The View from the Hill on Wednesday 23rd June

Happy Anniversary to Mrs B and myself - 26 years of married life and she still can't get me to do the ironing.

Her expectations have lessened and she doesn't even ask me to iron the handkerchiefs anymore - and I was pretty good at ironing square things like hankies and tea towels.

The budget went off quite well I thought, Mrs B gets a pay freeze and we will pay more in VAT in the new year but the increase in the personal allowance will off-set that a little. I'm quite happy to join George Osbourne in this crusade to reduce the deficit and to crush the disabled and the poor, it can only mean one thing, less of them will be able to shop in Tesco freeing up valuable space for the middle class shoppers slumming it there, as they can't afford Waitrose anymore.

But seriously, people will have to think about budgeting and perhaps cut down on the drugs and alcohol and cigarettes and buy their children a vegetable instead.

But seriously, seriously, we will all have to tighten our belts and make do and mend - it's that blitz spirit that the English are so well known for - when we are down, the Churchillian aspect of our nature surfaces and as the Frog Chorus put it so well, we all stand together! Oh Yes!

This is how we will respond, this is what we will do, England expects...to be on the plane home at about 6pm tonight.

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England expects that every man will do his duty

Admiral Horatio Nelson.