The F word - is it OK?

Have you noticed the almost unbridled use of the F word on the telly these days? I counted three in under a minute last night on The Apprentice.

Am I out of touch or aren't they supposed to bleep out the F word? They still do on some programmes like "Have I got news for you". Or is that just for the ha-ha effect?
More and more we're hearing the sort of language on prime-time TV shows, which up to about 10 years ago would have been more befitting of a builders' yard.

I was brought up to believe we didn't say the F word because it was offensive. So if it's no longer offensive and henceforth free-to-air (obvously the BBC thinks so) does that make it an acceptable word?

One of the things I love most about the English language is its richness in colourful expressions and idioms. No F or C word can ever replace this.

But if the beeb and many grown-ups now condone the F word who can blame young people for parotting them?

Irritating Britain?

So we're an irritating country, obsessed with celebrity chit chat, eh? According to the new Rough Guide to Britain, yes. Do a spot check on any British high street . You'll probably have to swerve off the pavement into an oncoming car to avoid bumping into crowds of shabbily-dressed, mobile-phone-toting crowds - rushing from one Starbucks to the other. And then there's the glass and litter-strewn streets terrorised by tipsy teens and twens on a Saturday night.

Rough Guide goes on to call Brits overweight, binge-drinking reality TV addicts. But are they talking about the 2.7 million benefit scroungers or those that work for a living?

Whilst the trend in Europe is towards working ever shorter hours, Britain is the hardest working nation, putting in an average 60-hour week. Even the celebrity-obsessed Sun calls us "Work-mad Brits" (09.06.07).

According to the Life Balance Survey, 97% of Brits are living their lives out of kilter, with millions spending less than 6 hours a week with their loved ones. Blimey. No wonder they need to let there hair down during that precious time off.

Many Germans I speak to frown at our behaviour, seeing us as a nation of extremes. Either overdressed at work or underdressed at leisure, either overeating or undereating. But when it comes to British TV reality and quiz shows, fashion, music and culture they are passionate copy cats.

Don't read too much into the Vague (sic) Guide to Britain. At 16.99 quid it's a joke.

Jazz, Bier and a day off

Whilst it's a normal working day in the UK, many other countries today are celebrating May Day rolled into Ascension Day.

May Day is a joyous occassion in Gemany. Ever since 1919 it's been a public holiday here, with the largest trade unions holding marches up and down the country. By far the greatest crowd puller, however, is the "Maibaum", which almost every community puts up. The trees are festively decorated with wreathes and ribbons, there's dancing and, because this is Bavaria, large quantities of Bier are cheerfully consumed. The local brew, I should add, is the best you'll ever sip. We live in the Hallertau, which is the largest intact hop-growing area in the world.

Beata and I spent the morning at a "Frhschoppen", literally "early mug" - of beer, of course. Sitting on long communal beergarden benches, we tucked into american-size portions of sausage and sauerkraut, and , my favourites "Reibedatschi" - potato pancakes laced with apple puree. The liter jug of Bier was more than I could manage. But no Bavarian would dare order anything smaller. Playing in the background was a band valled "d'Vahunackldn", a jazz act which jumped effortlessly between traditional Bavarian beer-drinking tunes and traditional Dixieland. Just the right thing for a lovely sunny day off.

The nice thing about this month is there are two more Public Holidays to look forward to: Whit Monday and The Feast of Corpus Christi.