This business of being “woke” is getting up my nose a little bit, so I decided to do a bit of research and came up with the following:

My Oxford English Dictionary was reprinted in 1984. If you look up the word “woke” it immediately refers you to the word “wake”. As we all know, when you wake you cease to sleep and in the OED’s words arise from sloth, torpidity, inactivity or inattention. If the word “wake” is used as a verb it means to disturb the silence or place with a noise. Now I think the above pretty much describes the thought process behind all those people who are “woke”. They just need to be heard because they have nothing else of any consequence to offer society. I looked up “woke” on Google to obtain a more up-to-date explanation of the word and it is described as a political term which refers to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice. It is derived from “stay woke” whose grammatical aspect refers to a continuing awareness of those issues.

Well, I believe most of us with half a brain can relate to the above without being woke, but what really annoys me is those shrieking banshees who want to stare you out if you so much as hold the door open for them. We have got to stop this band of left leaning lunatics from spoiling our society.

Enough of trivial matters – what about the more important position of the former Labour Party in our political spectrum. Once upon a time they used to be in government. Once upon a time they used to provide proper opposition to the Tories, and indeed, hold them to account on serious issues. Now they have been reduced to being a glove-puppet for the hand of that hard-left rabble otherwise known as momentum. I do hope that either Kier Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey or Emily Thornberry get elected as the next leader, as this, within 12 months will lead to the demise of the Labour Party. How soon before a few serious minds on the opposition benches say enough is enough and break away to form a new party – the Socialist Democrats for example – or are they all too scared to face up to the bullying and coercion of the Marxist mob?

I had cause to visit our local hospital in January and got talking to a nurse who, when asked, confirmed that £48 per month was deducted from her salary for the benefit of being able to park her car close to her place of work. Disgraceful! The very idea of bunging more money at the NHS appals me, when all it needs is matrons back on the wards, less tiers of management and more leaders who know how to run a business, having been successful in private enterprise. While people in top positions in the NHS are able to earn vast sums of money, based on their length of service rather than their ability, the quality or service will not improve.

Note to our new Prime Minister – scrap HS2 between London and Birmingham and spend the money on northern infrastructure. Note to Jeremy Vine – next time you wish to promote veganism on the back of so called cruelty to animals and working conditions within the slaughter industry – do some research or you will continue to present yourself as an utter overpaid prat. Note to Piers Morgan – cease to look surprised when the PM refuses to come on GMB. This show is all about you when all you want to do is belittle him and bolster your ego.

I am still wincing from the loss incurred fattening a few cattle last year, but despite the efforts of the BBC to denigrate meat eaters, the immediate prospects for a bit of life in the livestock industry are good. Beef is starting to rise in value and the sheep meat trade is already in the advanced stages of unbridled enthusiasm. Best store lambs £80 and over – nothing much under £50 apart from the tiddlers that I buy! Onwards and upwards.

PS Management is getting on my nerves. The last month or so has not been great for keen gardeners! January blues is not a complete myth.