Why do things exist?

Why, because we have had for approaching 30 years is one answer. We started going as our son became interested in the game. Then our daughter kicked off in a reasonable bit of Key Stage 2 Equal Opps, to be followed by Mum. So we all four have tickets, it's probably the only thing we do regularly as a family foursome together.

Others may go to watch professional football, others because they meet their pals, have a routine, a few drinks, a bit of a rant, then the totally subjective post match analysis. There will be a myriad of different reasons, different drives, different perspectives. Is it a football team, club or an integral aspect of a wider community?

In the same respect why does a council, a school, a hospital, the Police exist?

As I always observed when involved in the Council, the Town Hall has a "T" at the beginning of its name. All these public institutions were created, developed & exist to provide services to its population.

The planning department, social services, sports facilities, your local school, our hospitals, speed, oops, safety cameras sorry are all there to help us, in all the different ways we need help at different times of our complex lives.

They don't exist to provide employment or other opportunities for individuals. Why would they? They are there for a bigger purpose, for the greater good.

Having said that people should take & should feel a pride in their work. The cleaner of the sports stadium makes visitors enjoy their experience better, the laundry staff make the players look better turned out, more professional, as though they mean business.

So the receptionist at your GP Practice, your local community Bobby, social worker, rodent control officer, teacher, refuse collector, do need to do their job as best they can. In my experience, the vast majority do.

But what happened to the Station Master, the bus conductor or Ticket Inspector, the Park Keeper? Key scary, now gone, bastions of my childhood.

Have things slipped? Have things gone too far?