In Grund und Boden schämen

 Let's get it out of the way first. I am a "Remainer" BUT I have no doubt the UK would do well enough if it was not in the EU - at least as well as it was doing pre-January 1973 on the verge of collapse.

AND like 450 million other EU citizens, I am not happy with everything about how the EU is run - for God's sake, name me one parish in the western world where the citizens are happy with their local councillors never mind county. district or national governments. The EU WILL change after the May 2019 elections and hopefully all or at least most of the problems that also include the largely ridiculous and plainly false British gripes will be resolved. And the UK will not be at the table to help make these changes.

I, as a British national, hang my head in shame at the state of the UK parliamentary and general political scene. From today I will no longer say I am British when asked where I come from. I am Trinidadian and proud of it and grateful to Germany giving me a passport and a sensible country to call home.

As bad as what is happening in Westminster, is the unbelievable ignorance and gullibility of millions. I daren't even think what London would look like if the English had the same tendencyas the French  to show their emotions openly - would make the 12 September 1666 look like a scouts campfire.

The entire Brexit process from 2015 onwards has been carried out with incompetence that surpasses anything that has gone before it in the history of the UK.

I would have written the above before any talk of delaying "the vote" was being made when I received an email at 11:41 from @GOV.UK which is used to inform on Government statements, acts and regulations. This one was headed:  "Our 18 employment records this year show why we need the Prime Minister's Brexit deal" and then "Opinion editorial by Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma, published on the Mail Online on 9th December 2018"

Contempt of Parliament a few days ago for the first time in 700+ years and now total disregard and misuse of office.
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Today I finally got to get outside the own four walls with a very boring visit to our tax accountant in his villa on the outskirts of Memmingen. It was as bad as I expected but time did not allow me to take any other option. He will (assuming he doesn't keel over) get the job done by the deadline but that's about it.

Feeling somewhat depressed, I decided to go into Memmingen centre and take my long broken Nikon bridge camera to see if it could be repaired. As expected "we haven't bothered fixing cameras for years but simply send them away. Reckon with a minimum of €150". I thought as much but was further depressed by the clearly experienced "salesman" in the small, probably family run business, made zero attempt to try and sell me a replacement even though I said I wanted to buy a new one and had seen the "A-board" advert on the pavement for exactly the camera I had been ogling at online. Must be the Christmas business is too good.

So I decided to have a look at the Christmas Market in the central square outside the Rat House (Town Hall!) Rat in German is "advice/council/counsel/suggestion" and I am sure the occupants would have managed Brexit for the UK in a week.

The Christmas Market is quite small and although it was midday there wasn't much happening. Possibly the cold and the snow showers we had between the bursts of sun which could not though push the temperature above +2°C.

In the extras some more shots of Memmingen
1 Collage with:
Top left: The Christmas market with the lovely old long Tax Office with the Rathaus in grey on the right.
Top right: A stand offering amongst other things, salmon heated/smoked by an open wood fire - something you can do at home for a party. Pin/nail a side of salmon on a wood board and place vertically next to a fire.
Bottom left: Germany still has "Woolworth" - 300 of them! And they now even offer new cars on their website.
Bottom right: Very Xmasy Christmas street deco.

The Winemarket Square of "Olde". The building on the right was the "Grocers Guildhall" from 1454 to 1803, then a wine bar named "The Roman King". The hanging sign says it is "Wine House Knöringer" but on the wall in big letters and on Trip Advisor it is called Restaurant Moritz.