Iechyd da! MP’S birthday gift has ima-gin-ation
REGULAR readers may appreciate that I try to keep politics off this page. Occasionally, there is a useful nugget of information – usually correcting (or ‘clarifying’) some point – from Swansea East MS Mike Hedges.
But, by and large, this isn’t the place to stop and read cutting political analysis.
If keeping politicians off the page is the rule, then I am happy to follow the SOP (standard operating procedure) for journalists and break the rule whenever I choose.
This week is a case in point, as I have to wish a belated 50th birthday to Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi.
She has two trump cards to play in securing a place on this page – I was big pals with her dad, the late and muchmissed John Antoniazzi, and she once taught at the school where my children received a first class education which gave them a head start in life.
This week, I was lost in admiration for the clever thinking of the Antoniazzi family, who managed to commission a special gin for former Welsh rugby international Tonia from The Gower Gin Company. The bottle has a certain style in reflecting Tonia’s life and Italian family heritage. Neatly bundled in Wales and Italian colours, Peninsola di Gower (Gower peninsula) has an exclusive label for Tonia. Weighing in at 43%, the 70cl bottle has a special happy birthday label in three languages – Tani Auguri/penblwydd hapus/ Happy birthday! It’s described as ‘a 50th birthday London Dry gin designed for Tonia Antoniazzi, with botanicals that reflect the influences on Tonia’s life ‘Red rose petals for the Labour Party ‘Vanilla for Italian ice cream ‘Lime zest and gorse flower for her favourite Rhossili Gin ‘Venetian orris with hints of Parma violets ‘Mediterranean Rosemary.’ Sounds like a neat combination. Iechyd da, Tonia. Hope you had a great birthday!