Yesterday I cycled to Uppermill to the market for the first time in ages. The weather and circumstances have combined against me getting back on my bike. But yesterday was forecast to be fine and so I got on my bike and off I went. Uppermill was very quiet. The market was very depleted. I hope it doesn’t just disappear.
Uppermill itself is getting to be full of cafes, gift shops and charity shops. Oh and boutiques which sell expensive clothes. There is still a butcher’s shop and the Italian fruit and vegetable shop and a couple of chemists. As I turned off the side street onto the high street I noticed that one of the charity shops had its doorway chockablock with bags of stuff, piles of books and rather tatty-looking plastic baskets. Someone had chosen to ignore the notice that asked people not to leave contributions in he doorway. This lot would prevent access to the door. There was even a television set, no doubt out of date! Everything would need sorting. Much of it would be unsuitable for re-selling. It’s a bit like fly tipping! And the disposal of unwanted items becomes someone else’s problem!
I wrote the other day about a motion in parliament to decriminalise abortion. This article tells us that the motion was passed. It should go through the House of Lords without problems. Hurrah for women’s freedom. However, Stella Creasy declares on this article that it didn’t go far enough. She maintains we still have a way to go to give women control of their bodies.
I was reading about Los Angeles and the immigration laws. Apparently one in three people of LA county’s more than 10 million residents are immigrants, and 1.6 million children in the region have at least one immigrant parent. No wonder they have protested about the crackdown on immigrants.
Immigrant workers make up 40% of the LA metro area’s workforce. LA city councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, the son of Mexican immigrants and street vendors, says: “Angelenos know that it doesn’t matter where you are – if you’re eating at a restaurant, chances are your food is cooked by an immigrant. If you’re having work done on your house, it’s often an immigrant. Many nannies are immigrants. And if you go to the hospital, chances are you’re being treated by an immigrant.”
In 2023 the city declared itself a sanctuary city, barring local personnel and resources from being used in federal immigration enforcement. California, too, has passed a string of laws to protect immigrant workers – regardless of legal status – from retaliation, wage theft and other forms of exploitation. According to this article, America had open borders until 1924. A century on things have changed radically. I know people who are reluctant even to think of going to the USA nowadays!,
Mind you, it’s not necessarily much better here with Brexit immigration laws. This article tells of the problems a British woman is having as she wants return to the, brining her Italian husband and her dual-nationality children with her. She and the children could come here and live on benefits. Her husband, who could support them, cannot come immediately because of legal restrictions about income and savings! Oh, the irony!
Just to cheer us all up, here is a picture of a beautifully colourful house by Gaudí in Barcelona. I know how to pronounce his name (Gowdee) but this might have us thinking it should be ‘gaudy’!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment