stiggy - da iawn, ti! I wasn't trying to take a swipe at you. It's just that people (and the Media, big time!) seem to think that what's happening in one part of Britain is the norm. If only the media would concentrate on spreading 'good practice' of everyday workers, people would know that other parts of Britain are doing things differently. Of course, the same thing applies internationally. It p***ed me off at the beginning of the year when Gordon Brown was praised for suggesting that we should consider relieving Third World debt (like he was leading the field) when Canada, Germany, and possibly others had already got stuck in ...

Ooops. Sorry. Tangent.

Re: food in packets, the same thing happens in care homes (elderly, disabled, mentally challenged, etc). A friend of mine works in one and DISPAIRS of what her fellow carers serve up to clients. One told her that she'd have to go and shop as there was nothing in for tea, and yet the fridge had eggs and bacon and raw veg. But this wasn't even on the carer's radar! She didn't have a clue how to serve up anything that wasn't in a packet! God preserve us! (Hmmm. If God chose to preserve us, would it be as a compote, or dried and salted, or ... ?)

siân