As we head into the new year I can think of a few things which could make our lives a little more bearable.

Now, I love my town. We have come a long way since that urine-stained subway near Church Street or the pointless ramp that ran alongside WH Smiths on Lord’s Square. I know some people hark back to a time when it was ‘better’, trust me it wasn’t.

Here are two pictures that signify what is wrong with this country. 

These are simple fixes to these things but they do not get done because nobody can be bothered raising them at a senior level.

I do not say anything like this is due to laziness as that is unfair on hard working folk. People work hard for little and get by. It is not really their fault.

I do blame those who install these systems without testing them properly or taking a quick stroll to see them in action.

I also blame the computer system which is playing with our emotions and wants to slowly grind us down until we one day completely lose the plot brought about our inability to see simple change. We won’t do that because we are British. 

We just sit back and let the system reduce us to mindless zombies who just ‘take it on the chin’. We are the majority.

Here we are on Barbara Castle Way in Blackburn close to midday. This is not rush hour so there should not be a queue of traffic on this section of this particular road but there is. It is backed up to Preston New Road. This has been a regular occurrence of late.

If this was Oxford Road in a middle of a city I would understand. But it isn’t. It is Blackburn – where we make our own traffic jams.

The traffic lights are only allowing a number of cars (ten at most) through and then turning red. The other side on Montague Street is devoid of any traffic at this time of the day.

I watch people gleefully driving through the lights on Montague Street. They are laughing at me.

The computer has figured out that Montague Street does get busy at rush hour and therefore ensured that it gets an equal amount of ‘green time’ with Barbara Castle Way. But it has not worked out that the rest of the day it needs to give more priority to the busier of the two roads. 

The result is this frustrating queue.

I know there may well be more important things to worry about in life but at this point and right now I want I the priority on them damn lights changed.