BACK in 1961 there was a musical playing in London staring Anthony Newley called “ Stop the world I want to get off “.

Today that is sometimes how I feel seeing what is happening to the world today. There is another, just as appropriate saying for today’s world, which is “ The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum”.

We see vocal minorities trying to impose their wacky ideas onto the majority. Transgender and veganism being the latest two.We see discipline, especially in schools, disappearing as is respect for others.

We see footballers being paid £500.000 per week, an amount that would take a hard working family person ten years to earn.

The BBC news for example has become, in my opinion, so biased it is not worth watching. We have such a weak government and PM that if someone says “boo” they jump.

Just look at some of the laws that have being enacted recently.

We need strong leadership, a Putin like leader, but I would not like to live in Russia. But you know what I mean.

We see countries one quarter of our size “wagging our tail”. What has happened to the word Great, when did we lose it from our title?

Free speech has been sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.

What of Speakers Corner?

TV adverts have become so “way out” and sexually explicit that they are taking away “childhood innocence”.

We see directors of underperforming companies being paid millions of pounds in salaries, likewise failing football managers, then they leave with millions of pounds in compensation.

We are told there must be cuts to all our services yet we give billions of pounds, yes billions, in foreign aid which is either wasted or stolen by corrupt politicians and criminals. Doesn’t charity begin at home?

We see every available space being built upon. Our high streets are dying because of shop closures due to the fact that they are losing customers to online companies which can undercut their prices.

The reason these companies can do this because they don’t have the overheads or pay similar taxes.

This creates, in a different context, another situation. namely shoppers no longer interface with other shoppers. They don’t arrange to meet in town and have a coffee, a cup of tea and a chat.

This is an important part of building a community spirit, a sense of belonging.

Before long you won’t even have to leave your house, everything will be delivered to you, even your newspaper which will be online, so long as you have a computer.

Cash will disappear because you will pay by an app on your mobile phone so long as you have one.

The only way to communicate with companies, if for example you have a complaint or a problem, is by email, you can never speak to another human being.

Instead you get “this is an automated service leave your message and your email address and we will get back to you”. Some hope. We could become hermits.

The roads are so crowded it is no longer a pleasure to drive and if you do where can you park?

There are, I am sure, many more examples.

Lastly, there are so many repeats on TV that I know the name of every horse in “Silverado”, Johnny English is almost a personal friend as is Dennis Waterman as he appears in three different repeats in one day. Nothing new worth watching.

Am I being a modern day Luddite or just a miserable old sod?

John Armstrong, Address supplied