Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. This column appears in the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star. Website – www.philevans.co.uk
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There’s a song by Frank Sinatra that begins “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning . . . When The Whole Wide World Is Fast Asleep . . . ”
It’s a favourite of mine, despite the fact that in real life it’s impossible for the whole of the worldto be asleep at the same time – due to international date lines and different time zones!
BTW (as the kids say, or By The Way to you and me): Did you know that Canada has six different time zones?
You didn’t?
Then you should get up early and watch repeats of ‘The Chase’ on ITV 4, because that’s where I learned this fact.
Even though the song is factually incorrect, in the middle of the night, if you find it impossible to sleep, it can feel like you’re the only person who’s awake, if not in the whole wide world, then certainly in your street.
A few weeks ago I stayed overnight in a hotel and, even though I’d had a small night-cap downstairs in the bar and read for half-an-hour (in bed, not in the bar) before I switched off the light, I just could notfall asleep.
I had nothing on my mind apart from the same thought that swims through everyone’shead as it hits the pillow . . .
“What doesITV One Wales’ presenter Andrew Jones do between his final 30-second news bulletin on ‘Good Morning Britain’ and his lunch time bulletin at five to two?”
I did consider counting sheep, but even if I’d phoned a farmer friend and asked him to bring some to the hotel, the lift only held a maximum of 10 farm animals, so it hardly seemed worthwhile.
Besides, their bleating would have prevented me from sleeping, as would the sound of the night manager banging on my door.
I decided watching TV might help and did eventually start to doze around 6.15 a.m. to the sound of . . .
“Goooood Morning! I’m Andrew Jones with the news from Wales . . . ”
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Call me old fashioned, but I’m a big supporter of please and thank you.
It costs nothing to be polite and to appreciate an act of kindness.
Far too often I witness such acts being totally ignored.
Take last week, for instance.
I saw a young man hold a door open for a middle-aged lady in a busy Swansea shop and was shocked to see that this gentlemanly gesture was totally ignored.
Fair play to him, he just smiled and went on with his day.
This also happens on our busy roads.
If I’m stuck in traffic, I often let people in if safe to do so, but, unfortunately, very few people acknowledge the gesture.
Are we becoming a nation of arrogant individuals, or is it that we are so preoccupied in our own little world that others don’t matter or deserve acknowledgment for being polite and courteous anymore?
Write and let me know your stories if this has happened to you.
The best story will win an extremely popular gift from Evans HQ!
Good luck and get writing!
You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk
Please again include www.philevans.co.uk
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