Editor Andrew Parkes has a number of thoughts every week, here are just five of them.

1. The Chinese don’t seem to be 100 per cent sure – according to them it’s either the year of the goat or the sheep. But I reckon it’s definitely the year of the wasp. I’ve never seen so many of the darned things and they seem so much more aggressive than usual. I know they’re supposed to help a bit with pollinating, but I still don’t think they do enough to justify their existence.

2. How long should an organisation take to answer its phone, ie, leave you, the “customer” hanging on? HMRC believes an hour is reasonable. My call to correct its mistake was one hour, two minutes and 22 seconds. No message to tell you you’re the 23rd person in the queue, no estimate as to how long it will take. Just a recurring message that starts in the first minute telling you that your call will be answered shortly, one hour (shortly) are your sure? It’s a disgrace, but what can you do?

3. Is there any time when a man, or a woman for that matter, can reasonably go topless in public? I ask because my sense of good manners led me to feel awkward at the weekend. I popped off the beach and into a cafe to buy my wife a bottle of water – I then wished I’d remembered to put my shirt back on. Must be a British thing as I’ve seen Germans wander into Thai bars stark naked without giving it so much as a second thought.

4. On the subject of bare skin, I’m pleased to report that back on the beach I witnessed a woman breastfeeding her baby. There is nothing more natural and anyone who claims feeding a baby in public is in any way wrong needs to take a long look at themselves, rather than worrying about other people’s behaviour.

5. Finally, I love football as much as the next man, but the level of fuss made about the start of the Premier League season is getting ridiculous. And anyone who suggests I’m only mentioning it because my team isn’t in the top flight is absolutely right.

Send in your 5THOUGHTS by email to aparkes@london.newsquest.co.uk Send on Twitter to @parkestheeditor