Some time ago I saw a photo of a car abandoned at the top of a slope leading to the canal towpath which goes from the Brownhill Centre, Dobcross, as far as the museum in Uppermill. I suspect the driver was misled into continuing the descent from the road parallel to the Donkey Line bridle path, instead of the more logical right turn onto Den Lane, which also ends up also close to the museum. People drive, or try to drive, in odd places. We once came across a car trying to make its way down Lark Hill, which once was passable in sturdy vehicles like Land-rovers but is now so degraded that even tractors would have difficulty navigating it.
And yesterday an 80 year old man had to be rescued, or rather his car had be rescued, after he drove it down the Spanish steps in Rome. There seems to be no suggestion that he drove there with malice aforethought. Maybe he was lost and was following satnav instructions. They have been known to lead people into odd situations.
Other people have tried to drive down the Spanish steps, which were never intended for vehicles. In May 2022, a Saudi national drove a rented Maserati through the steps, descending the first flight of steps before stopping. Fractures were subsequently found on the 16th and 29th steps of the right-hand flight rising up from Piazza di Spagna. The man, who abandoned the car and fled the scene, was later apprehended at the airport in Milan after being identified through surveillance cameras and was charged with inflicting aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments.
Incidentally, the Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish embassy to the Holy See in a nearby square, probably the Piazza di Spagna. A backdrop used in numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot. Long before I went to Rome, for me they were a line in Joni Mitchell’s song “The only Joy in Town”, and so when we finally visited the city I simply had to go and take a look at the famous steps. And take some photos - probably with my mobile phone.
Sometimes people say that the series Star Trek was oddly prescient in its depiction of the crew of the Starship Enterprise with their small communication devices. However, they were preempted 106 years ago! A comic strip from 1919 predicted — eerily and accurately — what would happen if our phones fit into our pockets.
W. K. Haselden’s ‘The Pocket Telephone: When Will it Ring?’ was published in “The Mirror” when barely 1/3rd of American homes even had telephones. (A double irony: most of us are viewing this on our “pocket phones”.)
That’s enough silliness. Here’s some more serious stuff.
With continued chaos in the Middle East, a friend of mine posted this:
“Reeves: “we are very concerned around Iran’s nuclear ambition”
Some facts Reeves doesn’t mention.
Iran has no nuclear weapons.
Israel does. Iran has signed the
non-proliferation treaty. Israel hasn’t.
iran allows IAEA observers to inspect
its nuclear programme. Israel doesn’t.”
And here is a bit of Michael Rosen commentary:
“What we need to do now is normalise.
Normalise normalise normalise.
Normalise the deaths of Palestinians - regrettable, inevitable,necessary.
Normalise war with Iran - regrettable, inevitable, necessary.
Normalise US redrawing the map of the Middle East - necessary.”
Hmmm!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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