London’s latest shopping extravagnza, the Westfield London Centre, was planned in a boom in another century and opens at the beginning of a recession.

Oh doom, oh gloom, oh glum. Thank goodness, Boris says that view’s nonsense.

Oh no, let’s not think anything like it, boomed the Mayor of London at today’s opening bash. He said:

Let me ask you the question, with unemployment rising in the UK, is it right that Westfield make an investment of £1.6 billion and create 7,000 jobs?

He added:

Gordon Brown says to me we’re in a hole. I say to you, we need a hole the size of Crossrail. The essential thing to do is keep digging.

Yesterday Boris urged us to eat, spend and be merry. Writing in The Daily Telegraph he said that those with money – and there’s still loads of them – had a duty to keep shopping, keep spending and to lead by example for the benefit of us all.

Markets downturns are as much about mood and confidence as anything else. Perception isn’t exactly reality, otherwise my sausage dog is a Pit Bull. But a smile and some confidence are infectious. So, three cheers for Boris’s guts gusto and umpth. As Ian Dury – “we’re all Blockheads now” – once wrote:

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3

Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
round or skinny bottoms

Take your mum to paris
lighting up the chalice
wee willy harris

Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico

Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare

Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey

John Coltrane’s soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3