Hammocks, queues, deceit and Cardiff

On Brivibas Iela there is a Hammock shop. Yes I did write Hammocks! What it is doing there I have no idea. Who buys Hammocks in the winter for goodness sakes? I pass it daily, indeed for 6 months I lived just a block away from it, and I have never seen anyone in there. No-one. It is always bright and colourful with lots of lights on, so the electricity bill won't be small. It has appeared so resilient that I had decided that if that shop closed we were all in trouble. Its still there, but there is a ''30%'' off sign in the window. I predict that 50% will soon follow - SO IF YOU CAN BEAR TO WAIT A FEW WEEKS, THERE WILL BE HAMMOCK BARGAINS TO BE HAD BY ALL.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.

The recession effects continue to add up steadily. Today I noticed for the first time that the evening queue at WEF bridge has gone. Well not quite true, it was there on the other side, but surprise surprise, it was caused by the traffic police doing whatever it is that traffic police do to create havoc at the busiest times.

Not surprisingly the government withheld the true cost of the recession and the cuts required until after the election. ''Just normal'' was the most heard comment. It is sad that even in a time of world crisis the Latvian governing class is still totally self serving rather than caring for their own people. I hope they are ashamed of themselves. Somehow I doubt it though - abusing the people of your own nation is a national sport here. I heard that one of the Ministry of Transport appointees was getting 18K a month. In USA or Britain that might be acceptable. Here that is obscene and totally corrupt. Sadly the law allows it.

So I end with Cardiff. I was there last Thursday. I was overwhelmed by the activity, vitality and sheer shopping energy. As I have said before, the effects of depression in UK are very very hard to see, and in Cardiff they were totally invisible.