Abdn - I have the same thoughts that if everyone had to use the NHS then the richer, more powerful and better educated people would be much keener on improving it. I caused great upset at work by turning down the private healthcare they offered me, my colleagues thought I was mad, but we didn't have a family at the time, just me and DH, and both relatively fit so it was a fairly easy decision to make.
BDQ - obvious answer of a spoon to eat the soup! Thought that might be the key! Can't see J eating a whole bowl of soup from a spoon, he will happily have the odd spoonful fed to him but any more and he wants to be in charge.
Spider - glad you are enjoying the villa, sounds lovely.
I've stopped worrying so much about salt since J hit a year old. He's even stolen the odd crisp from Daddy. I did have a link to the government recommendations and they are allowed double the amount when they are one, although that is still a low amount (can't find the link now), but we didn't use much salt anyway and now have got used to very little so keen not to start using loads, but I know what you mean BDQ about some things not being the same if you don't add salt during the cooking.
I remember seeing "You are what you eat" or something along those lines years ago where a woman cooked with so much salt she was getting through a kilo a week! Her 17 year old lad was getting chest pains, mental.
Neenz - you are right about the NHS waits improving, my experience of the NHS has always been brilliant, but most of that has been in specialised childrens areas where they pull out all the stops to provide great treatment, I know that the eqivalent adult services are very different but haven't actually experienced it, if you see what I mean!