Bill Harvey: Oh has the world changed?

Much to the pleasure of the TV executives running Gogglebox, it seems our national broadcaster may have seriously misjudged how, or indeed whether, the nations’ citizens wished to mark the death of a royal.

In fairness, in such a case, getting the best balance between warranted respect and unwarranted deference is a Sisyphean task, especially at a time where the national mood is in almost constant flux. Missing an episode of EastEnders is one thing. But pity the users of Network Rail and National Rail websites last week who suddenly found their displays switching to greyscale ‘as a mark of respect’. The sudden loss of the all-important colour contrast meant that significant numbers of people with impaired vision were unable to use the site and, presumably, had their travel plans disrupted.