Tears for fears
Theresa May welled up while announcing her resignation in Downing Street. How often do leaders cry?
— Lady Thatcher was seen to have tears in her eyes while being driven away from Downing Street for the last time.
— Tony Blair nearly broke down in public, but not while in office — while responding to the publication of the Chilcot Report in 2016.
— Several US presidents have been witnessed crying — and at a time when it was rare for men to be seen showing emotion in public. Dwight Eisenhower
had to cover his face with a napkin to hide his tears in 1952, when recalling wartime experiences.
— In the same year Richard Nixon was seen crying after surviving a funding scandal and being retained as vice-presidential candidate.
— Barack Obama was seen to wipe away tears on several occasions, from Aretha Franklin’s singing at his inauguration to his farewell speech.
— Australian prime ministers have been frequent blubbers. Malcolm Fraser was seen to cry after losing the 1983 general election to Bob Hawke. Not to be outdone, Hawke burst into tears during several interviews as PM, over Tiananmen Square and his private life
Up, up and away
A photograph showed mountaineers queuing to reach the summit of Everest — with delays leading to at least 11 deaths. How many people climb Everest
annually? Between 1975, when Chris Bonnington’s expedition tackled the
south-west face, and 2014, Everest was climbed at least once a year. In 1990, 72 people reached the summit, and in 2000, 145 got there. Since 2012, the numbers reaching the summit:
2012
547
2013
658
2014
106
2015 (earthquake closed mountain)
0
2016
641
2017
648
2018
807
The price of uniformity
Princess Charlotte is to start school at a private school in Battersea where the uniform is reported to cost £550. How much do parents spend on school uniform?
— £192.14 for a boy at primary school
— £201.04 for a girl at primary school
— £231.01 for a boy at secondary school
— £239.93 for a girl at secondary school
— PE kit added a further £87.67
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Get 10 issues for just $10
Subscribe to The Spectator Australia today for the next 10 magazine issues, plus full online access, for just $10.
You might disagree with half of it, but you’ll enjoy reading all of it. Try your first month for free, then just $2 a week for the remainder of your first year.
Comments
Don't miss out
Join the conversation with other Spectator Australia readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
SUBSCRIBEAlready a subscriber? Log in