A CHESTY COUGH?

Sheffield at Meadowhall coach park last Sunday

On Monday night as dusk fell we were treated to a spectacular display by our local resident bat population, flitting within inches of the front window and circling the area for about an hour, I think the large insect population attracted by the flowers which are hanging on as autumn stars to bite. Between catching up on telly last night I hammered on some family history data although the German Grosholz stuff was hard going, mostly I reverted to the German original as the translation was often a but too hit or miss. The Wilts & Dorset material ready, I'll add it to EBay tomorrow night as this evening we shall battle with the labour party and Manchester united traffic to get to the Halle at Bridgewater hall for a supposedly relaxing evening, trust me top pick the worst night imaginable, no wonder there were oodles of spare seats. The car is no in the Sapphire garage in Manchester, I've got a tiny little blue job to keep me mobile.

The doom and gloom on the media is depressing in itself but its 20 years soon since PMP films started and that was at the end of the last recession at the end of the 80s.How will ewe celebrate our 20th next year, suggestions welcome. It also marls 20 years collaboration with friend John Bishop who has been filming for well over 4 decades. Recycling hit the news this morning, oh how I hate it, the local tip is the worst outside of Calcutta, half naked cretins crawling through your rubbish, you can't even tip it straight into the skip from your car, you have to carry it, its like an endurance test especially if you have a bad back. The mouldy food stinks in our bins for two weeks at a time yet our local taxes are amongst the highest in the world.

Laws seem to come in shed loads, now you have to switch your engine off in a queue or risk a finer and if you fall asleep in a service area ( note that motorways implore you to take rest) they will fine you if you snooze for too long. A potential government who could scrap say a 1000 laws each week would just about start to make inroads on our overregulated lives. Next scrap all CCTV camera, the vandals delight in being on film and they deter no-one, get rid of pseudo security guards at bus stations, shopping centres, they are more like community service jobs for ex cons rather than offering assistance, likewise Community Support Officers, another bunch of trouble makers. Traffic wardens , indeed all traffic controls could go along with yellow lines and virtually all street furniture and pavement obstructions, that includes pavement cafes, advertising, meters, machines, surely we have enough retail and advertising without making it an obstacle course walking along the road. I'd strip out most of local government, a chance for egoists to indulge in fantasy politics and free lunches, also I'd look at the influence of Masonic lodges and similar within public service.

The proliferation of companies offering services like gas and electric are all a con, the rush to privatise back ion the Thatcher era followed no less than by Blair stripped us all of national assets which although inefficient were worth something and could have been made to work. Our forces have been reduced to a minimum, hardly much of a deterrent and who would really want to rely on the USA for help, we've been let down too many times by them.

Capitalism is indeed working at present as savers who were encouraged to invest in shares see their pensions and savings plummet, yes it all balances out, the rich get richer though whatever you can depend on that.