Nobody likes us and we don't care ...

In the rough end of South London is a football club called Millwall, many of whose supporters were gangster types, revelling in violence ... they used to sing: Nobody likes us and we don't care ... research suggests that they just needed a big cuddle, but since that was lacking the bravado covered over their weeping souls and they shared their pain as far and wide as they could.

As an amusing aside ... many years ago, I persuaded my then girlfriend's simple minded Arsenal supporting brother (these two things are not necessarily related) to join me on trip to watch my team, Southampton, play Millwall at their aptly named ground, The Den ... the strategy was to go into the home end (aptly named The Coldblow Lane End), and pretend to be Millwall supporters, since roaming bands of home thugs were known to attend the other end stabbing the visitors ... what could possibly go wrong? Peter picked up the chilly vibe from nearby gangsters and asked, in a loudish voice: 'Ere Steve, what if they found out you were Southampton ... having quietly suggested he shut up, it was a great relief when Millwall scored a couple of goals and I could put on my pretend happy face ... actually not pretend at all ...

Back to the jump from Millwall to the same strand now more widely exhibited, much to the dismay of the many peace loving Brits , in Britland and abroad ....

Since Poppy, the ancient Casa cat, had to visit the vet, there was an opportunity for some political discourse ... Joaquin speaks good English and doesn't hold back in his assessment of certain aspects of British behaviour ... Gibraltarians, who qualify as particularly obnoxious Brit expats in this narrative ... and despite the impact on La Linea Spaniards, Joaquin gleefully anticipates the closure of the border if the UK leaves the EU. His experience here has been of wealthy people, not interested in the local language or culture .... glad of their money, not for their company ... tales of misbehaving holidaying youngsters are legion ... whilst during a working stint as a locum in England, colleagues decided to call him Jose, since his real name was too difficult for them ... one of his children works in London, one on Birmingham, both multi-cultural cities and both found them unwelcoming ... a third child abandoned England and moved to Sweden instead ... colder climate, warmer welcome ...

Chillingly, as we explored the narrative of World Wars being re-run with financial weapons, Joaquin warned: If you are not careful, you may find yourself with the Nazi role ....

Work to do there then, not to promote any new wars, but to address the group psychology, much of it economically driven, of xenophobia ... and if it is true that nobody likes us, this writer for one, actually does care ...