John Pilgrim – No wonder there’s a recession, no one works a full week any more

Doesn’t anyone go to work these days? When I was a lad we worked all through the bank holidays and only had Christmas day off. For goodness sake we are all in this together you know, what is the world coming to? How do you expect us pensioners to get through this when you’re all off barbecuing and such like?

I did my stint but I still wake up every Saturday morning thinking to myself “Ah the weekend what shall I do? Then I fall back onto the bed and realise that I have seven days of every week in which I can pretty much (money allowing) do what I want. I can do, or not do, any other little job just when I like.

Last weekend I was treated to a rather worrying aspect of eldest daughter Sarah’s character – she is beginning to sound just like her mum! Sarah and Mike came over to see me, and Sarah, without my knowledge, did a brief check of the house. She didn’t say much but did show me how to empty the pedal bin in the kitchen, clean it out and add a new bin bag. It’s true that I am going on 69 and in some ways it was nice to think that your first born still cares but I had a little private smile nevertheless.

The truth is that getting old is quite difficult to cope with if you have been active all your life, at least it is for me. It’s also true that your kids’ attitude towards you changes. Some get cross others try to help.

On a completely different subject I am pleased that Biggles FM is broadcasting regularly and going from strength to strength. I was recently approached by Ian Daborn who is one of the stalwart volunteers at the station to join him on air one Saturday morning for a chat. Naturally I am up for that particularly when it seems that the BBC will be drastically cutting their local radio commitment and we are likely to lose their local support.

People like the volunteers at Biggles FM are hopefully the future and their contribution will become even more important as the BBC continue to spend outrageous amounts on so called stars and neglect the real people to whom they owe their very existence.