As for Alnwick - a lovely town. Then again it was in the papers on Friday with local people queuing around the block to see the new Sainsburys. Honestly.

I am guessing they don’t have a deli.

Brian, the UK winds me - for many reasons. Probably mostly because it is my country and I have a stake in it and I get to feel embarrassed when its bad. I can put problems in developing countries down to culture and circumstance.

The strange thing about the UK now is that there really isn’t too much wrong. Economy is more sound than most - crime isn’t great but we’re packed in here.

We’re pretty lucky in this country. Born lucky. What bugs me most is the newspapers pretending otherwise.

Deep breath. Slowly out.

Since you’ve come back / been home, your anger level seems to have risen.

Understandably. I”l repeat that: UNDERSTANDABLY.

But, lardass, blogGod, Cookgook, photogreat… hey up.

Stop beating up on irrelevant bollocks. e.g. Southern Media Mafia. your forcing a fight others are already waging.

Find your own fight! Then win it.

And…

By all means beat up on the lyin’ cheatin’ whores and pimps therein…

But, not on the media qua media.

You are so angry since you’ve come home.

I’m SO glad that you are, but so sorry that you are feeling that anger and disgust - again.

(Today, you know the date? You know the significance in Viet Nam… remember Hugh Thompson, Larry C and Glen Andreotti ( I am in contact with Larry Colburn, a great hero)?

Steve… don’t force it. Don’t beat up on life or yourself.

Think best feelings you ever had. Think best trust you ever gave.

Very many people - who are not all immediately classifiable as retarded - care greatly about you.

So, sometimes, one or two of us might want to tell you we care; and that you need to think of another bridge, on another morning, on another lake, in another light, and hold it again in your heart.

clue: it’s red.

Ease up on yourself man.

But… i’m spending a long Easter weekend in Alnwick, I’m looking forward to breathing in a small slice of what i’m missing, I promise to leave my preconceptions at home! If you’ve any must see recommendations in that area, i’d love to have them.

Will.

Except they live in the own little bistro inhabitting worlds with their own prejudice and ignorance and imagine that kind of thing can only be found in the North.

When they talk about the provinces - they don’t really mean those areas outside of London - they mean people who aren’t white, middle class, guardian reading, media working prats like they are. Everyone they know wouldn’t dream of hanging out with the foreigners, the proles etc etc who don’t eat at Michelin starrred restaurants on a day to day basis.

Not sure if where I live qualifies as “the provinces” but the quality of food we get here is better, there’s a famers market I can walk to where the food is affordable and local. Although not quite the variety of shops as in London, there’s more than one deli (yes, really!), we have a road full of asian shops (one of which has the biggest display of sweet chilli sauce I’ve ever seen in the window), polish shops, they sell yams in the supermarket and best of all for me, a vegetarian supermarket!

Silly man. But then what can you expect from a tv programme where the presenters both look in need of a good wash?