Passing Shots - November 11th

It is hard not to feel any sympathy for the Royal Marine sergeant who is facing life in prison for murdering a wounded Taliban prisoner.

The 39-year-old commando carried out the field execution at the end of a tour with 3 Commando Brigade, a unit which has seen 23 of its servicemen killed in Afghanistan.

The marine, who shot the injured insurgent at close range with a 9mm pistol, is the first serviceman to be convicted of murder on active service abroad since the Second World War.

Colonel Tim Collins, the man whose inspirational eve of war speech before the Iraq conflict in 2003 was hung in the White House's Oval Office, said at the weekend that men can only tolerate a certain level of protection before they are tempted to break the rules of war.

That view clashes somewhat with his rousing address to troops a decade ago as commander of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment said: "It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the Mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please."

Surely it is wrong to treat this incident as a similar crime to someone committing cold-blooded murder on a city street. What happened in Afghanistan is war. It doesn't make right what the marine did, but the environment is totally different and the crime should be treated differently.

Soldiers should be accountable for their actions but they should also be treated differently to civilians in law.


It makes my blood boil when I read stories such as the one about the lollypop man, Steve Allsopp, who has been stopped from high-fiving with schoolchildren as they cross the road on their way to school each day.

Apparently, Warrington Council have viewed this harmless gesture as "unprofessional", even though there is no mention of the practice in the 43-page School Crossing Patrol Service Guideline.

Mr Allsopp is a 62-year-old man who is the victim of one single complaint. Shame on the small-minded misery guts who had the cheek to put in the objection. All Mr Allsopp is trying to do is to engage with the children and their parents, and to engender a sense of fellowship.

In some ways it's going to encourage the children to cross the road properly where Mr Allsopp is stationed, with the reward of a high five. Madness, total buffoonery!  


We celebrated my son Leo's 18th birthday at the weekend with a small family lunch at home - that was before he headed to an afternoon gathering of friends at the Japanese restaurant Wagamama, and then a second round of partying with his mates at home to the accompaniment of pizza and video.

Technology played a part in celebrating the day, since at present-opening time Leo's grandmother, godmother and aunt, who are in Ireland, could share in the celebration through the wonders of Skype.

As your children grow up, you hope they will develop in a certain way, carrying with them characteristics which make them good people - intelligent, considerate and caring are three to spring to mind. My three boys are very different, but they each make me extremely proud.


My quest to improving my culinary skills continues. In the wake of the Great British Bake Off, and after a week being glued to the television watching the scary Monica Galetti and the charming Michel Roux Jr hold centre stage with "Masterchef - the professionals", I'm feeling inspired.

So, in the wake of a disastrous chocolate cake I made a couple of weeks ago, which turned out like a stodgy chocolate mouse, I tried my hand at the weekend with Mary Berry's "Perfect Victoria Sandwich". I got the sponge right, but the top of the cakes in both sandwich tins was badly burnt. Me thinks it was something to do with the oven temperature.

 I tried to disguise the charcoal element to the cake with lashings of whipped cream and strawberries, but this was another Calamity King moment!