THE children’s ride was whirling round with a young girl inside. Her mum couldn’t see the delight on her child’s face as she was too busy on her mobile phone, sending or reading a text.

It’s rather a shame to fork out for these rides then not to watch and share your child’s joy.

But that’s the trouble with the curse of the mobile phone.

So many people are attached to the wretched things whatever they are doing.

Don’t get me wrong, I own a mobile, in fact I’ve got two – one for work and a private one – it’s rather a pain carrying two around everywhere.

I certainly wouldn’t be without a mobile, not only for making calls and sending texts but to look at Twitter and sometimes to search for something on the internet.

But that’s it.

I’m not permanently glued to it.

I’ve seen lots of young parents endlessly on their phone while their children are virtually ignored.

Once, in the doctor’s surgery, which displays notices asking you to switch your phone off, I noticed this with a young father who had a toddler in a pushchair.

No words were spoken by the dad, he was looking at something fascinating on his phone and the child was left to his own amusements.

No need to call in social services, but it makes me sad.

Children need stimulation, to be talked to and even sung to.

They don’t mind if you sound like Bob Dylan with laryngitis.

The world around us can be a fascinating place for the under fives, everything can be an adventure – even a simple trip into town.

What a shame then that a whole generation is being deprived of some of these natural pleasures.

Worse still is when young children are given adults’ iPhones to play with in a bid to keep them quiet.

Sit a child in a pushchair and ignore them and of course they will get bored and be difficult.

Incessant use of mobiles is not only limited to parents.

You see their disrespectful influence in other places.

Being served in shops is one. Instead of any polite conversations with store assistants, the mobile addict can’t put their phone down even for a minute.

You’d think some of these people must be as important as David Cameron the way they carry on.

In meetings too, I always think it’s terribly rude to use your phone, people furtively checking messages or social media.

Unless your house is burning down or your child is in danger, then you don’t need to be available every minute of the day.

On trains people talk noisily as if they are Dom Joly, and you are forced to listen to their riveting conversations.

As soon as any plane touches down, everyone’s frantically turning their phones back on just in case in those two hours in the air something amazing has happened.

Anyone important to you should know you’re on holiday and if they don’t, then they really don’t matter.