THE REAL WORLD ?

I guess it all depends on your definition of reality.   But I`m struck by the contrast between last week, being away from it all in the relative isolation of Cornwall, and this week, back in the so-called reality of the south-east of England.

The contrasts of topography are obvious - the wild, inspiring solitude of the south-west coast path and the overcrowded logjam of what used to be the Garden of England.  But there are other contrasts too.   They `feel` different - in Cornwall, I can get away from things in what in my perception is a foreign land;  I can be immune to `events` in the wider world which don`t concern me when I am standing on a cliff top with the wind in my face and where the contentment of just being means that not much else else really matters.   Back here the pace of life, the speed of traffic, the instantaneous, immediate, non-stop twittering all conspire to raise the tension and create self-imposed, man-made pressures. In short, a classic case of different environments determining our well being.

And yet I feel almost obliged to catch up on `events` that might have slipped down my agenda whilst enjoying my cliff top reverie.   So what have I missed?   Well, our walk last week from Land`s End to Gwennap Head coincided with the Conservative Party Political Funeral of Baroness Thatcher but all that did was to confirm in my own mind that, when the time comes for my own clogs to be popped, I really don`t expect or need any sort of  ceremonial exit    ( The hypocrisy of it all means I might be turning humanist.)

I`ve come home to the news that there will be elections for the County Council next week and, mercifully, there is a candidate who probably won`t win but who might at least provide me with the chance to register my objection to chucking £53million a day into the black hole of Brussels.

More significantly - and so much more in keeping with my quest for reality - the Gills were crowned champions of League Two, so my neighbour is over the moon - he`s even got a blue car;  the Saints now need just one point from their remaining four matches to guarantee another season of Premier League anguish; and of course there is the latest Luis Suarez episode, where the Football Association have again dodged the issue of punishment fitting crime by imposing a 10 game ban, whereas the obvious sanction would have been to require Suarez to have his teeth extracted.

And you wonder why, having reconnected with some people`s version of the real world, in just over two weeks time we`re off again to be inspired by the true reality of Cornwall once more.