Well, here we are, the first Bank Holiday of the year (not counting New Years Day of course). Except as I write this, I am still at home and not in the Lake District. The main reason for not jumping in the car and heading North up the M6 is that heading anywhere on the M6 on the Friday of the Bank Holiday Weekend (or any Friday come to that) is not for the faint hearted. Add to the congestion and frustration of the queues at the M6/M61 junction is also the cost of fuel. Not to long ago I could buy diesel at less than 90p a litre and now I am lucky to find it at less than £1.15 per litre. To fill a tank now costs £12.50 more than a few months ago. At least my BP shares are doing well so please next time you stop for fuel make sure it is a BP petrol station 
So we have decided to delay our departure until the Saturday. Unfortunately, Sultana have decided to televise the Bolton v Sunderland game at 5-15. Now I don't subscribe to Sultana as already spend a fortune with that nice Mr. Murdoch (Sultana want to charge me £120 per year for something I used to get from Sky for £50 - but that is of course better for us consumers as it is more choice - yeah right) and as I am a season ticket holder anyway - who cares. Well I do actually. A 5-15 kick off on a Saturday evening is a stupid time for a footy game - it is just not cricket. Assuming the game finishes at 7-00 pm then it will be gone 8-00 pm by the time we get up to the lodge. Just in time to miss that Nancy thingy on the telly. Still at least it is Bank Holiday weekend so we have the extra day. Might even get the boat out if the sun shines.
On another topic, I spent 16 hours yesterday as the presiding officer in a polling station, giving the good people of Wigan every opportunity to exercise their democratic right. Just over 200 people took advantage of the dedication of the myself and a poll clerk which equates to 20% of the people eligible to vote at my polling station. Add that to the 15% who registered for a postal vote and a 35% turnout ain't bad for a local election. The outcome was that the sitting labour councillor of gazillion years was turfed out by a keen young Conservative. In the past, it was often said that the good people of Wigan would vote in a monkey if it was wearing a red rosette. Not any more. The ruling Labour party are suffering from taking the electorate for granted and assuming they would still vote labour despite the issues we are all having to put up with. SLP Management - TAKE HEED.
Kevin