Forget news of Northern Rock, London's had some more shocks over the past few days - one involves marmalade, the other Mourinho.
There’s been shocking news about two – very different – ‘special ones’ here in London. The first concerned that special bear Paddington, whose battered hat and bashed about suitcase have an iconic - if rather down at heel - charm. Paddington, it was announced, would be featuring in advertisements for – horrors – marmite. Marmite? The papers were full of it. Paddington Bear, who is so loved that there’s a statue of him on the concourse at Paddington station, famously loved marmalade – not marmite. His favourite snacks were marmalade sandwiches. In fact he loved them so much that he always kept a spare one under his battered old hat – in case of emergencies. He liked sticky marmalade. With chunks. Not salty, savoury marmite. This was taking liberties with a very special bear.
No sooner had the public absorbed this, than it was followed by the news that football’s self-proclaimed ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho was leaving Chelsea, where he was manager. The coolest, most stylish man in football was going to be lost from London, and touchlines in the capital would be the poorer for it. Who could pout like Jose, wear an overcoat like Jose, wrap a scarf like Jose? His charm was very different to Paddington’s of course (no one could ever imagine Jose having a marmalade sandwich tucked inside his coat pocket for managerial emergencies). But they did share an ability to fix those they disapproved of with a withering look – known, in Paddington’s case, as a ‘hard stare’. You mess with a special one at your peril.
