Accidents

There are things that occasionally trouble or intrigue me. It happened today.

It was windy on the beach. Umbrellas were flying. It was then that I wondered. Has anyone ever been killed by a beach umbrella? On the one hand, the spiky bit isn’t usually that sharp; on the other, if the wind lifts an umbrella with sufficient force and at sufficient velocity it could do some serious damage. What would happen if, say, an umbrella were to remove an eye? It may seem unlikely, but ... . Who would pay? Indeed, would the owner of the offending umbrella be liable?

This all reminds me of a time in the south of France when a group (make that a crowd) of nudists, irate because the local plod was attempting to intervene in (i.e. stop) their regular evening, er, entertainment in the dunes - I don’t think I need to spell it out - responded to the police’s action by showering them with beach umbrellas being used as javelins. Apparently it did the trick. Until, that is, plod deployed dobbin. Sounded like splendid fun. Wish I had actually seen it. But the point (as it were) was that the police were sufficiently concerned by the potential harm that the beach umbrella could cause to beat a temporary retreat.

Of course if the umbrella is actually lobbed at someone, it would - presumably - be classified as an offensive weapon, but I still wonder. So, if anyone can enlighten me as to the legal situation regarding accidents-by-beach-umbrella, I will be very grateful.


Different form of accident. Road. Guess which road? Oh yes, the Carretera Arta. Now I did say - ages ago - that these new roundabouts are a bit tight. This may have been a factor. That, and excessive speed, I’d wager. By the Pointed Thing Roundabout, someone had hammered into a couple of parked cars and some trikes. I can well imagine. Too quick through the roundabout. Found it was too tight. Hit the island, Crash, bang, wallop. It wasn’t pretty.

Quiz: Well, everyone got it. Abba. Today’s title. Man, is this a good question. Which group, generally remembered as one-hit wonders (because they were) released a single with this title as a failed follow-up to their one great hit? (Clue: it wasn’t anything to do with noted (?) Mallorca-frequenting one-hit wonder Leapy Lee.)

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