I'm a little bit late with this (holidays, bank holidays and first offspring to get married getting in the way) but I can't let the latest council shake-up debacle go without comment.

"It stinks," said council leader Nick Daubney. And I agree.
It has the same smell about it as the post office closures public consultation.

Cllr Daubney was referring to the totally outrageous behaviour of the Boundary Committee in choosing to ignore the recommendations of its own advisers.

Worse, it then suggested that certain courses of action were no longer available when clearly they were.

The committee was recommended to support the Norfolk east/west split – new councils representing those living on the two sides of the county, one centred on Lynn and one on Norwich.

Despite this, it favoured the single unitary authority route, and then kept secret the recommendation from its own experts.

We (the great unwashed) still don't know how the nameless, faceless few decided all our futures, and reached their conclusion, choosing to ignore the recommendation.

Just as bad was the suggestion from the committee to all those bothered enough to bother themselves with this vexed issue that leaving things as they are (a two-tier county council/district council arrangement) was never an option.

WRONG says the Government.

So it now appears councils, other public bodies, you, me, everyone was misled. And that's why I agree the consultation process is completely discredited and must begin again.

Otherwise it will be just like the stinking mess that was the so-called consultation into sub-post office closures.

Despite weeks of protest and representation the bosses at Post Office Ltd took exactly the action they had planned all along, and closed all the branches under threat.

It makes any suggestion that public comment has been taken on board a complete nonsense.

We don't live under a dictatorship. But you could be forgiven for thinking that democracy is dead when you hear of incidents like these.

• As I have already mentioned, I have been slightly distracted recently by the nuptials of my second born – the first to tie the knot.

Through a very slight intoxication I told the bride's mother that her daughter had "got a good 'un". I would say that, wouldn't I, but it's true. The boy's honest as the day is long, hard-working and I'm confident he will make a good husband.

It was a brilliant day, full of laughter (and some tears), but what struck me most of all was the confidence and maturity of those so young.

The bride organised the whole day, and it ran like clockwork. Despite the enormous responsibility on her young shoulders she showed no signs of stress or strain and shared the enjoyment as much as anyone else.
My sons (the groom and the three ushers) behaved in a fashion well-beyond their years. I was a proud dad.