Bang on Dave.

Times change. As a young lad drinking in The Miners' Welfare I am sure I laughed with the rest of them at some of the northern comics and their use of casual racism as a means of entertainment. Doesn't mean I would find it funny now.

If that was me years ago, not nasty but failing to see the harm done by those who are, I suppose my education has gone full circle.

People are people. Many people seem up be able up reconcile decency with traditional bigotry. We were at a dinner party a few months ago where the other two couples were a Muslim couple and a gay couple. In fact this Saturday we are hosting a BBQ party for the clinical unit staff who work with Mrs Musket. As ever, a mix of different religions, two same sex couples and the need to have two meat BBQs (one halal, including cleaning of utensils) and a vegetarian BBQ too. If the weather is cold, three bloody fires there to keep 'em happy.

I guess I was slightly lucky in the encouragement to form my take on life. My father stopped going to church in the late '40s and taught us to do whatever we want and form our own views, once we were adults. To that end I tried to teach my lads how to think, not what to think.

I taught them to be wary of fiercely held views, especially those that include denigration of others. I had a good friend who took his own life because he started believing those who said he was different. Those who said he was wrong.

We can't change attitudes overnight but by Clapton we can challenge perpetuating them.