Reasons to be Grumpy.

    People sometimes remark on my choice of blog name. 'You don't seem grumpy to me' they say and in the main they're right. I reckon I tend to look on the bright side. Of any case, you don't really want to leave my posts feeling depressed, do you. So when I do feel like a moan (we all do sometimes) I like to have a real go so here goes, three for the price of one!

    Does Vince Cable, MP get on your nerves; he does me! I There's something about the man that irritates me. I find him pompous, self important, arrogant, self congratulatory. The sale of the Post Office was over subscribed; seven times over; the potential financial loss to the country was terrific. As Business Secretary he seems to be the only person in the country who seemed surprised. He's being hauled before a committee to explain his actions; good!

    When the Thames Link contract was put out to tender it was awarded to Seimans, a German company with a history of dubious deals. Result, sixteen hundred people lost their jobs with Bombardier in Derby, my home town. He, Cable, our not so beloved Business Secretary was called to Derby to explain his thinking. His reply, 'I didn't know Derby was a railway city.' What a plonker! Don't you have Civil Servants to inform you on such things! For your information the railways first came to Derby in 1840. (Swindon, York, Darlington, Doncaster and Crewe are five more well known railway towns and cities.)

    How long do we have to wait for your next 'bodge' I wonder, not that I expect you to apologise for your crass incompetence.

    Members of Parliament are not renowned for their humility, or their honesty for that matter. MP David Laws appears on television as Lib Dem Educational spokesman far too often for my liking. Mind you, once is too much for me. This is the man who fiddled, there is no other word for it something in the region of £40,000 in expenses so that he could house his boyfriend in a house that he owned; if you or me did likewise we could well end up in prison, where I think he ought to be.

    And one more makes three! A year or two ago my local pub went the way of many others, it became a Tesco Express. I had no strong opinions on the matter. Plus my wife was pleased, so I was pleased and it has its uses. My wife is a coeliac so life for her is never easy. (A Coeliac must have a gluten free diet, never easy, often very difficult. Imaging buying cakes for your family but not being able to eat them yourself. Paulette, my wife found somewhere selling gluten free fish and chips recently, the first time she has had fish and chips since 1985!) The Tesco Express shop has/had a small gluten free section, a source of great excitement to my wife. I use the past tense because the gluten free facility was withdrawn in all Tesco Expresses recently. The young manager says it was obviously not because of' space reasons. (The staff are pleasant and helpful, a fact I mentioned in a recent 'local' survey in the place.)

    I e-mailed Tesco and pointed out that their apparent interest in customers is mere lip service. In fairness they did reply but the young lady who rang was seemingly following a script. There is, I believe, no REAL interest in customer needs, interests etc. In view of the poster at the front of the building, hypocrisy of the highest order. I would have loved a REAL reason for gluten free food withdrawal. Too much hassle, Tesco? So life goes on, big business rules and profit is king. 'Tesco cares', whose kidding who, Tesco!

    We seem to be ruled and surrounded by moronic, greedy, hypocritical 'fat cats' who don't really care for anything in life but their profits, their image, their selves. Another of the big six energy companies put up their prices today, well above inflation. It's caviar for some, another trip to a food bank for others. But why should fools, incompetents and downright liars take up my time. Instead a short tale concerning real people in this often corrupt and greedy world.

    My wife and I had a meal recently in a local garden centre. (Those gluten free fish and chips were the lure!) A young lady was present and caught the eye. Slightly built, leather jacketed, jeans, complete with facial adornments; many, particularly of my age group would probably not approve. She was accompanied by a frail, elderly lady. And the young lady's  care and devotion was extraordinary, eye catching in the extreme. I have never ever seen such obvious care and concern from one person towards another. There are some good people out there if we care to look. Thank you, young lady, for restoring my faith in human nature. (Apparently the couple were part of a family gathering. The young lady was a physiotherapist and the family group was from Newcastle way. 'Good on yer, lass.')