have been on my mind a lot this week.

First there was the mesmerising sight of Ian Brown trying to sing at the IOW Festival whilst frequently hitching up his trousers. Now I know it is the fashion to have droopy jeans displaying tatty underpants. But I thought it was for teens and under. Or people with more pants than sense. Whatever, it is not attractive.

Then, at drama group, I saw two women turn pale and recoil in their seats whilst waiting for their drama moment. Being nosy, I asked what was up.
And they pointed out, with theatrical shudders, a bad case of builder's bum proffered by large, hairy, teenager sitting in front of them. To recoil or not recoil, that was the question.

What's wrong with a belt these days, that's what I want to know. Or if not, braces? Like the red ones sported by the nattily dressed old boy on the bus tonight. These are amazingly irresistible - the urge to ping them was nearly my undoing.

But perhaps that's the reason - it's fear of being accosted by strange women that is leading to the extinction of both belt and braces.