Healthier than fried Yogi....

so, it comes tothe Beards attention that Bear Grylls, that strangely young and beardles adventurer, is now chief scout, following in the tracking marks of such greaats as Lord Rowallan, George Purdey and Peter Duncan.... now, whether this choice is controversial or not is up to you, enlightened reader.... but to the Beard, the choice seems a sound one.... unfortunately, young Bear (although, to be honest he reminds me more of a mustelid... either a feret, or, being slightly more charitable, a pine marten....) has had, as part of his many interviews, been asked several times about the suposedly fake broadcasts that he made in the past.. with bill Turnbull (ex scout and bad knot tyer that he was) bringinging up the first Scout Law, that a Scout is to be trusted.... tohis credit, Bear has apologised on several occasions.... but, I hear you ssay, is a self confessed fake a ssuitable role model...??? well, to put in my peters pence, the answer is yes.. and why?? simply that he has kept to his promise for all his life.... the Scout Promise is a wonderful thing... when one takes it (as the beard did in his long ago youth, one promises to DO MY BEST to keep the Scout Law (emphasis by the beard hisself, to lapse into East Midlands...) the very late and very great Baden Powell, still my main hero along with Captain Scarlet and the man on the back of the plane in the Potomac, was very emphatic on the subject... he recognised that in a Scouts life therre would be times when, due to external pressure, worries, and so on, a scout would end up breaking the Scout Law... but as long as he (or she) did their best to keep it, recognised their lapse, and sought to make up for it, then that was ok by BP.. so it should be ok by us.... and as an aside, the Scout Law, so easy to keep with its emphasis on do and no don'ts at all, is, more so than any other list, a near perfect model of the ideal cosde of conduct, and as such bears publishing here.... from the Beards memory, which is slightly less than perfect..... A scout is to be trusted, a scout is loyal, a scout is friendly and considerate, a scout has courage in all dificulties, a scout is a member of the worldwide family of scouts, a scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property, and a scout has self respect and respect for others... and if we had more of all that, we'd have a better world.... so until we all gryll our bears, Wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard the Third... and that's not rhyming slang....

but rather one of my favourite British (or fairly close to, anyway) monarchs, along with Canute, or Knut, Elizabeth I, and Macbeth, the last of whom deserves our sympathy simply for being married to someone called Gruach, which sounds like some archaic oat-based muesli.... but I digress.... today saw the Beard, along with the junior version, and a certain young lady paying our respects to the brave Duke of Gloucester, king for two years, and the last English King to die in battle so far.... as brave a man as one could wish to meet... and wouldn't history have been duifferent had he won....for a start we would have no Simnel cake at easter..... and that would apparently be a loss.... but it rounded off a fantastic weekend for all.... beginning at my second home (also known as the Scout Hut, for a car wash, during which the young lady's car became seen to be green, aa quick (or not so quick ) almost accidental fixing of the same car's cooling system, and the meeting of this beautiful person with the beard's parents over a carvery, the weekend wqs off to a good start.. and as to sunday, all I dare say is WOW!!! but yet again I digress... a strange encounter with the ex Mrs Beard and a lego brick was to follow, then a much appreciated trip to Wing Wah in Burton, that beloved all you can eatery.... and believe me, we ate! my usual behaviour in those places is simply to take a little bit of everything, and try it all... and sunday night was no disappointemnt.. the steak in red wine, although not seeming particualarly Chinese, was very tasty, and as usual, copious amounts of seaweed disappeared very quickly.... and the young lady herself was very impressed, despite the Beard becoming slightly distracted by the legs of another young lady sitting close by... but the hirsute one managed to pass it all off in the dubious name of research.. its all to do with novels, and the less said probably the better.... but today's bank holiday led us to the field of Bosworth, and the revamped visitor centre.... I remember going to it in the long agao, and sitting through old Billy's version of Bosworth fight, with larry Olivier doing his best crookback.... I must say the new film is far more accurate, and dare I say better acted.... and the CYL was very impressed, especially by the range of headgear available.... after a car-bound picnic (the Beard being proclaimed King of Tabbouleh) a stroll around the fields uncovered King Dick's well, and the alleged site of Good King Richard's death.... then a stroll around the canal, a discussion on the merits of the shewee, a cup of tea, and finally the drive home.... and a sorrowful parting.. but as I say, a great weekend..... and a few ideas.... the beard's plan for a kid's book is being well received in certain quarters, and several other possible publications are in the swimming around the head stage..... but of thsoe more later.... its time to hit the other pc (due it being severely uncooperative , and myself being a fan of the Regan method...)and get some of said ideas down in pixellated form.... so until we can all be brave in the thickest press of our enemies, Wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!