Phil Ball in Prague

I arrived in Prague last Wednesday night and wandered through customs into the arrival zone. A chap waved a banner that had 'Ball' written on it, and although I thought it was a tad rude to just use the surname, I was relieved to see that someone had come to pick me up. The young chap had a dark suit and an electric green tie and he ushered me into his black Mercedes - very nice. And after the usual formalities, he realised that half an hour in silence (the airport is some way from the city) was not his cup of tea. "You must be the top dog for the conference," he quipped in excellent English, judging my reaction in the mirror. "Only the top dogs get the black Mercedes," he added. "If I'm the top dog," I replied, "I wouldn't like to see the other breeds that are coming"- which got a laugh from behind the steering wheel.