Thanks to those who have commented to the effect that my absence has been noted. I have been on holiday.
Because I have a number of commitments in the immediate future (now including, rather to my surprise, retaining an architect and rebuilding the less satisfactory parts of the Villa Underclass) blogging will be highly intermittent, if not entirely absent, for some months.
I have to say that I don’t really believe that my failure reliably to harrumph at the nefarious machinations of the professional political class will make a lot of difference, to be quite honest.
It would be nice to say that I am taking time off to construct a space vehicle in which to emigrate to a more sensible planet but unfortunately I seem to have mislaid the relevant supplier’s catalogue.
My readers (bless you both) will probably have to content themselves for a while with an occasional rant or two about the construction business.
Speaking of which.
Once upon a time (quite a long time ago) there was a fellow who has having an extension built. It was the school holidays, so his daughter (6) was being kept amused by helping the builders. She would pick up a brick, and put it down on the other pile. Then she would pick up another. Soon the bricks were all somewhere else.
At the end of the week the builders got paid, and the fellow (being her dad) said that since she had helped the builders all week, she too should be paid, and gave her a £5 note.
At which point her mum (being her mum) said that she ought to open a savings account and put the £5 in it.
So (dutifully but not without some regret) she was taken by her mum to the building society, which conveniently provided suitable accounts.
“Five pounds,” said the lady in the building society, helping her to fill in the forms, “That’s quite a lot. And will you be helping the builders again next week?”
“No.”
“Oh. Not at all?”
“No. Well. Not unless them fcuking bricks arrive.”
Lol!
Of course, tell that joke now, and the little girl would have to speak Polish… :)
It is good and uplifting, OM, to see you back, if even ephemerally. 73
PS I recently acquired a Kenwood R5000 from another OM who has no more use for it, which is nice (for me). Fine radio.