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Guru's recent foray into the murky world of sausage-based trading standards (Personnel Today, 28 November) generated a bulging sack of mail, with many adopting similar reasoning to the following:
Dear Guru
Having read your article about the trading standards bods at Powys Council, I think you have been a little unfair. They are there for our protection and, after all, there may well be people who believe that Dragon sausages contain real dragon meat, and Powys Council is correct to ensure that consumers are not confused or misled.
Next they'll be telling us that cottage pie doesn't contain cottages and that there are no shepherds in a shepherds pie.
Frankly, I find that hard to believe as, surely, shepherds are extinct.
Disciple Liz
Guru feels compelled to point out that, at this time of year anyway, there seems to be an over-abundance of sheep-loving folk, mainly hanging around in the nation's shopping centres next to badly crafted and very wobbly nativity scenes.
They could well end up in pies for all we know, but unless some enterprising Sweeney Todd offers 'short back and sides specials' for shepherds, it's difficult to ascertain where these hooded fellows disappear to after the festive season.
Taking up his mantle as the David Attenborough of the workplace, Guru welcomes submissions to his new series, 'The Disappearing World of Work'. Send details of shepherd sightings and any other professions in need of resuscitation to [email protected]
