Stephen Rees's blog

There are fewer of the traditional printed, through the mail  Christmas cards every year. This one arrived from England recently. It is, of course, covered by all sorts of copyrights and so on, so I risk all sorts of penalties by copying it and posting it here. It ought to be a familar view but it seemed wrong to me. It says Westminster Abbey on the back. Then I took a closer look at the buses. Naturally. There are still a few of these Routemasters running on special tourist routes. But none were ever built with cabs on the left hand side and open platforms to the right. That would put passengers off into the moving traffic after all.

It is not unusual for photo editors to flip pictures around to “improve” the composition, but that is what has been done here. I don’t think that does Medici Cards or MacNeil Studios any credit. I also get the distinct impression that the original was probably a photo that has been altered to give it sort of painterly look. I suppose that also avoids issues with the products that would have been advertised on the sides of the buses.

So I have scanned the card and then used my editting software to at least put it the right way around. And to wish you, faithful reader, the compliments of the season, and trust that you enjoy whatever you call these holidays in your own way.

I think the usual greetings are inoffensive myself but then I am an atheist and regard the whole thing as a social occassion with all sorts of traditions. In fact tonight we will be doing our regular visit to St Andrew’s Wesley for the VSO Traditional Christmas. Yesterday CBC Radio 2 did the Child’s Christmas in Wales, which was good but not a patch on the Clutch’s Dylan Thomas. Was that last year?

And this morning, with utter predictability there was an agreement signed in Paris which is either a triumph or a disaster – or perhaps both at the same time. Once upon a time this blog would have weighed in, but no longer. I don’t feel as much need to pontificate about the Compass Card, the new fares policy or the municipal share of transit funding either. I feel as though I have said all that needed to have been said at least once if not many times already. But thank you for following. I will not predict yet what will happen to this blog next year. Probably not very much. Unless something turns up that needs to be put the right way round.