"I definitely never want to drink anything else", she stated enthusiastically.

"I'll take you to the wine store later", smiled Tim.

His face was looking much better now and smiling obviously didn't hurt so much.

"So", said Ann, seating herself at the table, "what's the story of my battered little boy".

"Just robbers, mother, bad luck really. They thought I had cash stashed away and wanted me to tell them where to find it. Luckily, Sarah came round and interrupted them".

Ann had a shrewd look on her face, didn't look convinced but turned her attention to Sarah.

"And you, my dear, Tim tells me you have a family with children".

There was a slight implication that annoyed Sarah slightly. Tim jumped to her defence.

"Sarah is helping me with a project. She's been working very hard and long hours. I have no doubt she'll be back to her family like a shot as soon as the arrangements are finalised".

Sarah felt defensive. Ann had touched a tender spot. She longed to see her young ones and feel them cuddle up to her or, even as was more likely, scream and shout at her the way they often did when things were not going just the way they wanted.

"I do miss them, Ann. But so much work has gone out of Britain to countries that have cheaper labour or to computerisation that people have to take the work wherever and whenever they can. And that applies to me as much as it does to everybody else. Nobody likes it but very few have any choice".

"It's a rum world", confirmed Arthur:

"What I'd like to know is when do people start to enjoy themselves - the country is supposed to be getting richer every year but nobody seems to have the time to enjoy the extra wealth."

"Everybody has a more advanced way of life with more new fangled home equipment and whatever but what do they do with the time they save"?

He gazed around the table as if they might give him an answer, but nobody did, so he carried on.

"They certainly don't seem to spend the extra time enjoying themselves. Most of the time they spend the time doing more work. Look at families these days. A man used to be able to keep his family on his wages but nowadays both husband and wife have to work just to pay the bills".

Ann continued the reminiscing.

"Course we both always worked, even when Tim and his sister were young, but it's not the same when it's your own business and also it's easier when you are working from home".

Tim took up the story.

"Frankly, people would probably be better off if they were all self employed these days. Nobody in business would rely on having only one client. They'd spread the risk by having as many customers as they can get. But if you are employed you effectively have only one customer, your employer, and this is why things go so wrong when people lose their jobs because they have nothing to fall back on. Labour flexibility is right for the country but wrong for the people under the present employment arrangements".

"But why does the government make it so difficult to set up in business", said Sarah.

"I know of someone who was determined to have their own business and knew it would take time to build up trade so bought some premises freehold so there were minimal on going costs. It was only after she had moved in and had done the shop up to a high standard that she discovered that the government wanted £200 a week business rate on the improved premises from her first day of trading. She had no profits to pay this tax and almost immediately had to close the business down and try to sell the shop off to recover her money. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to take on the shop because the high rates together with its poor position made it uneconomic".

"If you ask me, the only way that small businesses are going to get a level playing field is by clubbing together and providing consultancy money for MPs like the big businesses do", said Arthur.

The conversation was getting far too deep and heavy for Sarah.

"If you ask me, we would be better outside in the sun than trying to understand the world we live in", she said.

"Tim, how about if you show me round a little. I'd love to see some of the wonderful countryside you have around here and we can talk as we go".