IT MAY have escaped your attention but I took a few months off from writing this column.

The reason: ‘Columnists’ fatigue’. I believed I had written all there was to be written on life in the Valley, and people were getting fed up with my chuntering and ranting.

Well, it seems I was wrong. I had not run out of things to chunter about at all. As for whether or not people are fed up with it, well, that’s another matter.

The idea of this column is for me to comment on Rossendale life and matters.

Sometimes my ramblings have very tenuous connections to the Valley – that’s because I am allowed some latitude.

It’s no secret that I’m a political animal. In fact, make that a political dinosaur.

For various reasons I won’t bore you with, I just don’t seem to be in touch with politics these days and I’m discombobulated (that’s my new favourite word) by how we let these popinjays and panjandrums get away with it at national level.

Can you tell I got a new dictionary for Christmas? In future columns I intend to run my own little campaign, expressing my disdain at what is unfolding.

These days I’m officially a grumpy old man who is increasingly forgetful.

Last Sunday, I dropped my wallet, which had 20 quid in it and loads of cards.

Someone found it and took the trouble to drop it through my office letterbox intact, but anonymously with a nice note attached.

It heartens me to think the good guys are still out there.

Since I last wrote this column, I have become an ‘aflete’, 2.5 stone lighter and training for the Rossendale Sprint Triathlon in June.

There is a long way to go as I definitely “ain’t” pretty in Lycra yet.

Follow my rants on twitter @clivesworld