I WAS at Royal Ascot on Saturday and what struck me – after the hats, that is – was that everyone, all of the 75,000 that were there, folk from all over the world, lined up to watch the Queen enter.

All nationalities were waiting, silent and respectful and just before the Royal coach appeared the National Anthem was played and the crowd sang.

On one side we had a group from South Africa and on the other four men from Scotland, all singing their heads off, and I thought ‘we are, without doubt, the biggest little country in the world’.

And some of those idiots in Westminster want to sell us out to Europe! We must not let them. Do you hear me? We MUST NOT let them!

Now, what started it, this breakdown of the stable society? Where did it, or we, go wrong?

I say ‘seemingly’ judiciously, because quite a proportion of the population will not have noticed the change or, if they have, will think things are just dandy the way they are.

We have a vast number of people who think the ‘caring society’ means they don’t have to care, but can sit back and let the rest of us take the strain.

There is no doubt or argument; marriage is the backbone of a strong society, with two people committed to their family, to the upbringing of their children, a mum and a dad setting a good example. It’s not easy, but worth it.

At the present time we have quite a lot of ‘pass the parcel’ families, with ‘uncles’ that come and go.

There’s not the security of long-lasting relationships and young adults have no role models.

It’s very sad, but what is more, it’s very dangerous, as young men, in particular, then seek gangs as surrogate families, with disastrous results.

We all know that marriages break up; no-one expects people to stay in situations past repair, but that is not the scenario I am talking about.

I am talking about the seeming reckless way that very young girls get pregnant.

For a moment I was going to say get themselves pregnant but, of course, that is not the case. Last time I heard, it still takes two.

My father was strict and very firm, but that was because he loved me and wanted the best for me – and that’s what dads and families are all about.

Children who grow up without that concern, without that dedication, are the ones we see hanging about sad and frustrated, with ‘nowt to do’.

But, we are all to blame for allowing a social climate where lack of responsibility is accepted as perfectly normal, where there’s no shame in living off the state, even though someone is perfectly capable of working.