PMQ

I had no idea yesterdays Blip would force Mr Cameron to address the issue at PMQs in parliament today. As to be expected he slimed his way around the real issue - the need to preserve Blip as a National Cultural Asset. Typical spineless politician - shame the last (small c) conservative PM, Tony Blair, didn't stay on!

So as always it's down to us citizens to do something. As JFK said (or at least meant) 55 years ago - “Ask not what your Blip can do for you - ask what you can do for your Blip. So take action and visit the Blipfuture Crowdfunding site - Your Blip Needs You.

Not quite so far back in history, one of the first Blips I published was of the same scene as today, titled "Patriotism", another in 2013 discussed UK in EU. I still get a kick when passing it but a little worried that patriotism is being replaced with "nationalism". However, that's another story. Those looking back may spot the flags have changed. I am convinced the 2011 Russian flag was a very unfortunate mistake for the Luxembourg flag.

Some will also note no EU flag - seems the company flies the flags of the countries where it has offices. Back in 2011, the Italian flag was shown (now replaced by the Bavarian). Perhaps it's symbolic that exactly 60 years ago today, the first "Guest Worker" arrived in Germany - Italians from the very poorest parts of Italy. In December 1955 Germany signed a deal with Italy to recruit workers, using the Italian Unemployment Offices. In the 60s there followed agreements with Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morrocco, South Korea, Portugal, Tunisia and finally Yugoslavia in 1968. The recession in the late 60s slowed the process and the 73 oil crisis ended the schemes.

These "Guest" workers were allowed in on time-limited permits, a condition that both sides insisted on, however by the 70s this was dropped as they were so well integrated and the issues over families etc were getting very complicated. However the early years were full of derogatory "foreigner" remarks, knife pulling Mafioso cliches,  signs on pubs "No Italians Allowed". In the '90s the same happened when the car stealing Poles swarmed over the fallen Iron Curtain, the Serbian war drew in all the gangsters in the Balkans and until recently we had all the villains from Rumania and Bulgaria. Until the Syrian refugee crisis erupted last summer, Germany has been desperately trying to attract young workers from both within the EU and abroad, using a Green Card type process.

Each wave has caused new fears, yes there were bandits & crooks amongst them but a tiny fraction compared to the numbers of homegrown criminals. These people came here to work, to do the dirty, boring jobs the locals didn't want to do. They paid their taxes, paid for goods and services, bought their exotic pasta and pizza with them and helped Germany flourish.

For my first ten years in Germany, despite being an EU Burger Citizen, I had to apply for my residence permit to be renewed based on employment and lack of a criminal record. I now have an unlimited permit but maybe something along these lines should be introduced. Not quite so easy with the Syrian refugee issue as so many are genuinely fleeing war and primarily need security.

The idea that one day the Brits will have to apply for visas to be in the EU is simply not imaginable. The Germans still have a huge love of the quirky Brits with their mint sauce, marmalade and continuous fog and rain. I have fought for 25 years to say that London has less rainfall than Beirut, the London fog went with the introduction of smokeless coal and that England has some of the best cooks in the world. Normally works so long as they don't discover Marmite.

My pre-Christmas efforts to get our postman to visit the Lake District and the home of Postman Pat is beginning to bear fruit - the extra photo was his greeting yesterday left in the postbox as I was out when he came by. I have warned him about the flooding and like me he hopes his colleague and Jess are now slowly getting back to serving their so hard hit customers.