Summertime?

Is it just me or does everyone (apart from the snails and slugs attacking my garden) feel bloody miserable in this 'summer' weather? And if the dismal weather isn't enough we are told by every expert with an opinion, there are quite a few, that the economy is in a downturn that is possibly going to end in a recession. Unfortunately I'm not an expert so have difficulty in understanding how you forecast a recession and apparently am not the only one because you only know you are in recession when you've been there for six months! WTF?

So I looked at my finances to try and gauge the situation and wished I hadn't. Since the start of the year I'm putting £5 a week more petrol in my car, my grocery bill has gone up by £20 a week, my gas and electric have both gone up £15 a month and my mortgage which is on a two year tracker and runs out soon will probably go up by £200 a month unless we can get another 'deal' which is unlikely. My wages on the other hand should have gone up by 1.5% in April (approx £4 a week) but haven't because the union and management can't get their act together. Now to my mind if that's not a fucking recession what is?

Now the government has come up with a plan to help. No, they aren't going to cut duty on petrol or jump on the profiteering utility companies or even inject some cash into the banks so they will start lending at reasonable rates again! Their big plan is to stop us wasting food! We all buy around £8 of food a week we don't need and throw it in the bin. Now sometimes when I come home and unpack the shopping I have to throw out a bag of crisps that has burst or some of the pre-packed veg is a bit shit but nearly 10% of what I bought I throw away? Come on Gordon you are going to have to do better than that!

I have a solution that I think would help but am thwarted (great word by the way!) at the first attempt. I would like an allotment so I can grow what we need and eat it fresh so hopefully little waste. I'm really not sure why we can't eat whats in season and grown locally, do we really need to have yams all year round? Anyway back to the allotment, I rang the council and I can have an allotment for £24 per annum. Not bad I thought, little bit of effort and this time next year it will be coming up roses. Well not roses because we can't eat roses well we could but spuds would be better. "I'll have one!" I said feeling cheerful in spite of another 'summer' downpour. "No you won't!" was the reply as the sun hid behind the clouds again "there is at least a 2 year waiting list."

Great! So this is what you do Gordon, instead of pointless and unhelpful comments you get off your fat backside and out of your ivory tower and free up some inner-city land so the people who want to try and help themselves have a bit of a helping hand!