Pass The Bucket, Please...

Following on from Womble On Tour Junior I's eviction onto the streets by the organisational Wonder Horse that is Kirklees Council, yesterday we went to the event it was all in aid of.

The rugby match was excellent; close, entertaining and with the right result for those in the family who cared about the outcome. And Womble On Tour Junior I faithfully did her bit with the pom-poms as part of a curtain-raiser to the main event.

For those of us concerned about the extent of State activity, however, it wasn't a pain-free outing. The pre-game programme was pulled together as part of the Kirklees Youth Games, a project with the admittedly laudable aim of getting more kids involved in sport.

This project (from a Conservative-led council, mark you) apparently involves flying in kids from France, Germany, Poland and China to take part. It also involves a phenominal amount of propaganda about what wonderful work the council is doing; propaganda including but not limited to a ten minute speech by a Cabinet member, and the utterly excruciating Kirklees Anthem. I'm almost apologetic for doing this to my readers, but for the benefit of completeness I think it only fair to reproduce below some of the utter drivel that has been penned in "our" name (and at our expense). Such was the fervour with which this was promoted I half wondered whether everybody would be expected to stand up and join in. Fortunately, no one did.
WoT Health Warning: what you are about to read may induce feelings of physical sickness.

"Feel the power of working together,
Being part of a growing team,
Share the joy of winning together,
Try to live the dream – live the dream!

If one young person smiles at another,
Then a friendship can really start!
And if that special friendship can double,
Our community will find its heart!
So seize the moment! Seize the day!
And as you travel along life’s way,
Join your hands to a thousand more,
Making Kirklees strong!"

Give me strength.