Don Woods

The government have announced there will be major cuts in legal aid…which has resulted in a mini “strike” by solicitors….they say it will reduce their clientele…thus losing money. I think these guys should compare their hourly rate to that of a council worker or shop assistant…..how will they survive without their brand new BMs and Mercedes every year?...I feel so sorry for them. A pal of mine went on jury duty and said it was a farce…nobody on the panel,including the chairman,had a clue about the law…they were judging people by how they looked. I’ve never been able to grasp the jury system…they should consist of intelligent educated people with a good knowledge of the law…SOLICITORS FOR EXAMPLE…there you are I’ve found jobs for them. There is a big thing at the moment regarding cyber bullying….youngsters are getting threatened on twitter etc….now I know I am from the 50’s but isn’t the answer to not read the tweets?...or is that too simple. It strikes me that anyone who makes threats on the social media is an idiot who needs to get a life…so why bother with them?...or am I too old to understand? Immigration…now there’s a word…all we hear on the news is people complaining about so called foreigners coming into the country and getting a free ride….personally I am totally confused…one minute they are telling us that immigrants can come here and get benefit for 3 months until they get a job (sounds like a good deal) BUT then we are told that they should have a job lined up before they get here…perhaps someone will eventually tell us what is going on…because I haven’t got a clue. It’s that old humbug again on the news about over enthusiastic parents at school sports events……it’s NEVER going to change…parents want to live through their kids (at least the dopey ones do)…in my opinion sport is for winning…that’s why it’s there….and you’ll always get morons on the touchline…it will never change….so move on eh?

We are bracing ourselves for the next storms and high tides…you watch the tele and you’d think this had never happened before….talk about scare mongering…80 mile an hour gales forecast here for Friday morning….I had 18 holes of golf in a bit of a breeze…Because of the bad weather down south there have been power cuts leaving folk with no electricity over Christmas and the power companies have come under heavy criticism…,because they took so long to get the power back on….now I don’t know enough about the situation but I would have thought it’s the fault of the weather…which no-one has any control over…but I suppose in true British style SOMEONE has be blamed. .I am getting rather miffed at modern American films with dialogue which is impossible to decipher…the trend seem to be to deliver the script with a whispering growl…you turn the sound up and then the music blows you out of the room…will SOMEBODY teach the Americans how to act and ENUNCIATE !!!!......I watched a film called “Shooter” with Mark Whalberg…gave up after 20 minutes…couldn’t make out a word they were saying…similarly I watched a film on the story of Chess Records which I found very interesting except again I couldn’t hear a word…not only that - they grumble without their lips moving. Train fares have gone up by 3%....which makes travelling by train a bit on the pricey side….a contract from Dover to London will now cost over 5 grand…one from Manchester to Liverpool will cost 3 grand. I don’t travel by train but it sounds expensive to me…they had a half witted official from the railways prattling on about how people will be travelling 16000 miles and it is a lot cheaper by train than by car…er excuse me….I’ve worked out that 16000 miles in a car that does 35 to the gallon will cost less than 3 grand (and that is diesel)…so I don’t know where Mr.Railwayman gets his figures. …Oh I forgot they need to rip everyone off to get the money for the high speed train service that no-one wants….do me a favour. I watched the first in the series of “Benidorm”…oh dear…oh deary deary me….totally lost it’s way…I’m only glad it’s not coming out of my licence fee…..I also enjoyed the new year fireworks in London…always nice to know where our taxes go…did someone say “recession” ??...don’t be daft.

We have had some horrific storms … mostly down south…poor folk flooded out as the torrential rain burst river banks…I don’t know how these people can get insurance..let alone sell up. We haven’t had it too bad here…but I went on line to insure my house and one on the questions was “do you live within half a mile from a river…if so we wont insure you”…bad news. The damage at New Brighton after the recent high tides has been sorted…I went down there on my bike on Xmas morning (bit of pre dinner exercise) …there weren’t many takers…probably because it was very cold…but everything looks O.K…..until the next high tide and 60mph gale. What I will NEVER understand is the mass panic to the build up to ONE day….I went into TESCOS to buy a jack plug (£2.50)…I couldn’t get out…there were raving loonies at the checkout with trolleys piled to the ceiling….it’s like a disease…and as for the boxing day sales….unbelievable…we are a sad lot really. 4.I don’t gig a lot these days…so I can relax up to Xmas without worrying about getting a cold or damaging my fingers etc….so I watched a bit of tele…oh dear…the BBC put on a three hour drama about the Great Train Robbery….same old stuff…we KNOW the story !...we’ve seen it a hundred times before !!...so why waste our licence fee (£145) on old hat?...fortunately I spent Xmas day at my lad’s house so I was spared the television…and as for the variety shows words fail me….I’m thinking of going back on the road. I have just completed a DVD about the history of my birthplace..Wallasey…I did all the filming throughout our lovely summer and recently finished the music and narration (which takes a long time)…I enjoy making these local DVDs because you learn a lot of things you didn’t know….for example The Guide Dogs For The Blind was founded in Wallasey in 1930 and there is a statue of a dog outside The Floral Pavilion commemorating this (I must have walked past it a hundred times)…also the Stableford system of scoring in golf was invented in Wallasey Golf Club in 1930 by a doctor Frank Stableford….plus a long list of powerful men from the early 1900s who were involved in shipping and the slave trade……all good stuff…..I intend to distribute the DVD through my website to those who know the area…it has limited appeal but ex pats will definitely enjoy it.

Don told me, "We have had some incredible storms here over the past few weeks….on the Wirral Peninsula where I live there is a place called New Brighton which is on the coast and it has just been rebuilt after previous storm damage….so what have they built …cafes and huge department stores…which all got flooded out…..in 1979 the same thing happened…the tide destroyed a ballroom (which was attached to New Brighton Baths)…I know…because my band were playing there on that night…it needs a bit more sea defences because it will happen again… Stonehenge has had a facelift….you could drive past up until recently but not any more….they have taken down the small visitor centre and replaced it with a fancy new one…at a cost of …wait for it 27 million pounds!!.......I don’t know how these people arrive at these figures…it’s a bunch of rocks for goodness sake…but no doubt someone will be making a load of money. Our MPs have come under some criticism regarding “signing in” to Parliament…apparently if they “sign in” they get paid…even if they are only there for a few minutes…..a radio presenter was on and said that he interviewed an MP who “signed in” before he came to his programme…which meant the MP must have simply gone in and out….along with their 11% rise and all the expenses scandals you’d think they would learn wouldn’t you…. The words “dress code” really get up my nose….nowadays you get an invite to a wedding and the “dress code” is “black tie”….which means you have to fork out for a dinner SUIT followed by a present…followed by drinks at extortionate rip off prices followed by bed and breakfast….it’s bad enough being invited to a wedding reception of someone you hardly know without being taken to the cleaners by some overpriced hotel cashing in on snob value….but it’s their big day so that’s alright….there’s a hotel not far from here where you can pay up to £500 for a bottle of champagne…are they havin’ a laugh or what? Rock and Roll is still very much alive on Merseyside…despite our ages…Harry Prytherch (once the drummer in the Remo Four) had a Xmas bash at Fort Perch Rock last Sunday afternoon which was great fun…the actual venue is a cellar so it was shoulder to shoulder…they had three bands on and a good time was had by all….then we had our Cheshire Cats party last Wednesday…rockin’ from 8.30 til 11.45…all the money goes to kids charities …great stuff…we can be checked out on www.thecheshirecats.co.uk .....we can still ROCK…providing we have a lie down afterwards…

With wonderful timing the Government MPs have been awarded an 11% rise in their salaries…taking them to over 74 grand a year. This is when everyone else has to accept 1%....but it has been said that this brings them in line with surgeons and doctors etc… Soon we will not have to get a tax disc for our cars….we do it online and go on record….now this will be great for our older citizens who can’t even switch on a computer…and for the traffic wardens who will have to check with the central set up set up to see if cars are taxed…I’m wondering why?...ah well they must know what they are doing…I suppose….sounds like another disaster to me. Football is under scrutiny after a few lower league guys have been accuse of match fixing…it’s a disgrace….pure greed…they should be banned for life.On the subject of football John Terry was seen in Poundworld buying his wrapping paper and crisps….he’s on 170 grand a week…which shows you can take the man out of Poundworld but.... …there is a move afoot to do away with FM radio and replace it with DAB…they had a chap on from a local station saying it would cost a fortune for them to transfer over…and I wonder about our car radios?...good stuff eh?...I don’t know whether this will come off or when but there you are….someone has made this wonderful decision probably without thinking it out as usual. finally…did you see The Royal Command Performance?....Hmm…Oh Dear…..it started well but went steadily downhill…..the comedians they had on were appalling .. not even slightly funny…who books these blokes? And as for Dame Edna I think it’s time to call it a day. The show has always been second rate with some acts trying to suck up to the Royals and others ill prepared…I would have thought by now they would get it right. But there’s always Harry…what a guy…he’s just reached the South Pole on foot with some disabled army lads…he’s fourth in line to the throne…I say crown him now!!!

We are now out of the top 20 when it comes to children’s education…which is hardly surprising considering the country is run by morons…..the teachers are on a hiding to nothing these days…it needs a qualified teacher to get into the government and run the system instead of the chinless wonder we are stuck with…..a coach of a young village football team has got the sack for telling the kids he has no time for losers…only winning will do !!!....OH this caused a major outcry from the parents…we can’t have winners and losers…EVERYONE must be the same…no wonder it’s difficult to find an English footballer in the Premiership. The panto dame will soon be a thing of the past…because a bloke dressing as a woman is not PC….I’ve heard it all now….and as for the principle boy…what are the dads supposed to watch if she goes?…..a principle boy slapping a long shapely leg…Yes Please !!!! The latest thing from the police is to shop anyone who you think is over the limit…even your own mates…and if they get a prosecution you get £200….interesting eh?....…I think we need to try and get older heads on to the youngsters. Chester has been given an award for being an historic city…it beat the likes of Venice,Bruge and Prague……personally I think Chester is a masterpiece….the town itself is class and has a great atmosphere not to mention the walk around the Wall….I am fortunate enough to do a bit of kayaking in The River Dee which runs through it…scenery doesn’t get any better than that…Chester Rocks !!! There are quite a few ageing popstars making a bit of a come back….Boy George has got a good song out and he sings it well and has developed a likeable way about him…unlike uncle Rod Stewart who has made an album all about himself…….I was never a fan of Sinatra because all he ever did was sing about himself….and I wish Robbie Williams would get over himself…he is a GREAT performer (one of the best) but he always has to be stupidly suggestive… Russell Watson is a good lad and he has made a record showing the rough edge to his voice and it’s brilliant….I’m not into the opera stuff..it all sounds the same..but this one is the biz…go Russ!!!

The news has been full of this Scottish independence thing…what is it with people these days…we are a small island…LET’S GET ON WITH EACH OTHER!!...O.K. the English once marched on Scotland…and Wales…and Ireland…I’M SORRY!!! But I WASN’T AROUND AT THE TIME!!!...Get over it….I have absolutely nothing against my fellow countrymen but when I wander into the odd pub in Wales I get the feeling I am an illegal alien. It all seems like one way traffic…it’s always the English who are the bad guys. The Scots want to go it alone BUT keep the Bank of England…and the Queen etc…come on guys give us a break….if they get this it will be their biggest mistake I feel. I also get a bit annoyed at the rugby and football events when Wales Scotland and Ireland sing their own anthem…and we sing the NATIONAL one….which is also theirs….I think we should sing Land of Hope and Glory….or even better Googi The Liverpool Duck? ”I’m a celebrity get me out of here” is on tele EVERY night…with Ant and Dec trying to convince us that it’s all gonna kick off any minute….I’m not quite sure what we (including me) are turning into when we sit and watch celebrities sleeping and sunbathing and getting 80 GRAND for their efforts….….is that paint dry yet? There is a big shortage of male primary teachers in the country….in our day it was mostly men…but then again if your teacher got hold of your arm in them days he wasn’t faced with parents kicking doors down screaming paedophile!!.....what do they expect….you can’t speak to a kid these days without becoming a major suspect…..so why apply for a job with so much hassle?….…..it’s the parents who need educating not the kids. Because the television is so bad I have decided to include “Netflix” to my TV package……this gives me the opportunity to have hundreds of films at my disposal…and do you know what…try and find a decent one!!….they seem to have lost the art of making decent films these days…it’s all sci-fi…and vampires….and special effects..with NO story…the trend seems to be to mumble their way through a two and a half hour film with a 10 minute plot……what happened to ACTING?...and enunciation?...and the problem is you get so far into a film that you are FORCED to see it through…and 99% of the time it’s a complete load of rubbish…..come back all you Hollywood Greats!!....or am I getting old? How do you know when Christmas is coming?....out come the CDs of all the same old played out songs….PLEASE someone give us a decent NEW one if we MUST be subjected to them. Every shop and supermarket has the same old stuff every year droning away in the background….I HATE Christmas songs….but at least I expect “stars” to give us original ones instead of regurgitating all the old stuff. Just use the Slade one and bin all the others…Cliff…Bing…even Buble…..for goodness sake……

Hull will be the 2017 capital of culture….I am pleased for them because the city has taken some stick over the years….getting this status made a huge difference to Liverpool…it is now a fantastic place to visit and brings in thousands of tourists….last Monday my wife and I decided to jump on the ferry boat and take a look around the Museum of Life on Pierhead…first off the boat takes you up river with a fascinating commentary on the history of the area then pulls in at the new landing stage at Pierhead. To say the Museum is stunning is an understatement…wonderful…and FREE!!!......it shows the history of the city from the word go…on three floors…fantastic. Ken Dodd has a small section dedicated to him at the museum….when you consider how much this guy has put into showbiz and how popular he STILL is and yet he has not got a knighthood…makes you wonder …especially when you think of SIR Terry Wogan and..dare I say it…..SIR Jimmy Savile… I caught up on the bit of Children in Need programme I missed last Friday…. I really enjoyed McFly who I think are a great talented bunch of lads…and Jeff Lynne who did a great job of Mr.Blue Sky”…and it was nice to see Agnetha from ABBA singing with Gary arlow….Barlow wrote the song they sang together which is O.K. but not a patch on some of the other stuff on her new album….absolute masterpieces…I don’t know who has written or produced the songs but they are top notch. They also had a bloke called “Passenger” (foreign I think) who sang a song with just an acoustic….respect. How about this guy who was the boss of the Co-op Bank eh?...Paul Flowers….into allsorts (allegedly)…drugs etc……and Miliband (whose party gave him the job) has been on saying we must move on… The Monty Pythons are making a comeback…..they had a press conference and the whole world was there…Palin made me laugh when a Spanish journalist asked him a question and he said “I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition”….some people never found them funny but I was a huge fan…

Terrible situation in The Phillipines… these things make me so angry…..there are Sheiks with billions …greedy bankers with billions…footballers with billions….how about them putting up the money to build these people shelters BEFORE the event…they wouldn’t even miss the money…this should all be sorted beforehand ….we know it’s coming … but oh no ordinary folk must get involved…we can’t have these “princes” doing without the odd solid gold Rolls Royce….and Beckham has just moved into his 40 million pound mansion…he’s also made an advert about his own brand of after shave…it’s a real throw up job. The Children In Need Appeal has been in full flight … with Terry Wogan at the helm…..WHY?....there are many top class young presenters out there so why do we have to constantly put up with Sir Terry with his unfunny quips looking totally ill at ease in the suit he has squeezed into….I’ve always failed to see what it is about Wogan…totally talentless as far as I’m concerned…call it a day Tel and give us all a break. At least Brucie is talented…. but well past his sell-by date on Strictly Come Dancing….he’s painful. Blackpool hired Gary Barlow and Jonathan Ross to switch the lights on….I’m O.K. with Gary but why they book that grinning village idiot I’ll never know…again I wish someone would tell me what talent he has…Oh Yes he’s a chat show host…ANYONE can do that…..my point is proved in as much as the Blackpool Council decided to charge a tenner to see these celebs…and LOST 375 Grand!!...which make you wonder what Mr Ross’s fee was? When I was working on Radio Merseyside I was asked by the people of Ellesmere Port if I would attend their annual function and crown the May Queen…I felt quite honoured…so along I went and was treated like a local celeb….they then asked me what the fee was…to which I told them a nice cup of tea would do the trick…they then said that the year before they had another local radio personality (who will remain nameless) who charged them £750….and THI is the problem with the planet. ..And finally someone sent me an article from the Daily Mail regarding my mate…wrestler Adrian Street…who once had a novelty wrestling match with Jimmy Savile back in 1971…they were trying to promote Jimmy as a tough guy who had trained with the Marines etc…I remember Adrian telling me about it…he wasn’t happy and made sure Mr. Savile never stepped in the ring again…he nearly killed him…which is why I never sent Jimmy any of the records I wrote and produced for my violent friend….. …. Don't Forget….Don's been working on a doowop song for a new friend in the States….His name is Doowop Joe Conroy and he has a internet radio station in North Carolina...he checked out Don's website and noticed Don writes novelty songs. He asked Don to write one about all the doowop groups….….the song is called “DooWop Days” and can be found on YouTube……

Energy bills which are set to go up here…good old Ed Milliband announced if he gets in he will freeze them….so guess what .. up they go.I wish someone would give us a breakdown on where the money goes…everyone seem to blame everyone else….and they have announced that only about 10% of people shop around to find cheaper tariffs….but it’s so complicated I’m not surprised. On a similar subject…I took out insurance last year to cover the underground pipes from the road to my house…as they are not covered under the house insurance…it was £39 which I thought was worthwhile…especially if they have to dig my path up….I’ve just had a renewal reminder…£73…..SO I rang them up and asked them why it had gone up…they came up with some nonsense so I told them I didn’t want to renew…..”OH…what if we knock off £7 ?”…”No Thanks”…”How about £15 ?”….”No thanks…keep going”….”The best we can do is £22 which will make the renewal £51 ?”…I agreed to this…what can I say…is it me or is the world going nuts? We talked about the wonderful work on the old tapes they have found from Dr Who….wonderful modern technology……BUT is it really newsworthy when hundreds of Africans are losing their lives trying to get across to Europe in boats. Some guy on the news has made a life size statue of Eleanor Rigby out of…wait for it….the remains of a million pound in notes. He approached the Royal Mint and asked if they could give him any shredded paper money….and they happily gave him a million pounds to make his paper mache statue….you gotta admit it’s original..And finally…the lottery tickets have gone up to 2 quid…..there are a few more prizes but the chances of winning are the same…33 million to one…….now I played golf with a taxi driver mate of mine who was always going on about winning the lottery…to which I told him he had no chance which is why I don’t do it…and I have saved all those pounds by NOT doing it…..he only goes and wins 2 and a half million !!!It was interesting being that close to someone who had done it….it was bringing in 4000 a week in interest….don’t see much of him these days…can’t imagine why.

Don chatted about Real Ale this morning and confessed to not being the biggest fan of the potent beers brewed by those chaps at the Real Ale Festival. We disussed whether there is a type of aficionado and you must listen for our conclusions. Don told me about an 80 year old man who works as a guide for the treacherous currents in Morecambe Bay. You might remember a dreadful event when many Chinese Cockle pickers were drowned. The man works for the princely sum of 15 pounds.......Elsewhere Don told me about an association for friends who fought together in the World War and now are involved in other things.

Don came back from the Lakes last week and had to go straight out to Anglesey to sort my caravan out ready to be stored for the winter….stayed a few days and the weather was fabulous….23 degrees and clear blue skies…went for a walk along Rhosneigr beach and never saw a soul….there was no wind and there was absolute silence except for the breaking waves…doesn’t get any better than that. So it’s bye bye to the Island til next April….but I do love Autumn…my favourite season. A bit of sad news…Jackie Lomax (ex Undertakers) has recently died…..Jackie moved to America and worked with George Harrison and many top bands…he was great guy and each time he came over from the States he would appear at our weekly Cheshire Cats bash with Geoff Nugent and Brian “Saxophone” Jones….he went to our school and was a great lad…he’ll be sadly missed. Also another local musician has also passed on…Tommy Hughes who was the original singer in The Swinging Blue Jeans….and was one of The Kansas City Five….he was a good pal of mine and a true gent….he was a great keyboard player and has played in many bands over the years…I’ve worked with him on many occasions….these guys are irreplaceable. On a lighter note…Mr.Milliband has been wandering around with a fixed grin on his face pretending to be one of the lads and has announce if Labour get in next time he is going to freeze energy bills….I don’t know who writes his script but you can freeze your own bills on several deals with suppliers TODAY….so I haven’t quite worked out what he’s on about…..and Eric Pickles has stepped away from the pies for a few minutes to announce that CCTV parking cameras will no longer be used…the fact these make millions for local councils doesn’t seem to come into it….”it’s interfering with human rights”…so let’s all park anywhere and gridlock the country…get back to the buffet Eric. The Firemen have had a short strike over pay and pensions…they are now expected to work until they are sixty to receive a full pension….I think their salary is 29 grand on average,,,how much are those back benchers on again?..seventy grand?.....and who would you rather have in a crisis….quite…..not to mention the soldiers. Brian McFadden is on tele a lot (he’s in a programme called “Stepping Out” which is a rip off of Strictly Come Dancing…except the celebs dance with their real life partners)…now I’m not a fan of boy bands…Boyzone only had one singer – Steven Gately- and he died…I wouldn’t pay the rest of them in washers…similarly Westlife only have one singer – the gay guy … BUT I do have a lot of time for McFadden…he made a few good records on his own AND can play….he recorded an incredibly brave song before he went to Australia called “Irish Son” which heavily criticizes his vicious Catholic upbringing…I have a lot o f respect for the lad.

Michael Lavelle has won his case…..great news…..but what will he get for the two years trauma…probably nothing……and I suppose the accuser will get off scot free. As we have been saying the police reckon there isn’t a witch hunt going on….not much….anyway nice to see a bit of justice. It has been announced that CASSETTES are making a comeback…Hmm…sounds to me like the record companies are trying to get rid of there obsolete stocks…tell me about it…I’ve got a garage full. There is no way they can come back … you can’t compare a cassette to a CD…however I was very surprised that mini disc didn’t take over the world…they are brilliant. There are a lot of programmes on the tele about “Rogue Traders”…and “Rogue Builders”…with Ester Rantzen and a couple of cronies playing God and Dom Littlewood playing the tough guy with various traders...I would like to see him try it without a camera crew and no doubt a couple of security guys….having dealt with a multitude of traders in my old job I found 99% of them fine…and just out to make an honest living….what should be done is a programme on “Rogue CUSTOMERS”…because in my experience they are bigger rogues than the traders. The high speed train service from Leeds to London is still in the news….which we have discussed in the past…BUT it’s cheaper than we were originally told…it now ONLY going to cost 42 BILLION…oh yes…plus the trains…that makes it 50 BILLION…..nobody wants this but they are STILL trying to convince us it will be good for the economy….but they don’t tell us how…..it will obviously happen as there is a fortune to be made….and on the subject of news I tend to watch the BBC news at 8 O’Clock in the morning….the other morning they were droning on about septicitis so I turned over to ITV were I was entertained with a few interviews with film stars and a bit of Hollywood gossip and a bit of music…then I tuned back to BBC about 15 minutes later and they were STILL droning on about septicitis….BORING BORING…lighten up Beeb. …a friend of my wife’s went to a cash machine and it “ate” her card….so she went through the whole process of cancelling it and getting another one…a few days later she got on the bus and couldn’t find her bus pass…but had TWO credit cards…yep you guessed it…

Derby County Football Club are handing out free “E” cigarettes to their fans - designed to prevent youngsters starting to smoke….I’m not quite sure how they work this one out….I don’t know much about these electronic ciggies but I do know they are expensive and they contain nicotine…seem a strange exercise to me. Sad to hear of the recent death of the Disc Jockey/Broadcaster, David Jacobs….he’s been around virtually all my life…I remember him in “Journey Into Space” on the wireless in the early 50’…..half seven to eight…Monday nights…I could stay up for that one….then there was Juke Box Jury etc…..we are all getting old. ”Kilroy was here” was an expression which was written everywhere during the war….I read an article on who he actually was….his name was James Kilroy from Massachusetts and apparently he worked in an aircraft factory and checked that the correct amount of bolts were put in place…he would do this by initialling the job…but the workers used to rub out the initials and get them checked again by someone else…thus doubling their wages…so Kilroy started adding in big block letters “KILROY WAS HERE”….this became a phrase which caught on and was used by American soldiers who would write it in all the places their battles took them…good stuff eh? The Savile Saga marches on…Dave Lee Travis…Rolph Harris and some bloke off Coronation Street…….all tried and convicted by the press….without any proof of course….to show how wonderful our legal system is they have just found a bloke who murdered a girl 13 years ago by matching his DNA….that is after the guy who was originally accused served 6 years….it really does need sorting. Blackpool have switched on the famous lights….inviting famous celebs to be involved…and lost a packet. Firstly, The Script were supposed to be headlining but dropped out because of a family problem…so Gary Barlowe stepped in…and to give him his due he wanted his fee to be paid to Children in Need…also included was Eliza Doolittle and buffoon Jonathon Ross who had the honour of switching on the lights ……however it was decided to charge 10 quid to see this…….there were not many takers….total cost 500 grand…total income 300 grand…OOPS…..lesson learnt I think.

…some bright spark in the Government has decided we all drink to much and it is effecting our health…so that’s alright then….he is suggesting wine companies make their wine with a lower percentage of alcohol…oh yeah…that’s a good idea…..personally I only drink wine I like and I don’t need any politician telling me what to do thank you. It was even suggested that they make wine with the same alcohol level as beer….which means we’ll drink it in pint glasses…I wish these attention seeking MPs would get real. Train fares are going to rocket which has upset a lot of people…..one girl on the tele said she pays 5 grand for a season ticket to get her to work each day…which means she works 3 months to pay the train fare…good stuff eh?....In the next breath they are telling us that billions will be spent on a superfast service from Manchester….which we don’t need…..I’d love to know where all this money is coming from. Never heard any more about the 12 billion a year we send to aid the poor countries who are trying to send a rocket into space…old Dave Cameron did a quality side step on that one. Chester Zoo is going to have millions spent on it to transform it…it will have waterways with islands…it’s a very popular attraction but not for me….I find it extremely boring…but it’s O.K. the millions will be well spent…resession? The new motorway laws have come into force…it’s now £100 spot fine for tailgating or hogging the middle lane,,,,,how this will be enforced is a mystery to me…..it’s time the driving test was brought into the present day…..the quality of driving on our roads is horrendous….EVERYONE is impatient and rude….they get in a car and their personality changes….aggression comes to the surface. THAT’S why there are so many accidents…because people can’t drive…..the driving age should be 21 and the test should be a lot stiffer….and excessive speeders should be banned for a year… Two men had a set to in a car park (one was 64 the other 65) which ended up with one bloke punching the other…and killed him…that one punch will change a few lives. On the same subject there is a new scam going on called “Flash for Cash” (I’ll get my big overcoat out of the wardrobe)…it’s where rogues flash to let you out o a sideroad and deliberately crash into you…claiming allsorts ….they target old ladies and school runs…..tricky one to solve…..personally I always take my right of way and rarely let anyone out….because if you flash your lights the wrong recipient may pull out.