There wouldn’t be many awards left if we kept asking for them back

It appears that Jimmy Carr is to blame and that people such as Gary Barlow (who has given money to the Tory Party) might (but not necessarily, according to Mr Cameron) be in there as well somewhere. Some folk are suggesting that Mr Barlow should return his OBE but I have to say that if everyone who has been awarded one for doing what they do anyway, there wouldn’t be many awards around. The world of show business is full of Sir this and Lady that or Dame whatever and all they ever achieved was a lot of money for their work. The business world also has its fair share of Lords and such like who gave (or should that be donated?) some of their fortune to a political party.

I’m not quite sure what the difference is between a Lord or a Sir. I did once think of asking Lord Coe when I met him some years ago, but he was very busy on his mobile phone and only had the time to shake my hand and smile as he went by. I know he won an Olympic medal of course and that he didn’t appear to get on very well with fellow runner Steve Ovett, but surely that can’t be the reason... can it?

Still we don’t need to worry too much because Wimbledon will soon be over and we can then all look forward to making loads of money from the Olympics.

> On a different subject, but one that has been bothering me, is the definition ‘ordinary’. I tried to find it because it is often used by politicians when they speak about the rest of us.

There are several meanings in The Webster’s dictionary – among them; ‘of no special interest’, ‘commonplace’, ‘unexceptional’, ‘undistinguished’ and (I like this) ‘formerly in England a member of the clergy appointed to prepare condemned prisoners to death’! So the next time your MP tells you what the ordinary man in the street really wants, ask him or her exactly how they are applying it.