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Well this one is not very difficult to guess, Big Business is always the winner. Big Business under the name of Airtrack will win the clash of the crossings. Airtrack (Does anybody know who they are?) Well whoever they are, they want to foul-up our local road system, so that we will have to wait for hours to cross the rail lines at four local junctions. What we the yokels will have to suffer, under this new regimen is not very nice to contemplate. How we will manage to shop, get to school or work? It will be a nightmare. How the emergency services are supposed to get through is not explained. I think the reason for all this chaos, is so that people can get to Heathrow quicker.I kid you not! So what are our local worthies doing to stop this nonsense? Well, it is a bit difficult to discover! At the moment we are still at the footstamping stage, getting a bit red faced, and doing a lot of pointing. It is difficult for us yokels to understand and to realise that we live in the home of democracy. But, I think Orwell got it about right. "Some Pigs are more equal than others"

In an article, published this weekend, (The Sunday Times) local communities secretary Eric Pickles called on council "Fat Cats" to double their work load and to reduce their pay.

Reflecting on that the news Olympic Rowers are staying at RHC here on the Green, together with the remarks of Denise Saliagopoulos that "It will bring the Olympic Games to the heart of the community and boost the local economy". May I ask Mrs S, exactly where these benefits will accrue? Here in Englefield Green we have too few shops, no Post Office, Bank or Public Toilets, hardly a big attraction for the average tourist. As I understand things, in 2012 Egham will resemble a dusty building site, as it is about to have yet another Supermarket pitched in the High Street, so, how welcoming will that be for tourists?
The uncharitable ones among us might think that Councillor Saliagopoulos was really thinking of her home town of Staines, as being the benefactors of the boost to the local economy? Please say that I am wrong, Mrs S, please tell, what changes you have in mind so that Englefield Green will be able to welcome lots of visitors to spend lots of money, and have no worries about spending a penny!

But does anybody know why? Was it because we are very proud of this Blessed Plot, this Realm, This England? Well if that is the case, why don't we take a bit more pride in how we treat our homeland? The advert on the telly has got it right - we are sane pedestrians, but once we are behind a driving wheel, we lose it - Why? Is the same thinking that makes people dump their rubbish on the side of the road, rather than go that extra mile to the dump? Why do we throw fag ends, sweet paper, crisp packets, sandwich wrapping, drinks cans and bottles, then expect someone to clear away all our mess? Do we like to see graffiti
on every available space? What about Horses, Cats and Dogs using our streets as toilets?
What a pity our pride only extends to watching our sportsmen doing well for our Country, I think the people that we have invited to come and see our Olympic Games will be rather shocked to witness what a shabby plot we have turned into!

It was about two local heroes who had fought for years to achieve their target - no matter what was thrown at them they stuck to their guns, they were completely locked on to target
and could not be deterred. No this is not about two strapping squaddies in some far foreign field about to win medals for bravery. This is the story of Amelia and Amanda Berry, who last week got the crushing news that the Public Enquiry, held in our village, had decided that their work and hard slog of the past five years was now down the tubes. What you may ask were these two trying do? Were they asking professional footballers to stop cheating?
Did they want MP's to pay back what they had nicked? What on earth was their target that involved local Councillors, the Local Council and Government Officers and a Public Enquiry? You will not believe all that they wanted was some more toys in the children's playpen on our Village Green! No don't tell me to thing off or leave the gin alone, this is Gospel. There is a 23 page report from the Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of

Wow, I thought, what is wrong with cheques? It seems that the Banking fraternity are not happy dealing with messy little bits of paper. In future, we must pay by credit card. Have you got a card Sir? Yes, I replied thru gritted teeth, I have credit cards. Are they Debit or Credit cards Sir? They are Visa Debit cards I growled, Sorry Sir, he said triumphantly, we only take Credit cards! Strangely, I did not explode with rank and file anger language, I was quite calm when I asked if I could take him thru our last hour together. At long last we had agreed terms and conditions on my house and car insurance. A lot of time had been spent explaining why certain offers on TV and in the Newspapers, were not suitable for my needs. Obviously they were slightly more expensive, but peace of mind were more important, don't you think? I wanted to ask why were the cheap offers made, if they were not good value? But only being a part time, semi-qualified Grumpy Old Man, I thought I would save that for another day. My mind was trying to work out this latest stab in the

I was reminded of those programmes on TV where big spenders are advised how to stop
being silly and get into the real world. The expert explains the basic rules. The opened mouthed ones look on with horror - "What do you mean we should be more careful with our income - we have oodles and oodles coming in every month - so where is the problem?"
Your problem, he says, is your control. - This is what I suggest.... Rules are discussed and targets set. Later when the adviser returns things are not much better, some slight improvements have been made, but common sense is still missing. Now instead of acting like The Official Receiver and taking charge of the whole situation, the adviser wags finger and says he will return in a few months........As I understand things, Runnymede Council are at the stage of engaging an Adviser (as a temp at £60,000) to see if their problems.
can be solved. A good idea if the problem is solved, but may I suggest, that what is required is a root and branch investigation into where Runnymede Council are going

What a sad state of affairs we have arrived at when the question under discussion is about cheating. Should the goal that was scored, thanks to Thierry Henry's hand ball, be allowed to stand? In other words, is it OK now to cheat and get away with it? Well ,say the authorities, it is not as simple as that. As the match officials did not see any infringement, they cannot change what happened. What, even if the TV pictures show that Henry - quite clearly and deliberately - prevents the ball from going into touch with his hand? Well, as the officials did not see a problem at the time, the result will stand....This farce brings to my mind an exchange between a young man and another which is encapsulated in the limerick of Ronald Knox which was on the lines of -
There was a young man who said "God Must find it exceedingly odd, To think that the tree
Should continue to be, When there's no one about in the quad."