I thought I'd take you for a walk through my local town(Staines) and use the trip to shine a light on the real economics of life in modern Britain.
You may remember my little war with Staines Conservative Club?
On my way into town I walked past the club; this week the members are going to be entertained by strippers ('Strictly 18+'), which somehow seems exactly what I would expect from an institution which is there to support the ruling Conservative party.
This month, the latest Office of National Statistics figures show that the UK has suddenly grown dramatically, back to pre-recession levels.
Is that because everything is booming under the Conservatives?
Or does it have something to do with the figures being inflated by the addition of estimates of the 'contribution' made to the economy by prostitution and illegal drug dealing this month?
All of which is very helpful considering that there is an election due in 2015.
Which is probably where the Conservative Club's choice of entertainment comes in.
This little scene is taking place outside a shop a little way along the same road as the Conservatives;
The guy by the door is a locksmith, drilling out the lock. The two people with him are executing a possession order issued by the court; repossessing the premises for the landlord.
The shop used to be a pawnbrokers/cheque casher/payday loans company, so it's always nice to see that a business that makes it's money exploiting the poor has gone bankrupt.
This queue has been building up all week;
School term is about to start and these anxious parents are waiting to get the uniforms their children need; the shop is open until 7pm and the woman in pink by the door is controlling the crowd.
It's strange because you could easily go to the big chains and buy really cheap uniforms off the peg - standard clothes which would only need a school badge stitched on to a blazer or the addition of a tie. In some shops you can get a whole outfit for £3-50p.
Except that some state schools which are supposed to be open to all are actually fighting to exclude the poor and disadvantaged so that they can appeal to middle class parents only. It's social engineering.
One of the methods they use is to require expensive 'extras' and complicated, expensive and difficult to find school uniforms.
These anxious parents are trying to get hold of the silly uniforms that their kids need.
That's the Staines Blues for you.
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com
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