Minor panic with a cycle lock - the magic that is WD40 - and the need for rational reactions to speeches!

I cycled to the market in bright sunshine this morning. There was a clear blue sky, brilliant sun and very, very chilly air! I am going to need to seek out my warmer cycling gloves - quite thickly padded and fluorescent green to match my cycling helmet. I rode blindly along the Donkey Line bridle path, with the low sun flashing through the trees reducing visibility, hoping against hope that nobody was approaching at speed in the opposite direction and that I didn’t ride over anyone’s small dog.

Safely and uneventfully in Uppermill, I locked my bike up outside the coop while I went in for a few odds and ends, including lemon juice so we can make our patent lemon and honey drink to fight off Phil’s ongoing cold and cough! When I came out and put the key in the bike lock it would not turn!! It doesn’t need to turn far, just a quick click and the lock springs open… usually. But it’s a fairly heavy duty cycle lock with the kind of cable you can’t just chop through easily. After several minutes of trying the key in and out and turning it over to try it the other way up, I had a brainwave. 

Two minutes from the coop store is a hardware shop. So I went a bought a small can of magical WD40, with a little, plastic straw to attach to the spray nozzle. I stuck the other end of the straw in the lock mechanism and gave it a little squirt. I crossed my finger, held my breath, counted to 10 and tried the key again. The magic worked and the lock sprang open. Phew! What a relief! I was not going to have to work out how to detach my bike from the lock-up post! But I was a little wary and crossed my fingers once again when I locked it to a drainpipe outside the greengrocery and to one of those strange cages they put around trees down in the market square. 

Thinking back, last week on my return from the market, I had used the neighbours’ hosepipe to sluice the weeks of collected mud off my bike. Maybe water had got into the lock and semi-frozen, causing problems for me. Who knows? Anyway, I now have a little can of magical WD40 in my panniers - ready for any eventuality. 

Jenny the Biscuit was back at the market, very happy not to have to contend with blustery weather. So I replenished our supply of tasty  biscuits; the family will be pleased. The chap who sells shoes and slippers and, incongruously, second hand books and assorted vitamin supplements, bent my ear about his progress in Spanish, largely wanting me to explain the use of the subjunctive in expressions such as “¡Que mejores pronto!” (Get well soon!) and “¡Que descanses!” (Have a good rest!). Free mini-language lessons in the market! 

An interesting start to the day! 

Out in the wider world the madness continues:-

“German police have responded to a rise in antisemitism by pre-emptively banning most rallies expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Last week education authorities in Berlin went further, telling schools that they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian flag, kufiya scarf and “free Palestine” stickers.”

And Israel has responded to Antonio Guterres’s reasoned arguments in his speech in Cairo:

“Israel says it has refused a visa to UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths as a result of comments at the UN by secretary-general António Guterres.

Israeli media reports that Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said on army radio:

Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.

Israel has called on UN secretary general Guterres to resign after he said that the “appalling attacks” by Hamas against Israel on 7 October cannot justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”, and spoke of “the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.”

Guterres had said “Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians – or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions.””

Oh boy! Being pro-Palestine doesn’t mean you are pro-Hamas just as being anti-Zion does not mean you are anti-Semitic. You don’t even need to be pro-one side or the other, but surely the situation can be discussed rationally.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!