Thai police officer becomes the bee's knees

The feel-good story this week involves a most unlikely hero, a Thai policeman. It is not often that the local gendarmerie are the subject of uplifting news, but that was the case in the Northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom when an alert policeman rescued a woman from a swarm of attacking bees.

The incident took place in the grounds of the famous temple of Wat Phra That Phanom in That Phanom district.

A video that went viral showed Pol Sgt Maj Chaiyaporn Khanenin, 32, racing over to help a woman who was in considerable distress while being attacked by a large swarm of bees. The quick-thinking policeman took off his uniform shirt with which he boldly swatted the bees. It seemed to work and the woman who was in a state of shock was able to step away.

Pol Sgt Maj Chaiyaporn then drove the woman, whose face was badly swollen, to That Phanom hospital where many bee stings were extracted from her face and head. That her injuries weren't more severe was thanks to the alert policeman's spontaneous rescue efforts.

This may seem a trivial story in the big scheme of things but it is encouraging that the policeman was not concerned for his own safety but instinctively went to help this woman. He later said he was just doing his job.

For many people Pol Sgt Maj Chaiyaporn is "the bee's knees".

Creating a buzz

For anyone unfamiliar with the expression "bee's knees", it means something that is the very best or excellent. It is not totally clear from where it originated. One explanation is that it surfaced in the 1920s when nonsense expressions featuring creatures, like "cat's whiskers" or "cat's pyjamas" became fashionable.

However the less likely explanations are usually more intriguing. Folklore suggests it may originate from when a bee moves from flower to flower the nectar sticks to its legs and that's where the best quality stuff is. One minor problem with this explanation is that bees don't have knees, but they do have leg joints. However, "the bee's leg joints" doesn't have quite the same poetic ring to it as "bee's knees".

Bathtub gin

There is also a drink called "bee's knees", a prohibition-era cocktail of gin, honey and lemon. It sounds appealing but did not always live up to its name. The honey was used to disguise the taste of the often low-quality home-made gin known as "bathtub gin" because it was stored in the bath before it was put in the bottle, possibly along with a few soapsuds.

There have been many Hollywood horror films featuring misbehaving bees, most of them quite awful. The most famous is The Swarm made in 1979 about killer bees invading Texas.

Despite an all-star cast, including Michael Caine, the film was a flop. The New York Times called it "The surprise comedy hit of the season".

The Swarm was not helped by drab dialogue including a military general revealing his cunning tactics to wipe out the bees: "The battle plan is to get 'em all in one area and then zap 'em".

Musical carrots

Britain's King Charles displayed his musical prowess at Windsor Castle recently playing the carrot, backed by the London Vegetable Orchestra.

Indeed, as the orchestra launched into a memorable version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the monarch proved to be quite a virtuoso on the aforementioned carrot.

For those unfamiliar with this orchestra, other musical vegetables in the line-up include, peppers, potatoes, courgettes and swedes. The orchestra, who are all professional musicians, proudly advertises itself as offering audiences a "Home Grown" entertainment experience.

World's worst

Which brings us to the world's worst orchestra, otherwise known as the Portsmouth Sinfonia. It was formed in 1970 by students and an important requirement was that members did not display any proficiency at all in their chosen instrument. Real musicians were only allowed to participate if they used instruments they didn't normally play.

Their first public performance featured the William Tell Overture (that's the Lone Ranger theme to many of us) and was a huge success with the audience falling off their seats with laughter.

They followed it up in 1974 with an album and performed to a packed house at the Royal Albert Hall.

Their highlight was Classical Muddley which is three minutes and 28 seconds of inspired musical anarchy. The "muddley" includes the 1812 Overture, Nutcracker Suite, and the Hallelujah Chorus like you've never heard before.

As one reviewer noted: "An atrocious record by an atrocious orchestra. It is, quite frankly, sublime".

VE Day garden party

The Royal British Legion in Thailand (RBLT) will be holding a garden party at the British Club, Bangkok on May 8 to mark the 80th anniversary of the historic VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) which marked the end of the war in Europe in 1945.

The party, which will commence at 3pm, will echo the celebrations which occurred 80 years ago bringing peace to Europe. It is a special day and promises to be a memorable occasion.

Tickets are 1,650 baht and include a "Fish 'n Chips" buffet, free flow beer and wine until 9pm. There will also be live music from Pax Jitlada. Corporate or group tables are available at 9,000 baht (six people), 12,000 baht (eight) and 15,000 baht (10). The British Club is located on Silom Soi 18.