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I know it's oft-repeated but it is 100% true: you can judge a person by how they treat the people who 'serve' them whether that's in a restaurant, a bar or a shop.

I saw a comic last week, that I now can't find, that suggested that everyone should spend time in a service industry like waiting tables as a compulsory national service when they're young. Just to see it from that side for a while. Might make people a whole lot nicer to those who are providing service to them.

I really do appreciate that. I've already clipped my toenails in preparation for my trip to see the wonderful Dr Annette Bearpark.

You've got to go back to eating what you were designed to eat Bearman...red meat my friend with a nice red wine...its not so bad.

I take arcoxia (etoricoxib) 90mg when it flares up. Like all drugs there are contraindications so I also have to take a PPI ( Omeprazole). But I find if I take my Arcoxia for 3 or 4 days I'm clear for 6 months or so. I have had it for over 40 years so can tell when its about to start and can usually nip it in the bud. After 40 years my latest theory is that for me the trigger is seafood. I'm currently avoiding all shellfish. I really hope that its not the trigger as I love all types of seafood. Get your Doc to do a blood test. The red shinyness presenting is typical of gout. Allipurinol (Zyloprim) seems to work for a lot of people, there really is no need to suffer that dull ache with occasional flashes of excruciating pain.

Are you sure its not gout? A simple blood test will tell. There are some excellent remedies if it turns out to be gout. My gout flares up every now and again, sometimes the joint looks red but not always.

Well, Doctor Who was wonderful. I managed to get to watch it (almost) live and (almost) without anyone talking over it, and then I watched it back again later on iPlayer in complete peace and quiet after everyone else had gone home, and it was even better. "Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never ever ever eat pears. "Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. "Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind." The Doctor is my kind of hero, even though I quite like pears. And then he regenerates into a Yorkshire woman. "Oh, brilliant!"

Rant on behalf of wife and daughter who were both working yesterday waiting on tables at the local. The Christmas dinner has been booked for months, this hasn’t stopped people wanting to change their choice at literally the last minute and getting stroppy when being told “we’re really sorry, you booked your choices in August” kids screaming as running around getting under the waiting staff’s feet as they try to do their job and worst of all (according to my daughter) the “level of tips this year is ###### dad after all the ###### I took from those ######s and their brats” be nice to waiting staff they have your food when you can’t see it

Americanisms do my head in. Chucking in Zs where they're not wanted. Guys, movies etc.etc. Things are no longer rubbish, they are garbage. Grrr. I can't see the Empire State Building from my living room window and I don't want to either.

Patience is the greatest ingredient. Make a bit water pastry. Melt 125g good lard in 150ml water. Add to 450g flour. Mix well. Don't use supermarket lard. Use a good butcher... if you can get Italian lard it makes very crispy pastry. Lovely. Then set aside. At least 3-4 hours. Some wait overnight. It will cool and as it cools it will stiffen. Then you will need a dolly. I have two... see below. Start using the larger one. It' easier to work. Cut pastry enough for a pie and set aside enough for a lid. For the dough into a stiff 1cm thick paté about 1ckm diameter bigger than the dolly. Then placing your hand around the dough slowly work it up the sides of the dolly until you have the height of your pie. Pie mix 75/25 shoulder/belly mix. I double mince about 25% of the mix to give a variance in texture. 1.6% salt. Pepper... use 50/50 black/white. Pinch mace. Allspice and a few grates of nutmeg. Leave 2 days. To assemble push the meat firmly into your pie she'l to get the air out and ensure a tight pie. Egg wash your lid on. Cook 190 for about 80 mins. Leave to cool before putting your jelly in. For the jelly use pigs feet not gelatin. It' easy and much much better

I was called a racist on the train the other day, it was a bit of a clench buttock time because there about a dozen of them. They shut up when the only black guy in the carriage told them that real skinheads aren’t racists. I just get sick of explaining sometimes

This is going to be a bit of a political rant with a bit of swearing, so heads up. Why do we keep giving racists things, or let them take away things from us? If I wear red laces in my boots, I have to explain to people that it has NOTHING to do with racism, it is just the colour of my laces Shaved head? Still nothing to do with racism. Fred Perry gold and black polo shirts are the new thing racists are claiming, and I know of so many people who are giving up on that style, and even the brand. Fred Perry has come out against hate time after time, but it doesn't seem to matter. ****racism, ****hate, ****letting racists take things from other people making it theirs. Things that belong to different cultures, different subcultures, different styles, religions and fashions are not theirs to twist and ruin.