United Europe?

A quick jaunt down to the Loire Valley en France pour la famille Holland last week – whereupon, yours truly was I suspect exactly like every other English driver on the French roads – namely, admiring of their emptiness and lack of pot holes and emergency patch up repairs but scathing of the cost to use them.

‘The French – they pay nothing to use our roads. It’s bloody ridiculous’

I said this or a derivation on this theme at practically every toll booth – as my wife sighed and tutted and probably wondered how she ended up with such a boring husband.

And having been fleeced in France – last night we got home to Blighty and our free to use roads for our European brothers.

We are toll free in the UK but have a one off annual raod tax instead – along with the on-going cars taxes administered with abandon by our ‘safety measure’ cameras.

Speed. Bus lanes. Parking. Dropping off. Box junctions.

On the continent or at home – the beleaguered British motorist is an ever slower moving target and sitting duck.