Jeepers, where did the weekend go…? Might have something to do with the massive amount of rehearsing with the Brass Band, we fly down to Christchurch next Wednesday to defend our current title, which is huge stuff for us, because if we manage to pull this off, we will be bring an A Grade band back to the capital of New Zealand - sweet!

Yesterday we rehearsed from 12.00 (lunchtime) through to 6pm!! Hardcore! Leaving me just enough time to go and catch the All-Blacks anihalate (spelling?) the Springboks (sorry Rach)

Today started rather lazily for me, with a lie in followed by laundry, and a bit of pottering around on the computer (I suppose this is the modern evolution from pottering around in the garden shed??) followed by - yes you guessed it, MORE brass band rehearsing, you see we are running a concert/open rehearsal tomorrow night; ready for the big stuff next weekend….funnily enough a friend of our conductor wanted to record us for a film, we had to sound like a school band, apparently we were naturals….o.O

Me confident for Christchurch? Course I am!! (gulp)…

In other news - very unsurprising I have heard nothing from my local MP. Whom I wrote to via email regarding my council tax ‘fiasco’, I’ll let it ride for a further 28 days after which. I guess his stance will have been made clear….”who cares about the little guys after all?”

Hope everyone out there had a great weekend, and heres looking forward to a very POSITIVE week ahead

Always saddens me when I read things like this I mean, it’s a timeless story. Frankly I’m sick and tired of the whole ‘politically correct’ brigade…seems to me if they didn’t exist the government might actually save a penny or three?

So what if people occasionally get offended by something; whatever happened to freedom of speech? Or is Censorship really that high on any governments agenda that they see fit to belittle a kids story?

The mind boggles…

Now I am even more unpleasantly surprised!

If you are late for a Council Tax payment now they have introduced a late payment charge (between £2-3), levied on top of your outsanding amount?  This wasn’t made clear to me at any time, or did I just miss it in the last council mail shot regarding the current “waste” of my money?

I know there are some out there that pay more than me, but this just stinks!!

Over 2/3 of my monthly income is all on bills and taxes of one form or another (Utilities, Council Tax, VAT, Fuel Tax, Road Fund Tax, TV License, Alcohol Tax - Beers, Wines and Spirits) Thankfully I don’t smoke or that would be yet another tax!!!  For the current population in this country, what does all this TAX amount too? 

At the same time we are being encouraged to save for a rainy day.  As a tax payer, I don’t begrudge any of this money being paid as long as I can see the tangible results of such personal investment in this country.  At the moment I feel like our government is pi%%ing billions down the toilet

Sometimes I consider whether the Sheriff of Nottingham’s taxes in Robin Hoods times would have been tamer then compaired to now!

The Private Sector, (certainly from my perspective) over the last 5-7years has gone through some dramatic downsizing, pulling in the belt, and I think it was about time that this approach was taken in the public sector (though not necessarily on the front line); from the middle upwards!  That’s where the majority of public money is wasted in exorbatent management wages, and pointless studies.  Maybe then the government will retain enough finance to pay for the crucial things needed at ground level like more police officers, more nurses, more teachers and all the equipment needed etc…  and to make matters even WORSE!  They are talking about a change to the  Freedom of Information Act, which would result in us not being allowed to see how much money is being wasted in the public sector.  So much for Mr Brown’s more “transparent” approach eh?

Labour are going to have to do some SERIOUS convincing (and I am not talking canvasing here) to win back my vote come election time. 

If you have the eligibility to VOTE, then don’t waste it!!!  This is you chance to shape the future of this country not just at a local level, but at a national level too!  As the effect of your choice could change the course of the next general election.

People who can’t be bothored to use their vote who complain about society etc….deserve to stay exactly where they are.

Please, please, please!!!  If you can vote, then VOTE!

It’s your democratic right!