Remembrance Day, three hours of watching the great and the good paying their respects to the brave ancestors of ours who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

This was TV at its best bringing the occasion right in to our living rooms and making you feel you were there.

I freely admit to shedding tears throughout the whole programme because as I watched events unfold I also saw my youth and my childhood passing before my eyes. Memories of my parents, my brother and sister, all the relations and friends passed on, and I somehow felt along with the sadness a feeling of wellbeing. Brilliant television.

Then the next evening came the other side of the coin. I watched two shows ‘Have I Got News for You’ and ‘Graham Norton’s – he of the cesspool brain- The Big Picture.’

In the first a group of supposed funny men take the mick out of the usual tired old items, namely Bush and Blair but also the new Christmas stamps showing Father Christmas sitting on a chimney which to them becomes a toilet. Followed by the usual references to bodily functions.

Graham Norton went further. Blair, Bush and the stamps and supposed comic illustrations of the Pope relieving himself in the snow and pictured with a donkey giving the impression of a sexual act, and the script strewn with any number of swear words.

At this point you wonder if the men who died in the wars relating to the ceremony of respect on Sunday would think their sacrifice was worthwhile if they could see some aspects of the world they died for today.

I will back my sense of humour against anyone’s. But although I cried at the Cenotaph ceremony I never cracked my lips in a smile at the other two supposedly funny shows.

A lot has been written about Liverpool’s involvement in this vile trade.

Slavery goes right back to the days of the pyramids and the Egyptians.

However when we move forward to European involvement we must study Liverpool’s part objectively.

These would be composed of rich well to do individuals with little or no scruples.

My great grandfather could have been a coal heaver or labourer living in a hovel going hungry and working for a pittance, and I doubt that like most of the population he ever benefited from this trade.

I had the pleasure of sitting in on a discussion with Mike McCartney, whose brother is of course Paul, one of the Beatles. Mike’s dad worked in the Cotton Exchange and in 1925 a prominent London newspaper wrote a tribute to those in the Exchange “These are men of honour and descendants of people who backed Abraham Lincoln in his fight against slavery in spite of it being detrimental to their jobs.”

I would like to think they were more representative of the city of Liverpool in relation to the traffic in human misery.

I would like to think also that after next year we consider putting this issue to rest.

Let us not forget, but let us all get on with amalgamating and putting right the wrongs that are taking place in today’s world.

In other words who need a piece of paper to consolidate a partnership?

The state of living out of wedlock was the norm thousands of years ago because obviously marriage was not an issue.

The relaxing or ignoring of these rules over the last 40 or so years has led to situations like the woman reported in the press recently as having seven children to a number of different fathers.

It is not inconceivable that these children could grow up and have their own offspring marrying in to their own family without knowing.

The piece of paper goes someway to preventing this scenario, fidelity being the defining word in a happy partnership.

On a personal note I was married for 48 years and loved my wife from the moment I set eyes on her t the moment she took her last breath just on three years ago, after producing five children, nine grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Maybe I was lucky but I can’t help thinking that some of the 32% may find the road through the co-existence with the opposite sex a bit rocky without the protection of the marriage rites.

However life has a history of self inflicted wounds but also a history of healing those wounds.

Another poll a few months ago showed that the number of women opting for a white wedding in a church was on the increase. A few simple rules adhered to and a little common sense can lead to a blissful and fulfilling life.

Spread over both sexes we live an average of 62 years, a third of which is spent in adolescence and youth. So it is worth giving some though to how we spend the other two thirds.

Life is a lottery, but unlike the national lottery we can influence the one governing our lives.

Tie the knot and make sure it does not come undone by signing the certificate. Be happy.

The big Banks (who else) have been taken to task by the Office of Fair Trading on the issue of insurance relating to repayment of loans which most banks insist on.

The trading standards people say the insurance cover is not worth the paper it is written on. Now the whole issue of loan protection is being investigated and about time too.

The second case relates to price fixing in which three firms could be fined £26 million pounds for the afore mentioned offences.

All of these firms could be called pillars of the retailing and finance world when in reality they have a side to how they make profits that they would prefer not to be made public.

It would be interesting to know how many others are at it.

Is this how it will always be?

Will computers and robots become the rulers of the universe?

I believe that children are already suffering because they are not given the opportunity to use their God given skills to do the things such as mathematics and spelling which in our school days were integral parts of the curriculum.

Surely, the less they are required to use their brains, the lazier they become. Science and Technology are wonderful commodities, but to my way of thinking, there is no substitute for tender loving care provided by doctors, nurses and social workers.

Even now, files appertaining to patients are all neatly tucked away inside computers.

How many times have you had to telephone your GP's surgery for an appointment, and heard the click click of a keyboard in the background. How well trained are the receptionists to handle the computers? I’ve heard it said so often, “I’m sorry, but I can’t find your records in the system”.

To me, it appears that the personal contact between doctor and patient is sadly lacking. So, at least in my lifetime, I hope technology will play it’s part, but only as a humble assistant to the wellbeing of the human race.

They have become some of my closest friends and I enjoy being in their company.

I make this point because of two events recently in the news which have caused a lot of controversy, hence my observations.

This invoked an outcry of gigantic proportions from some sections of the press and the LPC (Loonie Political Correct) brigade.

Around the same time an employee of British Airways was told, not asked, to remove or cover up a cross which signified she was a Christian. She has left her job and is now taking action against British Airways.

Does this mean all crosses on church roofs will be removed? We already have bibles being removed from hotel rooms and are in danger of reaching the situation where the tail is wagging the dog.

There is no law in existence that will ever force me to hide a cross if I wish to wear one. Meanwhile as I write the result of a poll conducted across a section of the public produced the result of 92% saying the veil should be removed.

I would agree with Muslim women wearing a veil if they so wish, but I also think it is not an ideal situation if they truly wish to integrate and suggests a type of oppression of Muslim females.

However will the government put a tight rein on these P.C. nutters before they make more problems that don’t really exist?

The future does not look too bright if these two incidents are examples of what lies ahead.

Although I could continue typing documents and so forth, any research I needed had to be put on the back burner.

I now realise more than ever just how dependent we are on things technological.

So, what was it all about? It appears that our local transmitter was in need of repair, and the powers that be, in their infinite wisdom, omitted to inform the general public that this was taking place.

Eventually, the repairs were dealt with, and all was well.

But, these happenings set me thinking. Technology although it most definitely has more pluses than minuses can sometimes be a darn nuisance. Having waited so long to have my computer overhauled, but not having lost my internet connection, was ok, but in the process of waiting, even that was taken away from me.

Being back in business, so to speak, is like taking an aspirin for a really bad headache, and not getting relief until you take something stronger.

Should this problem occur in the future, I will make sure I have some good old fashioned reading material handy.

The show was put together by the former American Presidential candidate Al Gore and the theme was global warming.

What was once the biggest lake in the world evaporated to the size of virtually a swimming pool.

Whole glaciers disappeared completely, polar bears found drowned (unknown before) when they tried to swim 50 miles to find an ice flow that was not there.

Aerial views of total devastation and when you see all the disasters like floods, fires, typhoons, tornados, failed crops etc. compiled into one hour you have to sit up and take notice.

He also demonstrated how some people (the old vested interests) deny that it is taking place, not believing what is in front of you, as they say.

However he showed how it could be reversed if the human race acts quickly.

This film should be shown free in every cinema in the world, then maybe we will get the reaction needed to put things right.

As always in these matters it is what we are leaving our children that matters.

Yes, Composers of modern musicals are no doubt geniuses, but, they have all the sophisticated computerisation to help them.

I can remember back to the days when I was a professional singer. When you went into a recording studio, you had to pay by the hour. If you were fortunate enough to be able to fund your recording, you would have possibly three weeks to complete an album. Now, it can take up to a year.

So, with all the essential qualities of a good voice, and good live musicians to accompany me, I could give a performance in which my voice was at the forefront. Do we really know how many so called stars can sing these days? One of the reasons I gave up singing in social and cabaret clubs, was that live musicians were being sacrificed for the sake of economy, and were replaced by backing tracks. I missed the little jokes that passed between artiste and organist, drummer or guitarist ect.

I once sang at the London Palladium with a 20 piece orchestra, and no amount of technological brilliance, no matter how good it may be, could ever take away that feeling of elation I experienced, knowing that every instrumentalist on that stage was playing to my singing.

I would like to hear some of the stars of today performing without all the sights and sounds created to make them icons, I want to hear them warts and all.

Then the wheels of what we call democracy went into motion.

It is on a par with a piece I wrote recently about a local council asking tenants to vote on the issue of handing all housing stock to a Housing Association.

They lost the vote by a huge margin, decided they didn’t like the way it was run and had another vote which “Hey Presto” they won. Talk about a slap in the face for democracy.

In another instance happening as I write an elderly lady is ‘begging’ yes actually begging the council in Liverpool and Social Services not to put her husband in a care home because it will kill them both.

The lady is 78 and fit as a fiddle; her husband is 87, suffers with Alzheimer’s diseases and is perfectly mobile. They were given a care package with a carer who she neither requested nor needed as she is capable of managing.

She was told her husband could be sectioned under the Mental Health Act against his will and forced in to care.

Meanwhile all over the country authorities have stood by while were children murdered under their noses. The point is why can't they leave this couple alone under supervision and let the lady say when she can’t manage.

Democracy – sounds more like Big Brother to me.

The famous and the ordinary, the talented and the run of the mill. Gorillas, chickens and not a scowl in sight. Even a cyber man, Dr Who style waving cheerfully at humans whom he would normally reduce to cinders.

All nationalities, creeds and colours, laughing and enjoying themselves with thousands lining the route cheering them on while putting millions of pounds into charities.

It brings home to you the fact that while the world seems to be hurtling down the route to oblivion there are people hell bent on stopping it.

If only all wars could be topped for one day and one of these races like The London and New York marathons could be run (an impossibility I know but if only). Maybe both sides would realise that all is not lost and world integration is a possibility.

However the fact people are trying does give hope.

Imagine if every penny spent on arms was put into a fund and used for the betterment of all mankind, all of the world’s problems relating to living standards would be solved in no time at all.

But will it ever happen?

I can’t imagine what his wife and children must have felt, knowing that he was performing a feat which could have destroyed him and them.

The thing is, how far should anyone go to prove a point

At first, I thought to myself, Yes, this is what progress is all about.

As time went on though, I began to change my mind. If I am honest, when I was younger, one of my ambitions was to be driven at high speed around a formula one race track. Now, however, I realise that life is too precious to throw away.

Breaking the land speed record may be important historically, and if it brings satisfaction to those who are foolhardy enough to participate in such adventures, good luck to them.

Through the ages, many valuable lessons have been learned through tragedies of one kind or another, and technology improves almost daily, but in the case of Richard Hammond and his family, at what cost?

Two old adages in strict contradiction to each other, but which is the truer. When it comes to today’s technology, are older people holding back?

P.C’s like television are becoming a must for every household but their usefulness for the older community cannot be overstated.

However, how many pensioners adopt the “I’ll never get the hang of it” attitude, or “I’m too old to work that PC”? Quite a lot I should imagine, and I am among that lot.

The opportunities to learn are provided by government and city councils, but maybe are not advertised correctly. Possibly upon retirement individual pensioners should be advised as to the advantages of the P.C. and how to reach the facilities provided for learning.

I read of 80-90 year olds learning to handle them, so it can be done, allowing for the fact some people, both young and old shy away from modern technology. It wasn’t just a joke about oldies asking ten year old grandkids to set the video recorder.

I still think the ideal situation is to grow up with technology. But what the hell, get in there and have a go whatever age.

From my limited experience the computer is a wonderful instrument when used by the right people for the right reasons and in spite of my outlook of “I’ll never crack it”, I intend to get there in the end. I won’t have my grandkids beating me.

Finally a word on technology, the sale of vinyl records has increased by 50% in 12 months, so don’t dump your old turntable yet.

I am Visually Impaired, and would love to simply switch on my machine one day, and command Metal Mickey, or whoever is on duty at the time to do things I find impossible at the moment.

I could go out each evening, get absolutely drunk, and not need to bother anyone for a lift home.

Come to think of it, I could even start my own taxi service. I could sit in the front seat, give my orders, and listen to the gossip. Of course, I would not repeat it to a living soul, because of the Data Protection Act.

On a more serious note though, can you ever envisage the day when robots could become Doctors, Nurses, Lab Technicians, and generally rule the universe?

And would everything have to be PC if so, we are already learning valuable lessons. Ha Ha.

I’m not a fan of Science Fiction. Although I wouldn’t call myself lazy, I look forward to the day when I am wholly independent, when I won’t have ask where this is or why has my toothbrush been moved?

This is a little selfish I know, because a robot will never take the place of loved ones.

All the same, if a robotic housewife can save my sister a shed load of cooking, cleaning and general housework, I’m all for it.