It's a bitter pill to swallow '“ are we a sinking ship?

Boy what a week, as our national football team crashed out of the European Championships at a whimper to a country who’s population is just double that of Portsmouth, politically we voted to leave an organisation based on the principles of peace and togetherness.

I really was shocked first thing Friday morning when I woke to the news that we have voted to leave the EU. It was close though.

I don’t think I have watched the news so intently since those aeroplanes crashed into the Twin Towers of New York in 2001.

I couldn’t quite believe we’d actually done it.

In fact, I’m still in shock now. I felt that we’d vote to stay and that the undecided would give ‘Remain’ a victory of around 60 per cent.

Sadly, on social media it’s turned nasty for some. Friendships strained and families, including my own, divided.

What I haven’t appreciated is being called a sore loser. This is not a game and I am genuinely worried about the future of our country and continent.

What makes this a very bitter bill for people who voted to remain in the EU is that a lot of the promises made by the Leave campaign, a backed up by the press, turned out to be lies.

One by one, the back-tracking started. That £350m a week for the NHS soon evaporated.

Controls on immigration similar to Australia? Can’t be done, not if we want to trade openly with the EU.

Unelected people creating laws for us to follow? Well now after David Cameron’s resignation, we will have a Prime Minister not elected by us.

And then the Remain warnings started to happen. The pound lost value and Britain’s place as the world’s fifth biggest economy dropped one place.

I can’t help thinking Nigel Farage has acted like the captain of Costa Concordia in walking away from a sinking ship.

It seems many were fooled into following the ‘Piped Piper of Bromley’ and this time there is no U-turn.

AN ENJOYABLE DRIVE – EVEN IF IT TOOK TWO DAYS NOT TWO HOURS

So how was the drive down to Torrevieja?

Well it was a piece of cake.

I managed to get the last cabin on the Economie ferry to Le Havre and had a good six hours’ sleep.

Then foot down, cruise control on.

I stopped for fuel and lunch at 1pm and another four hours later I arrived at my hotel in Biarritz.

The next morning, off I went, stopping for lunch at 1pm near Zaragoza. Then at 5pm I arrived here.

My family flew from Southampton.

It took two and a half hours and not two days.

My wife showed me photos of Freddie on the plane looking out of the window at 35,000 feet.

I was so proud. Surely if he can do it, so can I?

OUR TEAM WOULD BENEFIT FROM MORE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

There is a simple reason why we English expect our national team to do well at any tournament and that’s value.

We see the £50m paid by Manchester City for Raheem Sterling as an indication that he’s world class. He is not. Barcelona paid £65m for Luis Suarez and he is. English players’ value is so over-hyped.

Harry Kane is worth £60m say Spurs. Don’t choke on your Cornflakes.

Wonder why any of our ‘stars’ don’t play in La Liga, the Bundesliga or even Serie A?

It’s because they are either not good enough or not worth the money they are valued at.

Our players need to improve by playing the continental game first.

Then we may win something.