Life's not a competition but I'm winning

It was National Test Your Blood Pressure Day today apparently.

Two lovely people from the Stroke Association have set up camp in the BBC restaurant/canteen with their blood pressure reading device and we're all getting a free test. After a five minute chat about diets and the like you're presented with a card with your blood pressure reading on.

For the record I am 125/78.

Somewhat inevitably however it has descended into a competition between everyone on the station to see who had the best reading. I don't like to boast but ....

Producer Lewis 134/85 (clearly taking it easy - needs to work harder)
Producer Alun 136/86 (must consume more salt to make Management levels)
Manager Helena 139/79 (had just come out of meeting)
Richard Latto 130/79 (just eaten chips)
Alison Leslie 128/82 (now working on the Chelsea Flower Show - no longer has the word "stress" in her vocabulary)

Why don't you get yours checked out soon - only takes a couple of minutes.

And why is it that everyone who works with me seems to have a higher blood pressure than I do?

Funny that.

So here's the joke ...

A sailor went to an auction and bid for a parrot. The sailor bid 50 pounds, but someone else bid 70 pounds. The sailor bid 90 pounds, but someone else bid 100 pounds. The sailor bid 120 pounds, but someone else bid 140.

The sailor was determined to buy the bird and put in a final bid of 200 pounds. This time there were no other bids and the parrot was sold to the sailor.

"That's a lot of money I've paid for this bird," said the sailor to the auctioneer. "I hope he can talk."

"Of course he can," replied the auctioneer, "who do you think's been bidding against you?"
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Jon Cuthill is a presenter on BBC Radio Solent. You can listen to him every weekday from 9am-12.30pm, or listen again online at his website