I was talking to a relative the other week. Not one I see very often and we were catching up on his travels and my lack of. . . I have taken to cruising for holidays and he still like to get out to countries and see how everyone else lives. He emerses himself in the cultural differences. One thing that has struck him over recent years is the different ways countries adhere to rules and regulations. We joined the common market over forty years ago and for all that time our governments – all of them – have rigidly stuck to the rules we signed up for. Whatever came on statute as agreed by however many countries it was at that particular time, we always have honoured them – like it or not. But some countries just sign up to say they belong – but don’t necessarily do the biz. My pal was bemoaning the fact that his holiday home in an more easterly state is now uninhabitable because the work being done on a neighbouring property wasn’t done as it should – and asbestos has been found but not extracted and disposed of lawfully. So the area is dangerous. Oh. At least we can feel pretty safe. As well as a bit smug.
