Monty Python funny man and round the world traveller, Michael Palin, is today in hot water over his crossing of the Atlantic single-handedly.
But only in Britain could such heroism displayed by the upper classes be sniped at by jealous common people. Dave Pubes of Oliver Cromwell Tower in some gawd-awful inner-city somewhere told us:
"This is bang out of order. Why wasn't the lad in school and who said he could have the time off anyway? It smacks of one rule for them and another for us if you ask me
"It's just some bleedin' hoity toity stuck-up oik largeing it up on a multi-million pound boat. Kiddies round here can't get the chance to do that. I've a good mind to report him"
But Brigadier Offal Waffal comments:
"What a marvellous effort from the young lad. You wouldn't find him hanging around a precinct at night in a hoodie. No indeed! He's a credit to himself, his family and his school"
Palin himself was keeping a low profile today on the set of his new Ripping Yarns programme but it is thought that he will certainly be incorporating some of the experiences of his voyage into the show.
Basil Fawlty a close friend of John Cleese told us:
"Well Michael is such a lovely lad and he'd do anything for his mum. When he isn't sailing the Atlantic single-handedly on a multi-million pound boat that is. What? Eh? Ha ha ha!"
