I OFTEN wonder what it's like attending a dinner party these days if you work in Worcestershire's regaled highways department and the subject of the day job crops up.

The Source was having a browse through our archives to brush up on Vivian Jones the other day, the former chief roads expert who put a cherry on the foul-tasting cake by labelling Whittington island "potentially dangerous" and the Ketch "substandard" this week.

Back in June 1990, 18 months before he retired after a glittering career which earned him an OBE, Mr Jones told this newspaper he was "convinced that park and ride schemes" would be the only way to solve Worcester's "transport ills".

Isn't that ironic.

Mind you, if he thought the city's traffic was "ill" then, it must be well and truly vomiting from every orifice now.

* IF those highways folk think some of the public criticism has been rather sharp, they'd be best to avoid Labour Councillor Richard Boorn.

Councillor Boorn, known for his FBI-style interrogation of officers whenever he can get within earshot of one, puts it thus.

"I wouldn't let them put my kids' Scalextric together."

* BBC local radio decided to follow up our story on city councillors debating traffic issues this week, with the erroneous announcement that it "understands councils in Hereford and Worcester are considering congestion charging."

Have our pals been hitting the drink next door?

* WORCESTERSHIRE'S newest MP Nigel Huddleston has been congratulated on Twitter for his elevation by Louis Mensch , the former Tory A-Lister and chick lit novelist turned minor celeb, fashion blogger and loud-mouth Sun on Sunday columnist.

For those not-in-the-know the duo were university flatmates, with Mrs Mensch tweeting her delight before reminiscing: "If you've got any photos of that teabag on the wall please destroy them, #messy".

What on earth went down.

* LIKE a bolt of lightning, Councillor Fran Oborski has quit the Liberal Party after its national executive failed to suspend the Cornwall branch following a furious internal row about some members rather bizarrely encouraging people to vote for UKIP.

Where will Worcestershire's thunderer end up next?