> Shortly after the death of the Queen Mother was announced last Saturday, there was a newsflash on BBC One, explaining what had happened. Sat at the desk was the newscaster, Peter Sissons, trying his best to be solemn, sober and be in general mourning.
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> However, the BBC has since had over 1500 complaints over this newscast. Around half of them were because they were upset about not seeing the rest of the programmes they wanted to watch. The rest of the complaints, it would seem, are due to the biggest no-no that Peter Sissons could possibly commit.
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> He was wearing a burgandy tie.
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> I can hear the gasping now. Because he wasn't wearing a black tie, over five-hundred people phoned up the BBC to complain. Because he wasn't wearing a black tie, Buckingham Palace has been moaning at the BBC about protocol. Because he wasn't wearing a black tie, there has been a national uproar.

Exactly the same thing happened here during the Queen's recent visit. Our Prime Minister committed the appalling crime of taking "formal attire" at a function to mean "very elegant and formal outfit which consisted of (SHOCK! HORROR!) a sparkly evening top and pants." Yes, our female Prime Minister wore pants instead of a dress, and apparently this was a breach of protocol serious enough to result in six freaking weeks of letters to the editor.

I should emphasise that she wasn't wearing grubby jeans and a t-shirt. She was formally dressed, according to every set of standards I can think of, except those of Buckingham Palace and its aficionados, who apparently don't realise it isn't 1802 anymore. I can't imagine anybody, seeing the news photos of the event, would have thought anything but "Oh. A picture of the Prime Minister, formally dressed."

Brunnen-"some letter writers need to get a better hobby"G