John: Where in the world can we go from here?

Jan 28 2010 by John Avison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

The survey says the climate is gorgeous, the cost of living is lower, the health service is the best in the world, education standards are high and getting higher, the culture is sophisticated, there’s very little crime, and the vin, fromage, and baguettes are quite good too.

I think this might be what is infuriating the pro-UK bloggers the most.

‘Lord-a-mercy, we used to own two thirds of their blessed country. We beat them in half a dozen wars. We even killed our king before they killed theirs.’

Well, that’s progress for you.

This survey couldn’t have come at a worse time, really. We’ve just come out of four week of snowy, icy chaos to be told the recession is over (0.1% economic growth is the end of recession? Give us a break!).

We don’t much like our present dour government but we are pretty sure, in our bones, that the scrubbed, blue-suited Tories aren’t going to be any better.

The fact is, we’re not feeling particularly pleased with ourselves, our government, our councils, our gritters and our binmen.

And seeing France collect this accolade is rubbing road-salt in our wounds.

We’ve forgotten, already, the ploughman’s lunch and the pint of real ale in the Dales pub as the sun glitters on the Wharfe or Swale.

We’ve forgotten bluebells, Shakespeare, Elgar and the casual kindness of a stranger in the street.

Maybe this never was the real Britain. Maybe we are all going down the plughole. Maybe France really is a super place in which to live.

“Could be worse,” said one blogger. “We could have been 26th.”

Now that’s the spirit!