Narrative, lyrical and dramatic ...
When I was young we worked hard, bought our own house and built a cattery in the garden.
Now I'm old, the only choice DEFRA has given me is to dismantle the cattery and close the business.
When I was young I could have run a 12 pen cattery on my own and still fit the shopping and cleaning in.
Now I'm old I can't run any cattery without help and that's no longer financially viable.
When I was young I ran a 12 pen cattery and brought up a family.
Now I'm old DEFRA ignored my experience and reduced my rating by two stars because I wanted to leave the premesis to visit my grandchildren and go shopping.
When I was young I built my 12 pen cattery to the specifications at the time.
Now I'm old DEFRA tells me I have to invest in new pens because DEFRA decided that the platform is now a cm too small.
When I was young I could work 7 days a week and shrug illnesses off come rain or shine.
Now I'm old, I know that I have no cover and one slip or bad diagnosis closes the cattery for good.
When I was young I could have survived when DEFRA reduced the value of my business to zero because they altered the regulations.
Now I'm old no one's going to buy a business that isn't worth anything and I can't sell the business without moving because it's part of my home.
When I was young I never thought about retiring, I was going to do this forever.
Now I'm old, the local authority carried out an inspection, reduced my rating, threatened and bullied me and then refused to renew my licence.
When I was young I thought the Nazis had been defeated, the communists had been routed and that institutional fascism was only a problem in other countries.
Now I'm old, even though no one had ever complained about my cattery, DEFRA sent stormtroopers in because I couldn't keep up with the pointless new paperwork, I couldn't spend money on useless online courses and I couldn't afford to remodel the cattery to make the platform 1cm higher just for a license to operate.
When I was young I sometimes resented the 24 hour responsibility of looking after other people's cats year after year while they went on wonderful holidays that cost more than I earned in a year.
Now I'm old, my life's work means something and I'd happily take up arms against anyone who thinks that regulating me out of my business has anything to do with improving animal welfare.
When I was young I thought we had invented government by consent.
Now I'm old I realise that power is taken, stolen and assumed by anyone who can keep it.