Recession proof

Recession recession recession. That seems to be a word on everyones lips these days. Yesterday for instance, I was just coming out of Waitrose and I dropped my shopping receipt. An elderly lady picked it up and handed it to me. "Well dear, that's the recession for you!", she said. Predictably she had a copy of the Daily Mail sticking out of her army surplus ammo sack. Silly old bat.

When I got home I picked up my emails and found this rather delightful query:

Dearest Dawreen

I understand you have knowledge of hangliding. I've never flown one. In fact I've never even seen one apart from on telly. My wife and kids and I love to go abroad for our holidays - mainly France. Lovely isn't it? In these times of recession we are going to find it a bit of a push financially to get across the channel. I remember hearing of a man who flew across the channel in a hanglider. Can you get 5 seater hangliders? If we jumped off at Dover do you think we'd be allowed in without having to land at Calais? I was thinking we could just carry on until we got to la Rochelle (lovely isn't it?) and sort out the passport stuff there. We can post our camping equipment to a predetermined campsite - I'm sure a hanglider couldn't cope with a tent too (it's an old frame tent). Hope you can guide us.

Yours, Terry Label

Dear Terry

Thanks for you email. Have you ever seen one of those pedalos on telly that people float around on? I'd give the hang glider a miss. As a bonus, I think a pedalo would take a tent too.

I hope this helps, Doreen