Sadly what I say is true. If we were a big country like America. I daresay we could be like them - live with droves of serial killers and gun nuts and they would not become too apparent.

Or if we were a lightly populated country like Ireland - we could have victims of sexual abuse in every woodshed, and still keep up a semblance of normality.

But we don't. We live in a very overcrowded little island. Shoulder to shoulder, and there have to be ground rules. Unlike France and Spain, where they pass regulations about everything and police none of it, in England every parking ticket is an existential dilemma.

but that's the way we like it. Martin Carthy can bang on about the Dowie Dens of Yarrow - we English relate to Elvis , Jim Reeves and the Beatles, Acker Bilk ,the Sex Pistols and Kylie. We're a mongrel nation. And if someone shits in our sleeping place - they need a tug on the lead.