Peter Hitchens reflects on feeling alienated by the current cultural climate in Britain, particularly the intense focus on women's football and the death of Ozzy Osbourne. He draws parallels to the public reaction following Princess Diana's death, suggesting that media-driven emotional waves have led to a loss of traditional values and authority. Hitchens also pays tribute to the late Tom Lehrer, whose sharp, satirical songs he admires, and laments the decline of childhood independence, as seen in restrictive library rules. Throughout, he expresses nostalgia for a more restrained and discerning national character.