Yes, and as at least one ‘perit’ pointed out, it was on the OPM’s invitation card too.

The proper full title for a ‘warranted’ professional in Malta is ‘Architect and Civil Engineer’ not just Architect. This is why some hackles were raised at the several references to ‘il-Perit Piano’ by some poorly informed members of the press . . . and even some of our illustrious politicians.

“Mr Wallner and Ms Fenech had left Cobham and drove across the English Channel to Malta”

Now that’s something. I suppose Eurostar and the Channel Ferries will soon be out of business.

[Daphne – It’s killing me. And then there’s that lovely Maltese ‘had left Cobham and drove’ rather than ‘had left Cobham and driven’]

And his parents weren’t married, either.

[Daphne – Not just that, but she got pregnant by somebody other than the man she was living with.]

The funniest bit is that “Jesus is not happy with teenage pregnant mothers” (sic). I thought that Mary was meant to have had him at the age of sixteen.

[Daphne – Probably more like 12 in those days.]

I find it great to have such confidence in a minister they expect him to fix what God couldn’t.

[Daphne – I wasn’t the one who called them cheap. I was quoting The People. Also, the word ‘periti’ does not exist in the English language, so call them what they are: architects and civil engineers. The practice of referring to somebody, when speaking English, as Perit Zammit (for example) is quite ridiculous. They are not people qualified in a unique discipline, but people qualified in two disciplines. When speaking English, an architect is Mr, Miss or Mrs – unless the architect has a doctorate or holds a professorship.]

Malta’s cheap periti were elsewhere slapping together crappy pastiche buildings and imitation ‘baroque’ rubbish with ‘lavur’ and ‘balavostri’ and ornate imitation Corinthian columns for the type of people who think Barry’s piece of neo-classical pastiche junk was the bees knees and the dog’s bo****ks of architecture.

Now the latest topic is telling Piano what he should do and that Maltesel architects seem to be fools too. Out of all the comments the two I prefer are –

1. the one by somebody who doubts that Piano knows how to construct a building on stilts`;

2. the one by somebody who suggested that we take the roof from the old dock in Cospicua and stick it on top of the theatre.

Daphne – if you want to test your patience try and listen to the answers given in radio and television competitions. It will give you an excellent chance of gauging the mental process of The People.

To be fair, most of the “happy-clappy” crowd prefer Jesus to God – not just in Malta.