It’s been suggested the UK’s planned partial smoking ban will be contrary to the European Human Rights Act because of the exposure of staff to fumes where smoking’s still permitted. Here in Spain close to 100% of small cafés and bars will continue to allow smoking but I have some difficulty believing any suits will be initiated on this basis.

On the other hand, it’s reported today the National Court here has pronounced itself competent to judge an action brought against Chinese ex-politicians accused of genocide in Tibet. This must have them worried. At least it should stop them coming here for their cosmetic surgery.

And still on the subject of legal actions, a retired British general has said there are grounds for impeaching Tony Blair for taking the UK to war on the basis of lies. There probably are but I suspect it would be easier to prosecute him for breaches of the Human Rights Act inherent in the anti-smoking legislation.

It’s often said the UK is blessed with not having a written Constitution about whose words there could be interminable debate. Spare a thought, then, for poor Spain, which has 18 of the creatures. One for the state itself and one for each of the 17 Autonomous Communities. It all rather reminds me of the story of Gold Meir telling Nixon it was far tougher being President of Israel than the USA. ‘How could that be’, he asked, ‘when I have 200 million people and you have only 3?’ ‘Mr. Nixon, she sighed, ‘You may be the President of 200 million people but I am the President of 3 million Presidents!’.

Only a fool would hazard a guess as to where Spain will be in 20 years’ time but I don’t suppose many would have predicted the post-Franco ‘Transition’ would still, in effect, be continuing nearly 30 years after his death. A cartoon in El Mundo today neatly captured the situation. It showed Spain with the following caption written across it – “Nation (unique) of alleged nationalities and regions en route to metamorphosis”. Not exactly rib-tickling but to the point.

In Spain, the morning extends until your lunch time, usually about 2pm. So 12 noon is about two hours prior to ‘midday’. I had thought things were different in the UK but Sky News today announced someone would be coming into the studio at ‘noon this morning.’ Mind you, what can one expect when the channel is hell bent on changing itself from a News station into a fifth-rate entertainment channel and is fronted by an Irishman who thinks he’s more of a comedian than a newscaster. To say nothing of the woman who does the sports reports. But don’t get me started.

Spain seems to have a different cake or pastry for every occasion. Just before they left, my daughters bought a couple of slices of something made for the New Year. It appears to be concocted of little but sugar and sherry, topped with custard. Not unlike a rather solid English trifle. So rich is it, if you don’t have diabetes when you start on it, you probably will by the time you’ve finished.