I think it's dying down. There are only so many computers and Ipods you can steal, and this was all about stealing things. Plus, it is possible that people will start to set up citizen's guards to work instead of the police. The Sikhs of Southall, West London, have done just that, and you don't mess with the Sikhs. TV showed a few dozens hefty young Sikhs stationed around their temple with very large sticks, which, if true, would be highly conducive to peace in the Southall streets. But in the long term, the issue is the existence of a large underclass that is for all practical purposes unemployable, that has no stake in the community and feels no loyalty to anyone except possibly a gang, and that is in spite of that very clever with computers. Britain has been building up this underclass for decades - unlike wemyss, I blame all parties equally - and I see no way of dealing with it except one - recruit them by force into the Army and let the toughest sergeant-majors in it sort them out - that would be legally impossible and would cause an outcry. Jailing them does no good at all - they're used to it.

Unfortunately - or fortunately - I no longer live near my sister. (I have also come across another sister - a half-sister to be precise, my father's daughter - who also lives in England, but she's outside London altogether.) But from the point of view that's not bad: I now live in a sleepy middle-class commuter suburb with few shops, many miles away from the nearest area of unrest, while if I'd stayed in Brockley I would now be a couple of miles from Lewisham, where things have been getting kinda noisy. Anyway my sister is away on holiday.

However, may I say again that your reappearance makes this a good day. May you and Jane live long and happily, and please do stop by from time to time.