Peter Rhodes on gout, lumbago and a trip to the foot clinic
Great expressions of our time. “The world has changed,” laments Chancellor Rachel Reeves, trying to explain how, having promised us the New Jerusalem, she is actually delivering something like the seedier end of Albert Square, complete with shivering pensioners and the hard-up disabled.
It's such a useful little phrase, ideal for many situations. Yes, I know I promised to mow the lawn, wash the car, give generously to charities and raise the kids' pocket money. But, you see, the world has changed. . . .
Meanwhile, in the real world, it's off to the foot clinic with my throbbing toe. The left one has been worrying me for a while. One terrible four-letter word haunts my imaginings on my daily stroll into town: gout.
