I grew up in Germany where we ate loads of meat, i.e. meat every single day. About 15 years ago I watched a programme on slaughtering animals in a big abattoir. While many of the cows were dead at once, some of them weren't dead because the slaughter men had missed. I guess because there were so many animals to be killed, they must have got tired. Then the cows were hooked up still alive and my stomach started turning. A slaughter house that kills many animals a day (as opposed to small ones) must be absolute hell!

In this programme I also watched cows having their throats slit and hung up, and although certain religious groups deny that the animals still feel pain, I beg to differ, it was a terrible sight! After that I could not touch meat any more.

I cannot possibly agree with the inhumane conditions many animals are kept in, the exploitation and lack of care. I support several animal rescue organisations and one of them goes undercover to check the horrendous conditions of some farm animals, even so called free range ones. The resulting pictures are disgusting!

Although for years I didn't even eat fish, I do now because I don't think that a pure vegetarian diet is right for me. I have recently looked at a farm where the animals are kept properly and I know there are many farms in the UK where farmers take great pride in rearing healthy and happy animals and I absolutely respect that. But I am not sure at the moment if I can be persuaded to eat meat again (even though I know it might be healthier for me, and I do crave chicken from time to time).