Well, its done. Our invasion of Germany in general, Berlin specifically, culminated with our escape last night, on a crowded plane bringing us back to the safety and security of Stansted bleedin Airport. And the good thing about arriving back approaching midnight is that there’s no traffic. Just speed cameras.

Loved Berlin. Great place. Wonderfully interesting City. Really funny street names. And an odd thing. The streets, particularly in the central shopping areas, are crowded with people, day and night. Pavements rammed with walkers and bloody bikers (they kind’a cycle anywhere over there). And at night its worse. They illuminate some of the fabulous old buildings for Oktoberfest so the crowds gather and block passage.

But the roads are always quiet. And on every road there are parking spaces. And parking everywhere. Ok, we didn’t have a car, but for once, I wish I had, just so I could park that easily. That’s what you get when you have a city the size of London but only 3 million inhabitants. You get parking spaces. The Dream. Where was my Traban when I needed it?

And on the way home on the radio they were discussing the Neville-gate scandal. Though why its a scandal I don’t really know.

Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, two of the most loved and celebrated ex-footballers on the planet, are opening a hotel in Manchester in February. They’ve bought the building, formerly the Manchester Stock Exchange. No, I never knew Manchester had a stock exchange either, but there ya go. And its empty. So on the weekend a bunch of squatters went in ‘through an open window’ and, er, squatted. Funny how a brick somehow circumvents the law that you can’t break into an empty building but you can gain access through an available opening.

Neville and Giggs said; ok, you can stay there, with our blessing until work starts in Feb. Not only that, they’ll provide a cook and, using a homeless charity food recycling service, will ensure that their first ‘guests’ will be looked after. In return, they don’t want the place trashed and the occupants will ‘house-sit’ to prevent… errr… squatters from moving in.

I personally think this is a rather nice thing to do. But the general consensus on the phone-in was that ‘Neville and Giggs are rich bastards and therefore should just turn their intended up-market, luxury, boutique hotel into a homeless shelter instead. Permanently. Because they’re rich.’ And I’m sure the banks financing their plans would be fine and happy with that minor change. From a business potentially generating income to repay the debts, to a charity, a bottomless pit.

I’m sure Giggs and Neville do charitable stuff. But they’re allowed to create investments, provide jobs for people. Its allowed. Even though they played for Manchester United.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx