I note, with amusement, Egged-On, Candidus II's comments on one of the pottier of the EU's deliberations. Here in the UK we are all too familiar with rules, regulations, human rights provisions etc., issued by the EU gravy train employees who have nothing better to do than think up strange new laws and instructions to flummox both industry and the public.

Here in the UK we pay millions of pounds every day to these overpaid and underworked bureaucrats on their gravy train of expenses and sky-high salaries while they sit in Brussels and elsewhere dreaming up new schemes to wind up and inconvenience us all.

In the UK we have already rejected this crazy idea and, hopefully, more decisions for removing daft EU regulations will follow soon when the new Administration has time to sort out such issues. It now seems, according to financial sources, that not all euro notes may be equal. Due to the turmoil in some EU member countries, it is suggested that some euro notes should be exchanged for those in more stable countries. This is a worrying situation and one wonders if and when a hierarchy of euro notes may be established. It will be interesting to see how this develops. In the meantime, I must try and ensure that my small stock of notes, held for my next trip to Malta, are produced by Germany, Holland or France!

You may be aware that the new UK government has stated that we will not consider joining the euro in this Parliamentary term and the team preparing the UK for such an event has been disbanded. I am aware that sterling is not at its best currently but am pleased to be retaining our historic currency at this difficult time for the euro.