It’s not too late to take the pledge

PEOPLE I’ve met over the last week or so will have noticed I have been wearing a white ribbon on my lapel, and that is for a very important reason.

Once again this year, I have been pleased to support the White Ribbon campaign, an annual event to raise awareness of domestic abuse – in particular violence against women.

I and many others have vowed to never to commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women – a simple but very powerful promise.

This year Carmarthenshire County Council was awarded White Ribbon UK accredited status, as a mark of the authority’s commitment to The White Ribbon Campaign. We flew the White Ribbon flag at County Hall, and sold white ribbons in many of our public buildings to raise funds for services for local victims and survivors. Information was displayed on our screens, on our website and our social media feeds.

Many of our staff also wore white on Friday to help raise awareness of the campaign.

On Thursday evening, I was pleased to join a silent procession in Carmarthen, a quiet and dignified act of solidarity.

I’ve also heard stories from survivors of domestic abuse, and that has made it patently clear why we support this campaign every year.

It’s not too late to take the pledge. It’s not too late to speak up for someone. It’s not too late to get help, if you need it. I’M outraged.

I’m bursting to bring the world’s attention to an important issue that really annoys me.

I’ll be contacting all the TV and radio stations, demanding I’m allowed - without being confronted by any counterargument - to air my valid grievance.

I intend to do this . . . as soon as I find something that really annoys me.

Well, everyone else is doing it, so why not me?

Regularly, while watching breakfast TV, the milk on my cornflakes quickly becomes soured by the sight of some deadbeat I’ve never heard of, speaking on behalf of their half-baked organisation or “Think Tank” (I’ve only just learned to “Think Bike!”, let alone Think Tank!) that disapproves of something that 99% of us have never considered to be a problem.

They loudly point out that we 99% of the population are terrible people because something that gets their goat doesn’t get ours.

Mine, incidentally, is happily roaming free in a field just outside Ammanford.

Although their pontificating should make my blood boil, my usual reaction is to wonder where their funding comes from, shrug my shoulders and put some fresh milk on my cornflakes.

Sainsbury’s customer magazine recently included a Persian recipe to introduce flavours to their customers that they may not have enjoyed before.

The ingredients also included some Indian items.

Inclusivity and diversity in one meal, you might think. Not so.

One angry British Iranian wrote to the boss of Sainsbury’s, demanding an apology because treating Iranian and Indian ingredients as virtually indistinguishable was “Casual, lazy racism, and abhorrent”. Now, I’ve discovered that the dictionary definition of the word “abhorrent” happens to I DON’T know about you, but over the past couple of days I’ve had some trouble warming up

At this rate I will be digging out the thermal underwear garments which have been hidden away up until now following last winter’s holiday.

On Saturday evening, I couldn’t help but notice that the majority of the punters frequenting Wind Street in Swansea were wearing next to nothing. be . . . “Inspiring disgust and loathing”. While there are many

Yes – bare legs and flimsy tainly no fur coats.

And the women. were just as bad! Don’t get me wrong, extremely fashion conscious, but zero practicality.

It’s now dawned on me that I’m at an age where comfort and practicality takes precedent over fashion.

Boring to some, I know, but I’d rather be warm and happy than cold and miserable.

Please don’t say that I’m alone on this? tops, and cer- appalling things going on in this world that deserve to be described as abhorrent, I honestly don’t think a recipe containing a few incorrect ingredients really deserves that description.

I’m just a comedian, but I think the world would be a much calmer place if, instead of appearing so eager to take offence, more people just shrugged their shoulders and poured fresh milk on their cornflakes.

You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales or visit www.philevans.co.uk