Every year 20,000 old people in the UK die needlessly, OF COLD. Yes you better believe it folks. 20,000 die in this, relatively temperate, country because they cannot afford to heat their homes.

This is a disgrace!!

They are now calling this Fuel Poverty. Another convenient handle to signify acceptance of a fact.

THIS SHOULD NOT JUST BE ACCEPTED.

Guess what? It is going to get worse.

As more and more older people feel the pinch of ever rising fuel costs then this number will increase.

In addition this Labour governmentss plundering of peoples pensions is also exacerbating the problem. Don't let the £250 fuel payment fool you. Not when they have put in place measures that have cut 1,000s of pounds from peoples pensions.

Nowhere else in Europe does this situation occur, only in caring, sharing UK the only country in Europe with a so-called full welfare state.

We should be ashamed, really.

Now at the age of 52 you would not have thought that would matter. You would only feel that though if you already had a dad. WIthout one there is always something missing.

I am not going to go into my somewhat complicated family background as that would not be fair on my family, most of whom are not aware of the recent information that I have received.

I am still not 100% certain of what I feel, or what I want to do about my new situation. I do know that this has knocked me for six though.

Do I tell my own children? What about my brothers? I am fairly certain that they do not know and I certainly wouldn't want to put my relationship with any of them in jeopardy.

Worse thing is I cannot find out much about my father at all. Mum is understandably very reticent about talking about him, so I only have the barest of detail. Looks like I may have to change my name to Irish Canadian - Le - Feaux, but not even certain that is correct.

In a quandary. Am I any better off for the knowledge?