Who are these ‘celebs’?

IN my dictionary celebrity is defined as “a person of fame or distinction” but it seems that the term is now being applied to some to whom it does not apply.

I only caught up with BBC 1’s “Celebrity Masterchef” in the closing stages and if it had not been for Greg Rutherford the show could have been mistaken for an edition of the amateur version.

There was someone called Kelly who looked like she’d done 10 rounds with Muhammad Ali (now there was a celebrity!) and it was no surprise to learn her background was in boxing but I had never heard of her, a young girl with an accent as thick as the Tyne and a man named Dom who were both equally unfamiliar.

The others were a professional quizzer for whom the question is “Who’s she?”, an unknown chef (I think) and ex soccer player Neil Ruddock who I did not recognise and now looks badly in need of the razor that was his nickname!

It’s the similar collection of nonentities with few exceptions in the interminable series of “Pointless Celebrities” of various themes and vintage that seem to fill every 45 or 50 minute slots.

And now we have “Strictly” the producers of which really appear to be scraping the barrel with their latest batch of so called celebs apart from Anneka Rice, David James and Mike Bushell, all of whom are forecast to suffer the same early departure of the only other person anyone has ever heard of, James Cracknell, deserved though it was.

As for the rest there is a comedian of little or no repute, someone whose name reads like the tiles I pick up when playing Scrabble, a blogger, an ex women’s footballer now pundit, a DJ few of the likely viewers know, this series’ Paralympic representative, soap stars one of whom looks lovely until she opens her mouth and a woman whom I’m not at all sure what her claim to fame is.

Perhaps the time has come to call a halt to a show that has lost not only its way but also judges like the much loved and irreplaceable Len. Countering calling

Papaya have never been high on my five a day list but might be worth a try.

The one I’m referring to is not the fruit but P.A.P.A.Y.A, an acronym for Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adults, a group run by the daughter of a speaker I heard at a men’s breakfast a couple of weeks ago.

The group is not in this area but there would be nothing against someone starting it here to counter what can only be referred to as an addiction, evidence of which is seen daily wherever you go as the phone is kept constantly in hand so they can get a quick “fix”.

How about it someone? Contact me if you want details of the father to get further details of the group for what to me seems a great idea. Market memory

Does anyone remember a cattle market off Coventry Road, Hinckley?

Geoff Vero is seeking information and wonders if there are any photos of the market which he says was behind where there is now a funeral directors’ premises and close to where the former leisure centre stood.

He also believes it was also a small council yard was located and seems to recall that people could take their pets there to be put down.

If anyone can help with any memories of the places please get in touch and I’ll pass on the details to Geoff. Shorter schooling?

Is it just me that thinks it or are pupils getting shorter schooling than they used to?

Next week is half term and yet it only seems five minutes since they went back. I know time goes quicker the older one gets but to have a break after only six weeks or so does seem quick and a disruption just when some children who moved up to high school have only adjusted to new surroundings.

Come on teachers and tell me you need the time off for marking or course preparation and, not that it applies to me, justify why working parents have to arrange child care at no little expense or putting on grandpar