There's nothing like a crisis to bring people together. So it was no surprise that we, and a number of our other European partners, followed the lead of the French in blockading the oil refineries to get our respective governments to reduce the tax on petrol.

Crises can bring out the best in us, as exemplified by stoicism and the willingness to help others. But they can also be used as an excuse for selfishness and profiteering. With so little petrol on offer anywhere it was surprising that some motorists wasted what little they had by driving around looking for more.

It should be remembered that this is not the first time that we've had an oil shortage, or that OPEC have created one by under-producing to raise their profits. So, if our Government is not prepared to reduce petrol tax, it should ensure it has effective contingency plans to counter any future embargo on the delivery of petrol.

Of course petrol is overtaxed, so are alcohol and tobacco, but that's better than paying VAT on food; which is something we may have to do when we surrender our fiscal control to Euroland. Instead of moaning about the cost of petrol, every time we get behind a wheel we should be asking ourselves: "Is my journey really necessary?" Not an original slogan, but it has been used to good effect before.

Governments should be greatly concerned about the continuing dependence upon an environmentally harmful fuel, the reserves of which are fast running out. Their priority should be in finding a safer alternative means of keeping our wheels turning.

With the fuel shortage resulting in fewer vehicles being used for journeys into the cities and towns, I wonder what traffic wardens and parking attendants are finding to do?

As it happens, today is the Ruby anniversary of the inauguration of the traffic warden service.

It was on this day 40 years ago that T W Frank Shaw made a fine start to his new job by issuing the first British fixed penalty ticket to a doctor's car, whose owner was attending the victim of a heart-attack. Understandably, the doctor appealed and the ensuing publicity caused so much public condemnation that the £2 ticket was waived. Which just goes to show what public protest can achieve.

Christine Keeler, the celebrated 'show' girl, whose sexual carryings-on with John Profumo, the War Minister and Captain Eugene Ivanov, a Soviet naval attach, helped bring down Supermac's Tory government in 1963, is having another version of her story published.

The tale has been told many times before, in just about every publication specialising in that type of material, and has been filmed - Scandal (1988). So it's hard to imagine there's anything new to add. But then, when you've got little money, and nothing else to sell, what's a poor girl to do? I followed the case, even had a spoof tape of the affair. What might not be common knowledge is that she once stayed at The White Rose, Acomb, only five minutes away, but I never called in - honest.

Being brought up to believe that unrestrained voyeurism was not the 'done thing', and was little better than watching people performing their ablutions through the obscured glass of their bathroom windows, I made a point of not viewing anything of what went on in Big Brother's house on Channel 4.

But Channel 5's Jailbreak is different, in that the inmates are concentrating all their efforts on making their escape, to win a prize, rather than trying to get their audience to vote for them to stay inside.

For me, that makes for compelling viewing, and anyway, there's always the chance I might come up with an idea to help them escape, and click for some of their prize money.