When I started working as a journalist in a previous century one of the most useful pieces of advice I was given was ‘Anyone can write negative copy’. In other words, it’s easy to criticise, less so to be positive.

Now since I’m universally regarded as a miserable git of the first order, a professional moaner and someone whose company is generally best avoided unless you wish to hear about all that’s wrong with the world you might think I disregarded this advice, but in my professional life I’ve actually found it to be extremely useful; when travelling, look for the positive in a place and its people and culture and you’ll generally have a far better time than if you go around muttering about the lack of Wi-Fi or poor quality beer, for example.

So I began to wonder how you find something positive in the ongoing clusterfuck of Covid and Brexit, and much to my surprise I found there were indeed positives to be unearthed if you scrabble around enough.

Here are a few:

COVID This goddamned virus seems to have awakened an awareness of the great outdoors in a lot of people who prior to the various lockdowns scarcely ever ventured outside. I’ve encountered people on footpaths, down the beach, in the mountains, riding bikes etc. who are clearly new to the whole idea of heading out into the fresh air for more than fifteen minutes at a time. Good for them, although why they should have to wait for a global pandemic to discover the joy of the great outdoors is a bit of a mystery.

Even more of a mystery is why you’d choose to wear a face mask whilst walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in a stiff breeze and not another person within 200-metres, but I guess if you’re new to the wilds of coast and country you may just see viruses lurking around every rocky outcrop and hidden cove.

BREXIT All those of us who voted to Remain may be appalled at the utter fuckwittery of everything to do with Brexit, but at least we can console ourselves with the fact that we are amongst the 48.11 per cent most intelligent people in the UK based on the simple logic that no one but a complete idiot would vote Leave.

So there you go – it ain’t all bad…