Irrespective of where you stand on the current US/Iran conflict, I think everyone’s pretty much agreed that it has been kicked-off in a half-cocked, cack-handed manner.

The job numbers released last month were the starkest and most sobering seen in decades. Unemployment has climbed to over five percent and one in six young people are officially unemployed, including over a million not in education or training.

Unlike his direct predecessor, King Charles III always knew his reign would be relatively short. However, he probably never thought it would witness the most consequential and damaging crisis since his namesake lost his own head in 1649.

I just can’t figure them out.

Only eighteen short months ago, Reform UK was nothing more than a curiosity on the fringe of the political landscape. Now it’s the main event. Even with the recent high-profile Tory defections the party has just eight MPs but is still on course to either form or lead the next British government.

With Britain pledging soldiers to a multinational Ukraine force and allocating £200m to fund preparations for the possible deployment of troops, the question is what state is our armed forces actually in and are we up to the job?

And then we take Berl…er, Greenland at it transpires, and, as it melts, Santa’s headquarters, the North Pole, is increasingly becoming a major geopolitical flashpoint. Why exactly?

With the party season entering full-swing I was delighted to see the dancefloor, at a weekend works-do, packed to the rafters with the yoof-of-today all having a whale of a time, partying like it was 1999 and waiving their hands like they just don’t care.

My true love sent to me, an adult advent calendar in a pear tree. In recent years I have ranted long and loud wrt material overconsumption and the consequences thereof. It would appear that we’ll splash the cash for any excuse, none more so on those once-special anniversary events such as Halloween, Valentines, Easter and especially, Christmas.

Last week I had the good fortune of travelling to St Mary’s stadium to watch my team, Preston North End, play a thrilling encounter against fellow Championship contenders, Southampton FC. The fact that we were in the opposition’s half on only three occasions gives the impression that quality football wasn’t really the winner here, but we managed to score on two of them and the afternoon ended with a comfortable three-points in the bag.