Letter from the editor: The 'new envy'

Simon, the boss, is off sunning himself. Here at i towers however, we’ve had no time to be jealous because we are too consumed with the ‘new envy’.

No, not the obvious thoughts after a weekend of sporting excellence; not why can’t I drive like Vettel or dribble like Messi (well, maybe after a bottle of Rioja or two)? The new envy is over watching, not doing. Seldom have so many wanted so badly that so much be taken from their bank accounts with so few inklings as to what for, when, and where – let alone how to pay for those blasted Olympics tickets.

I know it’s not top of everyone’s worry lists in these uncertain times, but while we toil over our keyboards to produce your i,we have to divert ourselves, bantering about the trivial, as relief from the diet of corruption, abuse of power, death and destruction that is the current news cycle.

So, last week we were taking the Lord (Coe)’s name in vain about the whole Kafka-esque process after “they” said some 60 per cent of ticket monies had already been deducted. No-one knew a soul from whom any cash had been taken. Then Rhodri, i’s production wizard (who puts most of the pages together) had a couple of hundred quid removed. He doesn’t know what for (canoe slalom?), but suddenly we all feel like have-nots even though we still have our money. Rhodri’s now getting death stares even though most of us have even less interest in the canoe slalom than we did in the Wales v N. Ireland match last Friday that drew 529 people to a 50,000-seater stadium.

Rhodri Jones could have put in patriotically for those tickets, but oh no, he landed Olympic ones meaning - well, what for the rest of us? No-one here knows. We wait, that’s what we do. Tick follows tock until the 24 June deadline. And, if you are “lucky” enough to have your account raided, I’d keep schtum! ps Rhodri still has to ask for the time off...