Having been privileged to hold a wide variety of posts and positions this involved being addressed inter alia as Mr Chairman, Mr President, Mr Captain, Judge and more recently 'Chair'. That latter title pays allegiance to the remorseless wave of wokery embracing all aspects of modern life. Even the MCC succumbed by changing the laws of cricket to replace the batsman with the batter.
The designation ‘Chairman’ has indicated the stalwart pinnacle in public life and private institutions, whether it be companies, football clubs, political parties, boardrooms or the Garrick Club. By tradition the Chairman was in charge. Many resist the inclusive renaming the office holder with the name of the furniture on which the incumbent sits. How should we address a female holder of the office – as Chairman, Chairwoman, Madam Chairman, Chairperson? The solution has been to use the title ‘Chair’. Even if the office holder is a man, better to emasculate and make him into a chair.
As recently as five years ago, 98 of the FTSE 100 companies referred to their leaders as ‘Chairman’ but today a mere 32. Instead the majority of Britain’s captains of industry -62 in fact – now prefer ‘Chair’. The others will soon follow to avoid charges of misogyny and attempting to retain the (old) boys club. So ‘Chair’ it must be as a sign of our civilised society.
The home victory by Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur was not only momentous for the performance and 4-0 score line. It was marked by the excellent initiative of the club and shirt sponsors Sela to produce haptic shirts incorporating technology which produces real time touch sensations for fans and mascots with hearing loss.
This is the first time such technology has been used and it enabled deaf wearers of the shirts to experience the noise and chanting in St James’ Park.
I was sitting near the large group of adults and children wearing the black and white shirts emblazoned with RNID and could see their joy and excitement. This was enhanced during the goal celebration when BDB (for the uninitiated that is Big Dan Burn) greeted those in the enclosure with cross armed signing, demonstrating ‘congratulations’.
It was disappointing that none of this was mentioned or shown on BBC’s Match of the Day, as it was such an excellent example of inclusion and diversity.
The High Court judgment in favour of the Michaela Community School in Wembley was a major triumph for its founder and ‘headmistress’ (can we still say that?) Katharine Birbalsingh, regarded as Britain’s strictest head teacher in the best state school in the country. It has strict discipline, emphasis on traditional values, tolerance and an unashamedly secular ethos.
The case was brought by an unnamed Muslim student claiming that the school’s ban on prayers during school hours was unlawful discrimination against Muslim pupils. In an admirably clear ruling, the court upheld the right of the non-religious school to enforce its robustly secular policy. The prayer ban was ‘a proportionate measure’. This was hailed as a victory for all schools.
Michaela had been challenged when in defiance of the school’s norms, 30 Muslim pupils took to praying in the school yard using their blazers as mats. When the school enforced its rules there was a campaign of intimidation, which included a brick being thrown through the window of a staff member and then a bomb threat.
It is galling that the case against the school was funded with an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £150,000 in legal aid – with the school having to meet an even larger bill.
That Spring has arrived after the wettest March on record, should have been confirmed by the Robbie Howard Golf Trip to North Berwick. As recently mentioned, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live report adjudged North Berwick to be the best place to live in Britain.
We arrived to find The Glen East Links course closed due to flooding. Next day we managed a round at gale blown Gullane and a final round at a sodden Bamburgh Castle on the way home.
As always the main treat was the excellent hospitality at The Open Arms Hotel in Dirleton, an immense consolation for the appalling weather.
But then there is even serious flooding in Dubai. Look out for further preposterous judgments from the European Court of Human Rights holding governments to account for not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is said that its latest decision against the government of Switzerland is overtly political and will ‘open the floodgates’ – but only in terms of litigation, fortunately. Time for us to leave the ECHR?
barryspeker@hotmail.com