I’m back taking my usual powerchair cruises around south-east London, but what I find most striking now is how clean and well-kept it all is. After seeing a bit of India, I can’t help but be struck by how little litter there is, how none of the buildings look like they’re about to fall down, and by how fresh the air smells. In Delhi and Jaipur, say, the roads were totally unmaintained and most of the buildings looked decrepit. As I mentioned here, there are a few modern, stylish buildings, but they are surrounded by seas of crumbling concrete. Some say it’s due to the Indian caste system, with everyone expecting someone else to take responsibility for the maintenance, but my return to well maintained London streets really has put it into sharp focus for me. I used to think Woolwich, with it’s famous market, was quite grubby and bustling, but I trundled through it with ease along the type of pavements I never saw in India. Believe me, compared to Delhi, London is staggeringly clean, quiet and small.