I’m about to be re-generated.

Well, not me but my place of birth – London NW2. In yesterday’s budget, the Chancellor promised funding for a £4.5bn regeneration of Cricklewood. Most of my schoolmates’ parents were Irish but my mum was a real Londoner. She came from one of those huge, old-fashioned families that don’t exist any more. So as a child, I had countless aunts, uncles and cousins all living very close to where these billions are about to be spent. Most were on the unfortunately named Clitterhouse estate. “The Clit” is one of the last ungentrified corners of London. But not for much longer. Lattes will eventually supplant the last of the light ales. My mum’s brothers who all left the “manor” years ago and all sounded a bit like Max Bygraves, would no doubt have had this to say.