IT seems obvious to me that many of the world's troubles - on big and small stages - are caused by the desire of managers and individuals to promote change.

My natural instinct is to leave things as they are for the most part and I wonder if there is the seed of an idea here for a new political and philosophical body dedicated to bumbling along as before.

It is justifiable, of course, to seek solutions for genuine evils such as injustice, poverty and starvation, but maybe people capable of making "lifestyle" choices should see beyond the modern media firestorm and do everything they can to resist calls for constant alterations to their personal appearance or domestic surroundings.

And it would be nice to think that new executives in charge of private companies and government organisations might one day consider that leaving everybody and everything alone might be a revolutionary new management technique.

Perhaps one day the Movement for Non-Movement will issue a campaign manifesto like this: "We at MNM believe in the maintenance of boring stability and we support all those who resist change for the sake of change.

"If it remains unbroken we say repairs should be deemed unnecessary.

"Furthermore, if it really is broken action should be delayed as long as possible to see if the situation redeems itself organically.

"A more detailed version of our vision is available in our pamphlet - Managing to Avoid Change' by Alan Calvert."

The author, as his long-suffering wife will testify, still believes that there was nothing wrong with the woodchip which has now - at long last - been removed from various walls and ceilings in their home.

All I can say in my defence is that I saw a newspaper article the other day which devoted several pages to a new book (Living Normally by Trevor Naylor) which is described as "an anti-style bible for those who ignore the makeover culture".

It features pictures of ordinary rooms with a "lived-in" look and I hope the idea catches on - not least because the people who can just about afford to buy homes these days might appreciate the possibility that regular and expensive re-decoration will cease to be cool.

One thing that never changes, thankfully, is the opportunity to sit on your sofa shaking your head in bewilderment at the reported antics of super-rich young people who happen to be sporting icons such as Andrew Flintoff, the England and Lancashire all-rounder.

Those of us who want England to do well in the cricket World Cup in the West Indies (this piece was written before the week-end game against Kenya) were not best pleased when our hero crossed the line of acceptable behaviour and was forced to apologise for the drinking session and shenanigans which led to him being stripped of the vice-captaincy of the team.

But we all know that the incident - a future book chapter and chat show topic - will be forgiven when the runs and wickets flow again.