Don’t you get tired of all this bad news? Anarchists and football hooligans on England’s streets, terrorist bombs in the USA  and the constant worry of Armageddon emanating from North Korea. Surely there must be something good  to report?  Well actually, there is and it concerns fish. Yes, really.

I’m lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of England, not far from the ancient River Goyt  which ambles peacefully through the gently rolling hills of the Peak District on its journey towards the mighty River Mersey. Some time ago I noticed some construction work taking place on the banks of the Goyt and assumed that a new bridge was being built. But no, it transpires that the Environment Agency are building what is known as a fish pass adjacent to a 7 foot weir as part of a nationwide programme to allow fish to move freely up and down our rivers and streams.

How wonderful, I thought! How refreshing that the Government has decided to use taxpayers’ money wisely for a change. Something actually beneficial to the country as a whole instead of ill-conceived urban development schemes, centres for 13^th century Islamic art, welfare schemes for disabled Romanian lesbians with learning difficulties and other examples of politically correct nonsense that seem to have become the norm!

For too long now our countryside has been neglected by the urban-obsessed mandarins of power so this move is very welcome. I’m looking forward to watching the fish funnel into their pass on their way to exploring the scenery upstream.  The trouble is, nature being what it is, I imagine the local heron is looking forward to it too, stood statue-like in readiness as an easy meal comes cheerfully swimming around the corner!