Fuel prices might be high but still the RAC says they expect the busiest Easter on the roads in the UK for at least 8 years. Apparently one reason for this is the huge amount of engineering works planned for the railway’s. It strikes me as a little inconsiderate to plan engineering works for a holiday weekend but that’s how it is.
Other factors might be the chaos that has been going on at airports, causing people to change their plans. And then there also seems to be problem with the passport office:
“Travellers are being forced to cancel Easter travel bookings because of a backlog at HM Passport Office which is delaying renewals.
Some passengers have been left hundreds of pounds out of pocket because their new passports failed to arrive before their departure date.”
The Passport Office is currently advising travellers to allow up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed, up from an average turnaround time of three weeks before the pandemic.”
I’ve never really understood the need to dash off on holiday for the Easter weekend. It always used to be enough to have hot cross buns of Good Friday and lots of chocolate on Easter Sunday. I suppose some of it is a fashion thing, of sorts. And if the rich and famous can shoot off somewhere for the Easter holidays, then the rest of us should follow suit. Maybe! And so, as with other bank holidays, masses of people feel the need to drive off somewhere “just because we can”. Personally, I find the prospect of sitting in a queue of traffic not in the least inviting!
The article I read about the RAC’s traffic predictions for Easter ended with this paragraph:
“Large traffic queues are likely to continue on roads in Kent due to a shortage of cross-Channel sailings caused by the suspension of operations by P&O Ferries after it sacked nearly 800 workers. The company hopes to resume services this week pending regulatory approval.”
No mention of Brexit as a contributing factor to those queues of lorries. Those queues and the silence about the Brexit factor have led to a number of wry comments on social media. Here are a few:
Peter Stefanovic:
“Finally @Boris Johnson has created something which is world beating” - with yet another photo of a lorry jam.
Finbar O’Halloran
“We shall park then on the Cliffs,
we shall park them on the Beaches,
we shall park them on the Motorways,
we shall park them on the Fields,
we shall park them on Kent’s fair Byways,
but never, never shall we admit #Brexit was anything but a total Disaster”
And Samantha Baldwin, twice:
“The 45 mile queue in Dover is apparently because of P&O and holiday makers.
I don't see many people on the beach in this weather. It's not been warm.
Perhaps they want to get away early.
It would not be due to Brexit by any chance would it?”
And again:
“Apparently the 45 mile queues in Dover is due to Holiday Makers.
Perhaps they have a lot of household stuff to take. My Dad was an HGV driver. I don't remember him taking us in his truck?”
According to something I read in The London Economic, it’s not just reports of lorry queues that ignore the Brexit factor, or indeed edit put the Brexit factor. Apparently in a report on farming and food shortages in Scotland, the BBC left out references to Brexit made by National Farmers Union Scotland president. Because Ukraine is (was?) a major producer of wheat, the war is going to have an impact on the food supply here, of course. But before this war started there were already problems. And now nobody can blame Brexit for anything!
Meanwhile, here are a few Michael Rosenisms on stuff that’s goong on at present:
“Dear Mogg
Did you see me?! Striding down the street with the Zominsky chap. I was Alexander on the day he defeated Hannibal. And did you hear me on about lions and roars and stuff? If that doesn't wipe out the memory of Party-bloody-gate, nothing will.
Oratorio testiculo
Boris”
“Dear Priti
Tricky balancing act: we want to turn the boats round in the Channel but we want to stay on board with the shires desperate to give beds to Ukrainians. It’s a look-like-us thing and you’re just the one to juggle that one. No offence meant!
Visa non possibilius
Boris”
“Dear Mogg
We need to prepare some flannel in case Martine Le Pen wins. Le Pen is mightier than the sword, perhaps? Good to see little Micron get a pasting and we need a unity of right-minded right-wingers with me at its head like the Colossus of Roads.
Fascisti pizzeria
Boris.”
And on that last one, it begins to look frighteningly possible that Marine Le Pen might make it into the Elysée Palace. In the first round of voting, just yesterday, Macron won 27.6% of the vote, ahead of Le Pen’s 23.4%. It is to be hoped that the French come to their senses on round 2 of voting and do not put such a far right figure in the presidency.
Interesting times!
Here’s photo-comment for us all.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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