Cottage cheese, Israel and why my wife is fed up.

Hello.

Haven't blogged for a while due to a week spent largely on the allotment and then returning to work and encountering an email inbox that's threatening to eat me.

So. What have I missed? The university seems to be awfully busy considering it's August. I've got loads on and this is usually the time of year when I get to think about those jobs I've been putting off for ages-you know, the academic equivalent of ironing?

Anyway, this is the story that I heard today on Radio 4 and it is particularly relevant to my life right now. It might sound nuts that the price of cottage cheese can spark a housing crisis, but it probably pays to remember that a few crates of tea led to the American war of independence.

The availability of affordable housing is a growing issue in this country too. I live in key worker housing in MK (my wife is a teacher) and we found out this week that collectively we make just a few hundred pounds too much a year and aren't eligible for any of the government schemes to help first time buyers. It's very disappointing. If you're looking for research on how housing has an affect on many aspects of social well-being the best place to look is the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A good example of such a report is this one from May, 2011.

I'm in work for the next two weeks before going on holiday again so if you need help with anything don't put it off. Before we know where we are it'll be the new term and then things will really be busy...