BRING back the birch, the licensing laws, proper police control, the cane...

Oh I know, here I am on a rant, but something must be done and done quickly.

I wonder, instead of prisons, why not have secure factories and set wrong-doers to work?

It would give them a work ethic while at the same time, making goods cheaply.

It could help our export trade and so reduce our national debt.

I have always thought that prison where convicts are housed, mostly idle, have television, are well fed and socialise among their own kind, learning the wrong skills, is not exactly the stiff deterrent that will put them off crime for life.

But what is evident is that work is desperately needed for our young school leavers, so don’t build prisons, let’s build factories.

With the promise, nay, threat of yet another mega store, Blackburn is set to become yet another ‘clone’ town — you know the sort I mean, where you look round and you could be anywhere, with nothing to show where exactly you are.

I was thinking, with the old market area having to be cleared, why not give us a proper town square, where all kinds of events and attractions could be held.

Just think, we could have back our old Easter fair, hold festivals, put on concerts.

With a proper, designated space the opportunities would be endless, attracting people into town.

Perhaps we could have an outdoor market and even public toilets — or is that asking too much.

I went to a barbecue on sunny Sunday, at Ravenswing Barn which had sausages and hamburgers to die for.

The company was sparkling, they were mainly members of St George’s Society and the Chapter of Perseverance — what more could you ask for?

Then in the evening I was over at The Grand in Blackpool, rounding off the day at Jimmy Tarbuck’s laugh-a-second, one-man show.

He really was on top form and very funny.

Talk about ‘age shall not weary’, it certainly hasn’t wearied him. I have only met him once before and that was 50 years ago. My how time does fly.