I would like to start my column today by offering sincere condolences to the family of Sir Anthony Mamo who departed from this life to better pastures last week at the venerable age of 99. As was fitting he was granted a state funeral. Sir Anthony, who was affectionately known as "Is-sur Ninu", was Malta's first President after our island became a Republic on December 13, 1974. He was the perfect example of a true gentleman and, incidentally, the only non-political President in the 34 years since we became a Republic. To date, all the others who followed him belonged to one of the two parties in Parliament.
Rue D'Argens, after the Manwel Dimech bridge, has also been re-opened to traffic but still traffic jams occur on the Regional Road. This time it's by the Kappara/Sliema Road roundabout. First we had lights installed - this didn't work; then we went back to square one and, hence, the ever-increasing blocked traffic. May I humbly put forward a suggestion even if it falls on deaf ears? Since the proposed flyover is not forthcoming, why not do away completely with the roundabout and instead create a crossroads with traffic lights on the lines of the one near the Addolorata cemetery at Marsa? It works perfectly there so why shouldn't it be tried on the Regional Road?
It has certainly been a nail-biting week for football fans. I am, of course, referring to the Manchester United vs Barcelona, Chelsea vs Liverpool and Fiorentina vs Rangers mid-week UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup Winners matches. Did the best teams always win? I am not going to comment on this; I will leave it up to you. And what about the "Derby della Madonnina" played last Sunday between AC Milan and Inter which ended in a 2-1 win for the former and so, temporarily, climb to the coveted fourth place in the Italian league championship, leap-frogging Fiorentina that went down with an identical score at Cagliari. If AC Milan win their remaining two games then they will be the fourth Italian team to participate in next season's UEFA Champions League. If they slip, and Fiorentina win their last matches, then the boys from Florence will take their place in Europe.
My job as a tour operator took me to London once again last week. There I was able to follow, through various TV Channels, the UK Labour Party's heavy defeat in the local councils elections. What amazed me was that, contrary to what happens in Malta and Gozo, there were no silent days on the eve of the elections or on the Election Day itself. Interviews with the various party leaders, as well as various vox-pops, were held continually on these two days. Why must we be treated as immature citizens? Cannot we try to do away with our silent days when the next elections are held?
I was always under the impression that the money we pay yearly in TV licence fees goes towards the upkeep of PBS and its employees - at least that's the way it was until recently. I have now been told that this is no longer so and PBS only receives €1,164,687 (about Lm500,000 yearly). If this is so then where does the TV licence fee go to? And if PBS receives the amount stated above then why isn't an equal sum distributed to Net, One and Smash television stations? An answer would be really appreciated.
Over the last few months there was a dearth of new musicals finding their way to London's West End theatres. Now, suddenly, we find three new musicals making their debut.
One is The Jersey Boys about which I commented a fortnight ago. This week this Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons musical is joined by Never Forget, featuring the songs and the life story of that popular boys band Take That, together with Marguerite, based on Alexander Dumas's Lady Of The Kamelia. The words and music of this new musical, set in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II, are by Alan Boubil and Claude − Michael Schonberg, the writing team behind Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. Ruthie Henshall stars as Marguerite, the mistress of a German officer who forms a dangerous romance with a young musician.
I have been reading various articles, letters and columns in the local press and have come across a sudden interest in Mount Etna. I never knew volcano watching was so popular among us Maltese and Gozitans.
norman.hamilton@hotmail.com