I’m that rare Briton – one who hates queueing | Rick Jackson

It was confirmed and my family tree can be traced back to at least the 15th century on the Isle of Wight.

How strange then that although I appear to be very British indeed, I hate queueing – unlike most British people, so it would seem from the evidence of the past few weeks.

Like so many others, we have lots of junk that has been cleared from the garden and the house that now needs to go to the recycling centre, but I see people in their cars who have queued for hours.

I think they must have nuclear waste in their boots as I refuse to queue for three hours on a baking hot day for anybody.

Then I get to the supermarket and see the queue outside.

It stretches around the entire perimeter of the car park and a sign depressingly says ‘one-and-a-half hours from here’.

I think to myself, we have enough food at home to survive for another day, I’ll wait.

We aren’t going to starve if I don’t spend that time in the queue just to get crisps and beer.

I then notice that KFC has opened its drive-through.

Here too the queue stretches out well on to the main road.

It’s now blocking traffic getting in to and out of Gosport and, like the queues to the recycling centre, is making the travel news on the radio.

I think to myself, no matter how tasty I find the colonel’s secret recipe, I really can live another few days, or even weeks in Gosport’s case, before the queues die down.

On a blisteringly hot day the last thing I want to do is join a long queue to get into a car park.

To then have to carry loads of stuff to a beach that has an enormously long queue of people desperate to sit on the pebbles is not my idea of fun.

Durdle Door is beautiful, but at this moment in time why would anyone in their right mind think a visit crammed in with thousands of other people is the right thing to do?

Yes I’m British, but I don’t like queueing.

So there are real benefits to air conditioning after all…

I’m not sure I could work from home. For a start, my kids would undoubtedly interrupt the breakfast show, but at this time with so many friends furloughed, I really appreciate getting out of the house.

On my breakfast show, Kate Weston is now working from home. She’s in her loft and each day at 7.45am without fail her husband Simon climbs through the hatch and delivers Marmite on toast and a cup of tea.

It’s become a bit of a feature as you can hear the steps creaking in the background. The heat hasn’t helped Kate who admitted earlier this week to hosting in her underwear. Thankfully for everyone, studio air conditioning means I’ve kept my clothes on!

Like peas in a pod we’re all working out in the… car park

I’ve so missed the gym. With home schooling and everything else that’s been going on, I’ve been unable to follow properly any of the workouts posted online and have had to do bits and bobs when I’ve had the time.

It’s such a shame as I’ve never joined a small-group, personal training gym before. Now with the restrictions lifting slightly, five people can work-out, socially distanced with a coach, outside. So guess what my gym has created? Outdoor workout pods!

Five separate marquees, all the equipment you need and a coach, all in the comfort of their own car park. Genius! As businesses struggle to continue, this shows what can be achieved with smart thinking and enthusiasm.