Following in the great footsteps of mega-moaner Victor Meldrew, my husband and I are now fully fledged grumpies, as these days we cannot resist a good whinge. 

Currently Mr Fisher becomes apoplectic at the many signs that keep springing up all over the borough, to the extent that even the Welcome to Hillingdon or Welcome to Uxbridge signs infuriate him.

But don't get him started on the low emission boards, which encourage drivers to leave the M40/A40 to choke the borough with their fumes, rather than pollute the road into town.  Fining people for dropping rubbish and encouraging recycling he feels is strangely at odds with the desire to litter the landscape with boarding and hoarding, traffic signs, yellow lines Ð and of course those boundary signs.

My grump this week was at Sainsbury's in Uxbridge, where, having bought things I didn't need (because I had to spend at least £5 to park there) I waited patiently for my reward.

Annoyingly, the car park refund had to be deducted from the final bill which meant I could not put my precious £2 back in the car for next time.  Could not Sainsbury's keep a little stash of  coins standing by so we could recycle the coin on our next visit? A refund after all means 'to return money to somebody'.

No whinges for  Hillingdon Hospital though.  Mr F and I were both impressed with the care and cheeriness shown by staff in the clinic and day care centre where he went for eye surgery; in fact I was more worried what my husband would say when, after his cataract op, he would no longer see me through a flattering misty haze.

He therefore made me laugh when he removed his bandage, peered at me and said, in true B-movie style:Ó My God, you're beautiful!" (It's early days for the second eye though ....).

FOOTNOTE: A lot of blank wall space at Hillingdon Hospital I felt was in need of decoration. Surely there must be a local art society, photographic club, or school, which could provide the hospital with some jolly pictures to help banish the bleak institutionalised feeling given off by walls crying out for first aid.  Any offers?