Bad memories of Budget Day

As a small child I hated Budget Day.

I'd cycle home from school, turn on the television, only to find that all the children's programmes had been moved to BBC2 to accommodate some tedious, long-winded analysis of the Chancellor's statement on BBC1. For a six or seven-year-old it was perhaps the most boring thing I had ever heard.

The problem was, on our old black and white TV we didn't get BBC2. And we didn't watch ITV. In fact, I can't remember ever watching ITV as a small child. I don't think it was snobbishness on my family's part. I just think we got better reception on BBC1 and anyway it was too much hassle getting up to retune the television using the little plastic dial on the front of the set.

So BBC1 it was until my father bought a new (colour) television in 1971. Finally we had BBC2, and I think we even watched the occasional programme on ITV.

But that explains why, to this day, the Budget still leaves me cold.

PS. Wearing my professional (ie Forest) hat I shall however be monitoring the Budget to comment upon the anticipated rise in tobacco duty. Watch this space.