23 JANUARY 1982, page 11

Where Are The Allies Now?

Peter Paterson L ast year, amidst the banging of drums and the tinkling of cymbals, it was an- nounced that the most fearsome weapon ever devised in the history of British......

Two Joke Towns

Roy Kerridge T hat's Wigan Pier', said the young man, pointing. I gazed at the jutting- out piece of towpath by the canal, which faced a decaying boathouse on the other side.......