THERE is one thing in life guaranteed to get up my nose - someone, anyone, giving the world the benefit of their profound opinion on a subject, any subject, about which they can have absolutely no knowledge whatever. None. Zilch. Nothing. Zero.

We too often have to endure hot air from spokespersons for the government, wheeled into the glare of TV exposure to comment on social issues such as unemployment, life in the inner cities, homelessness, the underclass, urban crime, the collapse of small businesses.

Invariably he or she will be well-fed, well-paid, well-meaning but totally out of their depth; the product of a privileged background, usually from the Shires, whose knowledge of unemployment, life in the inner cities, homelessness, the underclass, urban crime, the collapse of small businesses, is, well, to be frank, zilch.

That is why so few people have faith in our politicians. It's very difficult, impossible I would say, to have any grasp of serious social issues unless one has actually experienced them.

That leads us very nicely to Cardinal Basil Hume, leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and his comments on the government's intention to reduce to a year the conciliatory period for couples contemplating divorce.

Let me say at the outset, this is not an attack on Catholicism. I happen to believe, with a passion, that it is the individual's choice in a free world to follow whatever religion or political doctrine they wish and I would defend their right to do so, irrespective of whether their's matched mine.

But what right has Cardinal Hume to comment on divorce when he can never have been involved in a heterosexual relationship, let alone married?

Anyone married - and I'm coming up for 38 years - knows that there is no such thing as a perfect marriage. There are ones of varying success and most of us settle for a relationship based on tolerance, understanding, friendship, shared interest, mutual love of children, respect and trust.

Love, the ingredient upon which most misguided souls seem to base their liaisons, is a physical emotion which lasts until the first major hiccup; this could be any time after the honeymoon. And don't call me a cynic. I happen to believe that it takes all the ingredients I listed above to make a marriage last and even then there's no guarantee.

When love is replaced by loathing; when two people quite plainly can't stand the sight of each other, let alone live together in marital harmony, then it's time to bale out, as quickly and painlessly as possible.

And nothing, not even Cardinal Hume's well meant but totally inappropriate comments, will maker a hap'orth of difference.

What we should be doing is educating young people about the awesome responsibilities marriage and children present. That way there might just be fewer casualties.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.