NEW YEARS HONOURS!

January the 1st and the list is printed for one and all to see. Not that us mere tax payers and hardcore UK residents are in the least bit excited about a sportsman who had trained 4/5ths of his life, to the detriment of everything and possibly everyone else getting his OBE or indeed the fading rock star of yesteryear who's chart hitting sales back in the 60's earnt him enough royalties to afford to live in sunnier climes. Me sounding rattled? Surely not! Though even the stories of lollipop ladies and care workers are surely doing a job and being paid for the effort! Oh I realise I am sounding more bitter by the sentence but I've never really got the HONOURS LIST excitement. To be a Knight of the Royal Garter sounds grand enough indeed and there are those who through their lifelong efforts to make the world a better place should be noted but come on, why do we have Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Cliff Richard and the likes of? There are many who no doubt think the same as I do over this media fuelled mania.
That brings me swiftly to the joy that January 1st was now yesterday, if that makes any sense! January 2nd is a far more acceptable day. Not if one is returning goods to the stores, no far too early in the month, however the buses and trains are supposed to be working, the offices are opening if only with the post tramatic stress of the UK christmas shut down which is now almost a fortnight long and the salesmen are out in full force. New targets, fresh attitude, major motivation and the hope of a better year, one in which the pound may still purchase something and when the bricks that hold the roofs over our heads don't completely crumble around us! Yikes, this is sounding a wee bit glum even from my comfy seat. Watching the demise of Woolies and MFI etc, hasn't really upset me directly, mainly because I haven't shopped for more than a box of Roses in Woolies since the early 80's and never, to my memory have I ever had a purchase from MFI but its not only about the customers though even my simple economic brain can suss that the more serious implications are the effects on the wider manufacturing, purchasing world. Oh, this is almost becoming a technical piece so whilst I finish off the final tiny portion of almost no calorie, Christmas Pudding (with cream of course) its time for me to look forward to January 3rd. ps. For some strange reason, I think that Dame Judi Dench deserved hers!