On my way home yesterday I went by the main shopping street through Swindon. As expected for a warm afternoon (despite the threat of rain - shoppers have no fear) the street was busy with people ambling around in pairs, or mothers pushing their kids in buggies whilst screeching at them to behave even if they were already tightly strapped in and incapable of mischieve. The open-fronted bars were busy and thanks, but I already know about my choice of clothes.

A little bit further down the street was a series of benches for shoppers to rest in between mad dashes for bargains, but on one particular seat were a couple of teenage girls. One simply didn't appear on my radar, but the other I must confess was a genuinely pretty blonde who wouldn't have disgraced the front cover of a fashion magazine. Stop looking Caldrail, she's noticed. There's nothing worse than a teenager who thinks you're interested in her.

"I'm thinking about it!" She announced in working class tones as I strode by. She can think about it all she wants. Thankfully I'm a little older and wiser than to succumb to that sort of approach. I suppose for her life is all fresh and exciting, and I've no doubt she wants to experiment and youngsters often do, but you have to wonder at the sense of trying it on with an older man she doesn't know. As it happens, I've no interest in teenage girls - not because my instincts are dulled, I did appraise her physical beauty after all, but lets be honest - can you imagine the grief she'd cause?

Advert Ban of the Week

It seems that pressure to improve late-night behaviour (and indeed, health) has resulted in doctors pressing for a ban on alcohol advertisements. I suppose that's a worthy cause as such, but then, the ban on smoking adverts hasn't really done much to stop smoking has it? As a matter of fact, I doubt that an advertising ban on alcohol will make any difference whatsoever. People get drunk because they want to, not because they want to spend money on a particular brand of booze.

I really don't know what doctors are worried about. Pubs are going out of business anyway and whilst I happen to know that alcohol-related injuries are increasing in the Swindon area, at least when they're wrapped up in bandages in a hospital bed they're not out there getting drunk and destroying their internal organs. That's all they have to do. Better yet, ban teenagers. Then half their problems will go away.