Hands up if you require Grumblers Anonymous

SO MUCH has been getting my goat recently that if the wind changes I’ll be left with a seriously peeved face. First: the latest notion that children should not be expected to put up their hands in class because the bright ones always get in first. Grrr...

It is actually designed to do the opposite by creating an atmosphere of order and equality, as it allows the teacher to spot any shy pupils who are desperate to be asked, but would not shout out an answer.

Then we have the theory that parents buying lottery tickets are teaching children to gamble.

Oh dear. There is surely no harm in giving people hope each week that they might be lucky – and, in the lottery, some are winners. The odds may be heavily stacked against this, but that doesn’t dim the hope. And the lottery has funded some great causes.

I recently won an afternoon tea in a raffle in aid of the NSPCC and ChildLine but it hasn’t yet led me to an out-of-control betting habit, or sent me to the dogs.

Still grumpy, I was driving between Harefield and Rickmansworth, when I hit something very solid; possibly a pothole. I limped along for a few yards before pulling over, to discover a flat tyre and a buckled wheel. Stuck on an unlit country lane, it was very cold, getting dark, and traffic was zooming round the corner as people raced home from work. I put on my hazards, turned the heating up and hoped for the best.

Thank goodness for Britannia Rescue which Mr F and I subscribe to. My knight of the road arrived within the hour and took me, my wounded pride and damaged car, back to base in Uxbridge, where Mr F had a welcome meal waiting.

Talking of hot dinners, I cheered when I heard that David Routledge is again organising a Christmas Day lunch and tea – the 26th year – for people on their own. Last year there were more than 120 guest and helpers. Contact him at Heather House, 41-49 Belmont Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QT or email heatherhouse49@btinternet.com for a form if you’d like a place.

Since then my grumps have returned tenfold after we got a stroppy letter demanding a £60 fine for parking at Ruislip station. We had paid, have sent the evidence, and are now waiting for an apology.

Honestly, it’s enough to turn me to gambling…