Paul Johnston

I can't believe how long it is since I last wrote here. The muse seems to have deserted me in the last couple of months.

I have decided to migrate my blog elsewhere. The new blog address is www.pauljohnston.wordpress.com. This link will take you there. The content will be similar to the content here and I shall also transfer most of the links.

A very uninspiring list! Once more people are given gongs for being famous actors (McKellen yet again!) or TV personalities (Parkinson) - when all they have done, essentially, is their 'job' - and they have already been paid extremely handsomely for doing it. The day can't be far off when a knighthood or something is awarded to the vastly overpaid - at our expense - J. Ross.

Surely these 'honours' should be reserved for people who have genuinely contributed to the welfare of mankind and whose contribution has not been recognised in other ways........... 

Welcome to the Lib Dem MEP who has today joined the Tory Party. His friends will be sure of a warm welcome. There's one or two Lib Dems in Kingston who might well feel at home with us...........

Read all about it here http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071126/tuk-lib-dem-mep-defects-to-tory-party-6323e80_3.html 

Am in Lancashire for a few days visiting family.

Yesterday I went to see my oldest living relative, my cousin who is 86. She served in the Land Army during WW2 and has worked all her life. Now she lives in a sheltered bungalow in Carnforth. She is as cheerful as she has ever been but is in need of daily care to help with the routine tasks of life which she can no longer perform unaided. She has a wonderful carer, whom I met yesterday.

It has brought home to me - if it needed bringing home - just how important domiciliary care can be to a person rendered physically disabled by age and a long working life. It should be a matter of pride to all of us to take the best care we possibly can of the elderly who need it. We really do need to think very hard before cheerfully - or tearfully - cutting such services either now or in the future.

Treatment Centres like Tyrwhitt House funded by Combat Stress has facilities that have been specially built to provide for ex servicemen and woman who are physically disabled and suffer from PTSD. Projects like 36, Grays Lane in Ashtead help families to get closure to loved one at the rehabilitation centre Headley Court; this could only come about by donations collected by SSAFA. Charitable organisations engaged in assisting serving and former members of the armed forces and their families, saves the MOD £££, so why should 15% from donations collect during events held on MOD Defence Estate property go back to the HM Treasury? Would members please write to their MP or if you are on the internet go in to the web page http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/servicecharities/ and sign the petition