by voting against the appointment of Women Bishops! Even the nominally more Conservative Presbyterian Church of Scotland has appointed a woman Moderator of the General Assembly, and the Scottish Government has a female Presiding Officer, although to be honest I cannot recall the name of either paragon.
The month also brought a letter from the Forestry Commission threatening a substantial fine (£5000) if I didn't do something about Ash Die-Back in Glen Trollaigh. I had always thought ash die back was a problem with H Upmann cigars when you spent too much time on your turn at Billiards of a winter's evening. Unfortunately the Forestry Commission have not grasped that only they have planted Ash in Scotland and hopefully they will sack some of their "expert consultants" although this seems very unlikely.
The West Highland Free Press will be shaking in their dancing pumps over the Leveson Enquiry into press standards after a crofter gave evidence that the WHFP printed a story based on a private conversation on lamb price fixing overheard in a drinking bothan in Back, Lewis; whatever next!
Actually I can answer that question myself over the unbelievable development where 2 children in the care of an English Local Authority were removed from their foster parents when it was discovered that the foster parents were members of the UK Independence Party, a fairly harmless group of middle class disillusioned Tories who oppose the UK membership of the European Union. Strange to tell Rotherham, the authority involved, were just about to hold a parliamentary by-election where UKIP were to field a candidate against the city sponsored Socialist candidate. Big Brother is watching!
However the good city fathers of Rotherham had not too much to fear as their Police Chief managed to get into post with the support of only 7% of local voters.
Here's to December, currently surrounded by dazzling Alpine snow, ice and sub zero temperatures, with the old grey cells being much occupied on the planning of how to relieve the Forestry Commission of one of their finer Noble Firs for the traditional Long Gallery of Trollaigh Christmas tableaux. Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.