Dear Nesta,

DE UPS AN' DOWNS O' LIFE IN BIM.

How t'ings up dey, girlchile? I notice in a recent newspaper it now official de British recession over. Aldoh de economy like it en start to show much growf as yet, you mussee still singin' de Hallelujah Chorus! You-all went t'rough a long, hard 18 mont's, doh, - wif dem 1.3 million people outta wuk - an' yuh still got a ways to go befo' life turn normal! We en so lucky, we still cuttin' an' contrivin', an' singin' de blues!

Down hey, t'ings dry enuff! In fack, I onderstan' we facin' a drought over de nex' t'ree mont's! I en surprise, 'cause las' October - suppose to be one o' de wet mont's - was onusually dry. We now in Febry an' de rains still en get hey yet! Perhaps it got somet'ing to do wif climate change, I en know, but it look as ef we gine ha' to start doin' a rain dance to get results.

Durin' a drought, farmers cyahn produce sufficient vegetables an' fruits, so de ones fuh sale, gine be so expensive, duh could as well not be available! In dry season, I could never onderstan' how some gardins an' lawns still look so green an' purty! I won' be surprise ef nuff night-waterin' don' go on! But dese high rates alone, should mek we cut out dat kin' o' behaviour! Ef evahbody mek de effort, we might be able to get t'rough dis dry season.

Now I hope de Water Aut'ority don' feel dem exclude from dis exercise. Dem among de chief offenders! So I now lookin' fuh all burs' pipes leakin' 'bout de roads, to get fix rightaway, 'stead o' tekkin' weeks! De times en only dry, duh hard! You would believe dat in dis recession time, de utilities - phone an' electricity - get permission to increase rates? I know dat fuh some folk, dese increases en no problem, but wuh 'bout de res' o' we?

Well, I got de answer to my problems. Firs' t'ing, I tekkin' off call-waitin' - de only extra I had, anyway - 'cause evah penny gine help!

An' I know I en gine be de only body to do dis, so in de en', de big increase dah comp'ny lookin' fuh, might not be so big after all. But it is de poor ole pensioners dat live alone an' shut-ins I sorry fuh. Dem really depen' 'pon a phone an' dis increase shun affeck dem!

Now, as far as I concern, Light & Power is de bes-run outta all de utilities, an' maybe de increase necessary, but t'ings c'n wait 'til we get out de recession? Anyway, fuh my one part, life shun change tummuch. Might only get li'l mo' dim, as I get in a set o' candles to use in-between, but I en got half dem electric appliances like Philomena. My nighber jes' up so, fuh no good reason, an' change she gas stove fuh electric, sayin' dat it cleaner! I en know wuh get in she head, but I won' be surprise - after de firs' bill come in - ef she don' start sayin' she read somewhey dat it healfier to eat raw food!

I could hardly believe muh ears when Philomena tell muh dah place up in de Pine, instead o' increasin', reduce duh rates!! After all de misery we always gettin' from dem, is 'bout time duh do somet'ing positive! I only hope it en mean a big rock comin' later!

Wuh appear to be comin', is a wage freeze fuh public workers! Guvment considerin' it, an' you know, dem workers, an' duh defenders, en gine tek dah lyin' down! How duh could? When evaht'ing gine up! Look out fuh fireworks, duh should soon start!

Anyway, chile, leh muh lef' yuh wif a happy t'ought! Sundy-comin' is Valentine's Day! A time fuh choclits an' red roses an' Luv! Enjoy!

Tek care o' yuhself

Yuh frien' Babsie