Bus talk...

The day Charlotte Ireland passed her driving test may have been the greatest day of my life. Instead of having to get up far too early and being crammed onto a train full of loud, obnoxious eleven year olds in uniform, I now get up ever so slightly later and Charlotte picks me up. Unfortunately for her, I don't really do mornings. She invariably arrives bang on time and is left gritting her teeth while I search for shoes or scarves or long lost textbooks. We then cruise to school, blasting out the tunes (highlights include Bruce Springsteen, Lenny Kravitz and even a bit of Jay-Z...). Overall, it is brilliant.

However, sometimes Charlotte will be ill or we don't have to be in at the same time and I am forced to once make my own way to and from the little haven of Hagley village. This involves not only catching the train, but also dragging myself on to a bus. Full of old people. Who smell. It isn't all bad. They talk a lot and sometimes it's fun to eavesdrop. In fact, I tend to use these brief snippets of conversation to judge the vague ebb and flow of public opinion. I realise that my sample of the general public is a little bit selective, but it's sufficient in order to get a general idea.

So with the excitement of the election and the upheaval of the Government, the 'bus talk' has been decidedly political. Interestingly, while a few months ago, the old folk of Kidderminster were intensely critical of the Labour Government, they definitely DO NOT want a coalition either. None of them seem to like Cameron much, and now Gordon has been booted out, they seem rather fond of him. People of Kidderminster, make up your mind! Or join the Labour Party. Or just take a shower...