ACCORDING to most pundits we all face gloomy times in 2011 and in the political world. One party is said to be facing a disastrous first quarter, though predictions of its burial were perhaps over-optimistic.

Continuing with sepulchral matters, I heard on the radio recently that, funeral companies were doing well in the pre-payment schemes business.

It seems to me rather inappropriate though that, after a few minutes’ discussion on a funereal subject the slot was changed to sport, the first item of which was the Ashes.

In my young days, some religious zealots used to walk the streets with sandwich boards on which one saw the words ‘Prepare to meet thy doom’. In today’s world one might see ‘Pre-pay’ instead!

BERNARD CLARK, Poole