I had a chance meeting yesterday with someone I vaguely knew, so being sociable I stopped what I was doing and had a drink with him, and I was soon joined by his girlfriend. My god was this the most boring couple I had ever met?

She didn’t say anything of any note, and despite being attractive physically, her personality was so devoid of anything except of the contents of a copy of OK magazine she was rudely reading, it actually made her unattractive. To make matters worse he went on a series of witless phone calls to his mates about the demise of his football club leaving me to attempt to make conversation with someone who had the brain capacity of a rocking horse, and was a classic example of beauty only being skin deep.

The situation grew worse, because he had bought me a drink, I felt obliged to return his kindness hoping that he would decline. He didn’t, and as luck would have it, one of her friends came to join the fun,striping me for a large glass of wine in the process. Like her friend she picked up OK magazine and went in to deep conversation with her mate about how big Jordan’s tits were this month, whilst in the background he was on the phone organising some sort of demonstration outside Fratton Park. What the fuck was I doing here!!

I have been lucky in my life to have gained friends in Oxford, London, Broughton, Australia, Tadley and right here in Basingstoke through parents at the the cricket club etc etc. I can put my hand on my heart and say that every one of them has something interesting to say that makes them good company. I have always been attracted to people who specialize in sarcasm and black humour, people who can engage in topical debates with a bit of wit spiced with controversy. That’s not much to ask is it? It came as huge shock to be wasting my time with people who were pleasant but remarkably dull and one dimensional.

I can’t claim to be an intellect, I am academically ordinary, but I try to self educate by questioning everything (which annoys some people) and reading independent political and social articles in some of broadsheets, or on the Internet. Why can’t everyone do a bit of that for half an hour day, rather than filling their heads with shite from vindictive tabloids and trash magazines, it would make them far more interesting and less narrow minded.

I will leave you with an example how the press can influence people and turn them mad. I was a pub in Broughton the other day, where I heard a well spoken and apparently prosperous chap ranting until he was almost incoherent about some article in the Daily Mail about single mothers being spongers who have bought the country to it knees. The mother of my children and my partner/girlfriend are single mothers (both who work) so as you can imagine this was a bit insulting and I was frantically biting my lip, as this wankers opinion wasn’t even his own, he was reciting some idiotic column by a right wing lunatic in a fascist newspaper. I will almost guarantee he is the sort of twat who hives money offshore to beat the Tax system, which costs the country a lot more than a working Mum legally claiming a few quid a month in family credits.

For once I kept my mouth shut, because my adrenalin was telling me that I was about to embark on a finger jabbing exercise involving loud voices and foul language. News travels fast in Broughton, and didn’t want Diane going down to the village shop to hear the news that her “outsider” boyfriend had been upsetting the locals, even though I would have been standing up for her. However, I am still annoyed with myself for letting the pompous prick off the hook.

Have a good weekend and remember, treasure your good friends, because if you try to meet new ones, they may well disappoint you!!!

Right where’s that copy of OK I’m sure Cheryl Cole is losing weight you know………………………………..