What a dull and damp lunchtime it was today.

Despite the inclement weather I still enjoyed my lunchtime walk around Wycombe town centre and as usual paused to sit and eat my sandwiches on a bench in the grounds of the Parish Church.

Of course I wouldn't have been able to eat my lunch there if it hadn't been for my trusty gamp which was held aloft to keep the rain off my good self.

After finishing lunch I got up and continued my walk around the town centre.

Would you believe it but no sooner had I travelled a hundred yards than I happened to notice one of my friends coming in the opposite direction.

It turned out they were on their way to a bank to get some of that newfangled Euro money as they were going on holiday. They asked if I would like to come with them and have a chat on the way.

Naturally I enjoy a good chat and took then up on their offer.

On the way the conversation turned to the thorny subject of Europe.

As far as I am concerned it was a dreadful mistake when 'the Grocer' took us in to Europe in the 1970's.

It was lucky that we never gave up the trusty pound in the rush to economic and monetary union that took place in the 1990's.

Here in the UK we may have problems with a few banks collapsing but in Europe entire countries as falling like houses of cards.

Outrageously the savers are having their savings raided in a desperate effort to bail the failing countries out.

What has Europe given us?

Through metrification they changed our weights and measures meaning that it's all but impossible to but items, like lengths of timber and wood, for our older houses which were built using imperial standards of measurement.

These days when going into a builders merchant I have no idea how many millipedes of wood I need to buy.

Alongside bureaucracy and red tape they have brought some really silly laws into being such as the Human Rights Act and limits on the straightness of bananas.

Given half a chance they would no doubt like to create a European superstate after all that is what the creation of the European Union is ultimately all about isn't it?

To make matters worse I do believe (correct me if I am wrong) but it was the Europeans who banned the widespread sale of leaded petrol thus making it harder for me to run my trusty historic car.

When countries do vote 'No' in referendums and other elections for closer integration I fear the European masters simply wait a while and then have another election followed by another until the country is forced into submission and votes 'Yes' on the matter.

As far as I am concerned I am proud to be British through and through and I do not consider myself to be European in the slightest.

With all the trouble it has caused I think it's best if we got out of Europe completely as they need us more than we need them.

Thankfully between us and Europe is the English Channel (note it's not called the European Channel) and that's probably for the best.

What do you think?