The Sainsbury's Bag Switcheroo?

2nd MARCH 2025

In a week which has seen serious questions over both Russian influence in USA government, and the influence on the public of a Councillor in Ross-on-Wye. Did something akin to the playbook of international espionage and counter-espionage just happen in Ross-on-Wye?
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The date? Sunday 2nd March 2025.
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The setting? Pancake race day - organised by the fantastic Ross Rotary Club and Ross Lions to raise money and bring joy to families of the town.
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The excitement of the event might have led crowds to not twig the presence of Cllr Chris Bartrum, as he quietly moved on the pavement periphery, artfully blending in to the background, going pretty much unnoticed.
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More difficult to miss was Cllr Ed O’Driscoll, in a much more flamboyant and attention-grabbing costume comprising of flat cap and bow-tie.
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The principle of many a magic trick is that of misdirection. Could it be that to be looking at O’Driscoll’s striking attire was part of a carefully thought out plan that revellers had been drawn into, covertly crafted and colluded upon over WhatsApp (other chat-based apps are available) to keep gazes averted from elsewhere? Could it be by design, to keep your attention from the orange Sainsbury’s bag that Cllr O’Driscoll was seen leaving with?
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Only by careful review of grainy footage would it later be revealed that Cllr Bartrum also was seen with, you guessed it, an orange Sainsbury’s bag! (Although he is often seen strolling through town with one - a signature look maybe borrowed from the entrance walk of BBC Shooting Stars' Angelos Epithemiou? - watch a clip here).
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With the town alive with chatter over what seemed like a recent assassination attempt (albeit only a character one), councillors will surely be considering what the heck they are going to do?
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So in KGB style, whilst attention was on 'fried batter disc bouncing activities', was there a Sainsbury’s bag switcheroo between the two Town and County councillors that went unnoticed?

Was something afoot in the sleepy Ross-on-Wye streets that might perk the interest of John Le Carré fans?
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You know how it works. We’ve seen it in thrillers. Spies sit down, placing matching briefcases carefully at their feet, before hands secretly cross and two bags exchange with parties going quietly on their separate ways. Dossiers and documents continue their transit, all undetected.
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To a backdrop of potential political panic, and with whatever happened or didn’t happen, it’s definitely been the end of a very interesting week when Cllr Chris Bartrum in a self-penned "in his own words" newspaper column, seemed to paint an undesirable picture of another councillor. A column that many thought pretty much culminated in him suggesting the resignation of another councillor.
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As for the mystery of the Sainsbury's bag switcheroo? …. Don’t be a pillock, they probably both shop at Sainsbury's!