AN ENCOUNTER between the Prime Minister and President Bush was bound to be fair game for our sharp-witted readers, and so it proved this time.
Imaginations ranged wild and free. Janet Ball sent: “Small black aliens infiltrated the escort party.” (Look just behind Gordon Brown.) Chris Hammett suggested: “‘In my country,’ said the Prime Minister, “we just have signs saying ‘Keep off the grass’.” And from Francis King came: “Hey, Gordon! You any relation to Hash?”
Colin Sowter wrote: “What about creating a first by having the same caption as last time (3 August): ‘Should I know your name?’”
Full marks for observation to Hugh Marshall: “See, I’m taller than Tony.” “But only on tiptoe.” Also to Philip Bullock: “No, Prime Minister: you’re the one whose meant to be the hand-puppet, not me.” A different construction was put on the body language by George Moden: “I know we have a special relationship, but, George, not in front of the troops”; and by Rowland Bosworth: “He might have been slightly taken aback, but George couldn’t hide his pleasure when Gordon goosed him.”
Biting political satire from Robin Underhill: “No, Gordon. Relax. This is not Guantanamo.” A bit more subtlety from Denis Roche: “Do we turn left or right here?” Robin Saunders sent: “George, you really need to grasp the impact of the Endogenous Growth Theory of the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment — it lies at the heart of the Iraq issue.”
If in doubt, Church Times readers take refuge in the absurd: “Sea Sunday in Kircaldy was never like this” (Richard Hough); “I washed my marines in new Dazzo Super White and yours in just any old washing powder” (Phil Rowett); and “Could you arrange for them to be lent to the Kirkaldy Amateur Operatic Society for their production of South Pacific?” (John Turner).
But there was a clear winner of the fairtrade chocolate (kindly donated by Divine: www.divinechocolate.com), in our view, at least.
Have a go at our next caption-competition picture (above).
Send your captions by 7 September
by email to: captioncompetition@churchtimes.co.uk