Hilarious, I loved it!

At  9.00 on Sunday 15th November 2009 I switched on the TV to watch the 'Andrew Marr Show. Ann Treneman, sketch-writer for The Times,  was one of the reviewers of the Sunday papers.

Sophie Rayworth (standing, or should I say, sitting in for Andrew Marr) asked the questions and Ann Treneman said that Gordon Brown had a good week. So she seemed fair in her judgement. [This was the week the Sun newspaper had a go at Gordon's handwriting and spelling in a condolence letter to a grieving mother who lost her son in Afghanistan.]

That led me to obtaining a copy of her collection of sketches. And was I glad that I did so!

Let me put my review in context.  I only buy The Times when on holiday as a break from The Independent. My politics are well to the left of centre and I started to read Annus Horribilis expecting the Labour Government to get a thrashing!

What I read was funny, I hadn't expected to laugh out loud. As for any good cartoonist the characters have to believable and they were, there mannerisms, behaviour and character emphasised for effect. They were the characters I had seen on TV, read about in the papers, Ann knew them and was able to describe them and their antics hilariously.

Just a few of the images to give a flavour of the book and pay tribute to Treneman's skilled observation.

Cupboard bare for Joyless George (on the day Wall Street plunged 777 points, George Osborne seaks at the Tory Party Conference)
'Gordon Brown may have a stick on smile, Joyless George has a stick-on frown.'

Dave, the prime ministerial doll ( at Cameron's final day speech at the Annual Tory Conference)
'I believe the Prime Minister Dave doll will be in the shops soon...'

'It was a relief when the Rev Ian Paisley announced, in a voice of pure gravel, that he did not have any answers.'

If you like politics this book will remind you of what happened during the year, it will bring to your notice a different take on the main events of the year, it will make you laugh!