Last Friday lunchtime my good self decided to walk through the complex.

It's not often your humble servant ventures to that part of town these days.

A while back I used to be a semi-regular walker in that area indeed I often nipped into a certain retailer to avail myself with a dab of aftershave to see me through the afternoon and to try new fragrances.

I fear the outlet in question got wise to my antics and now the general public are unable to avail themselves of free samples without speaking to an assistant first. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Being a man who experienced the 1970's a good aftershave is an essential part of life to me. However in the past forty years society has changed dramatically and what was the norm back then is frowned upon today.

In the intervening years society has been influenced by environmentalism, over zealous health and safety legislation and political correctness. Now we have to be careful what we do, how we do it and what we say.

Only the other day yours truly read an article on a national news site entitled “Thrill seeking men of the 1970s have been replaced by modern day-wimps”. I could not agree more.

With their short hairstyles and trendy designer clothes I fear the man of today is happiest sitting in the safety of home watching sport on television from one of those newfangled satellites that blight the modern world.

Years ago on a Satruday morning the man of the household would be outdoors doing gardening or better still servicing a car.

The youngsters would be in the town centre sorting through the latest vinyl in a record shop and the mothers would be busy in the kitchen getting dinner ready.

Back then life was an adventure. Sadly these days I fear too many people are sleepwalking towards the future letting each day of their life slip away.

At the end of every day yours truly always asks myself the question 'What did I do today?' and all too often the answer surprises me. Maybe it's a question today's modern men should be asking themselves however I fear the answer may be a dull one.

Mollycoddled by health and safety laws, restricted by political correctness and unable to have fun thanks to the environmentalists the playground for the modern man is indeed a restricted one.

I for one am determined to be a man of action.

Tomorrow morning yours truly will be out in my garage wearing my overalls checking the oil level in the historic engine of my trusty car. Then I shall start the beast up and the garage will fill with the smell of real leaded four-star petrol which incidentally was banned from widespread sale back in 2000.

What happened to the adventure seeking men that made the 1970's? Is my good self the only one left?

What do you think?

*Don't forget to read my regular column in this Friday's edition of the printed version of the Bucks Free Press!

*My next exciting and enthralling blog will be published on Tuesday evening around 8pm.