Portrait of the week
The pound sterling was not looking in any shape to celebrate the anniversary, but the dread date of 20 .July (named 'St Selwyn's Day' at the time of last year's swingeing cuts by the Government) came around again, and it was almost like old times, with all sorts of rumours about the British economy on the wing. The Cabinet was said to be having a hot time arguing about cuts in public spending, Mr Crosland emerged as the champion of state rather than private expenditure. and Mr Healcy's Defence White Paper promised that Britain would in future have fewer forces East of Suez- -and West of Suez, too, for that matter.
Parliament was having a trying time, sitting all night again and dreaming of the coming recess: Mr Shinwell made some sharp remarks about the poor wan his old colleague Mr Crossman had managed the House's business. The Group of Ten representatives met in London to do something about world monetary reform, but it was far too hot for ant body to appear terribly interested, and Rhodesia went ahead with its own reform by printing a new set of banknotes in secret ('not regal tender.' was the still London reaction).
The Middle East simmered rather than boiled, the unrest in Hong Kong entered 'a new phase of violence and terrorism.' according to the authorities on the spot; there were days of bloody race rioting in Newark. New Jersey; Nigeria was remorselessly advancing into breakaway Biafra, and in India the plan to sterilise compulsorily all men with three or more children went a stage further.
It was swelteringly hot over most of England, and the Government sonic boom tests didn't make life any more comfortable. A train from Edinburgh to Leeds left the rails (three passengers were hurt) and Lord Snowdon was airborne briefly on a water-ski-kite (no casualties). In sport there were various ups and downs: Roberto de Vicenzo of the Argentine won the British Open golf title, India
lost the third and final Test match to England. Elaine Gray. aged twenty-one. set a new women's record for swimming across the Channel frOM France (10 hours 24 minutes). and a competitor found an unexploded mortar bomb in a bunker while playing in the Scottish amateur golf championship.
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