Daily Mail Reader

I do so love the occasional glance at the Daily Mail for a good laugh.

One of the latest "stories" is that Ken Clarke claimed an 11p ruler on his office expenses. Now nowhere does the so-called story condemn this, but the inference is obvious - to get the readership (if you can call the Daily Mail Tendency that) to huff and puff with righteous indignation about our taxes being used on frivolous expenses.

The fact that the ruler was probably part of a bulk order costing many hundreds of times the 11p is not reported; the object of the exercise is to take one item out of context and blow it up into something it's not.

Off Oop North tomorrow - Carnforth Station to see the refreshment room from Brief Encounter, White Scar Caves, Clapham, Giggleswick, Barnoldswick and then call in at Huncoat on Sunday to visit my elder daughter for a cup of tea before returning home. My, what an event-packed life we live - and such far-flung and exotic places we visit.

When I said to Hay that I was taking her to Carnforth and could she guess what I was taking her to see, she came out with; "A black pudding factory? A clog emporium? Whippet racing?"

Going to the Farnbrough Air Show next week - my company has a stand there. A week later and we're off to Latvia for a week's holiday followed by a restful week of holiday at home to recover.