Matthew Gibson: Still providing laughter from the other side of Europe

I am always pleased to hear that I am funny. Occasionally it is because of some pithy remark of mine. Unfortunately it seems that there are significantly many other occasions when people decide that I am funny because of my appearance. That's fair enough in a way - laugh at a man because of the clothes he choses to wear.

I think that it's a bit low on the other hand to be wiping tears of joy from your eyes laughing at 20 year old photos and videos. It's even more vicious to show said photos and videos to people being introduced to the family who know that particular person and will find them hilarious and attempt to distribute them among his other friends. And when that man (the one in the photos - keep up) isn't even living in the country and is unable to defend himself, well that's a disgrace.

And while I would do exactly the same thing if I got hold of any photos of Ben as a child, that's not the point - I don't have any so it is not fair to show him pictures of me. It is a completely different situation and if the photos were of anybody else it would be fine. But they're not, they're pictures of me, and as such it's just cruel.

I think that it's time that I redress the balance and so include here a photo of me at a fancy meal in my finery looking great among the type of surroundings to which I belong.



Incedentally, although the cake was excellent (and thanks even 20 years later to Lynn for making it) it did turn my shit green for a week. In my mind, that's what you eat cake for. What good cake doesn't turn your insides green?
And no, I wasn't drinking that Martini you can see on the table - my whisky was out of sight for this photo.