A COUPLE of weeks ago I mentioned the current South Lakeland District Council questionnaire which has asked people to show how satisfied or not they are with council services.

The survey is supposed to be anonymous but on the first page there is a six-digit serial number and I said: "Any bets the number will lead straight back to the person who has filled it in?"

Mike Simpson, of Storth, sent me an e-mail saying: "I'm afraid your fears about attribution were only too prescient.

"I received this survey two weeks ago, duly filled it in as requested and believed the assurances about anonymity, but as I was putting the survey in the pre-paid envelope I noticed what appeared to be a serial number on the form and decided to cut it out - just to ensure anonymity.

"Surprise surprise! Today I got a reminder and second survey form. So I rang Sheila Meades of SLDC, whose name appears on the letter, and asked her how anyone knew whether I had filled in the anonymous' survey or not.

"She replied that each survey had a serial number so that the survey firm could identify those who had responded' "So there we have it - you were right. The council has employed a survey firm - CN Research of PO Box 7, Dalston Road, Carlisle - which can trace the survey responses to individuals - just as you predicted.

"Re-assured? I think not!"

Funnily enough, I did exactly the same thing with the National Census form a few years ago and eventually ended up with a man from the ministry on the doorstep threatening all sorts of penalties unless I conformed.

I seem to remember asking him to point me to the exact piece of legislation which said I had to write legibly and he went away saying he would be back, but I never saw him again.

PLANS are afoot to reduce traffic congestion in the Lake District by means of a new signing system on the M6. That seems fairly simple to me, you just change the Southern Lake District signs on the northbound carriageway at the Farleton interchange so that they read turn right instead of turn left. I am sure semi-deserted Kirkby Lonsdale, Ingleton and the Dales will be delighted with the boost for their tourism.

KENDAL Wine Society held its annual show at Kendal Rugby Club last weekend and sitting in the lay-by outside was a Cumbria Police Emissions Testing Vehicle.

I've always thought that some of the most potent homebrew was a bit like rocket fuel.

A DEPARTMENT for Constitutional Affairs' press release which arrived in this office could have been better worded: "The mental capacity bill would, for the first time, ensure that people who lack capacity either through disability, mental illness, brain injury or illnesses such as dementia are placed at the heart of decision-making."

All I can say is that it appears to be one area in which our local councils have been leading the field for many years.

NO NEED to worry about a chance encounter at the moment with the elusive big black cat which has been sighted in these parts over the past couple of years.

Visiting Robin Hood's Bay on the North East coast my colleague Richard Daniels spotted a piece in the local paper about a sighting near Whitby so obviously our cat is currently off on its holidays.