It’s cold. 7 or 8 degrees maximum, my weather app offers me! But it’s not snowing, not even raining. In fact we’ve had quite a lot of blue sky and sunshine. The air, though, is still very cold. Beanie hat and gloves on my run this morning first thing!
As I stood at the bus stop later in the morning, waiting for a bus to the Greenfield Tesco, I spotted a girl, a young woman - it’s hard to guess ages - waiting for a bus on the opposite side of the road. She was wearing black leggings and a white top - a cropped top, with long sleeves, but revealing quite a bit of chest and showing off her nicely toned midriff. Wow! She must have been freezing! She didn’t even have a coat tied round her waist, or a bag big enough to carry more than her phone and one or two personal items. The sun does strange things to people!
I’ve grown used to young, and sometimes not so young, men wearing shorts all year round. It must be a macho thing. But as my bus went through Uppermill I spotted two young women in short shorts and vest tops! All because there’s a bit of sunshine! But it’s cold! I thought women had more sense. I had my gloves on again!
I know I used to wear very short miniskirts even in the depths of winter but I usually had warm tights and I always had a coat. I must be growing old and cranky. If the young want to freeze, then let them do so!
Supermarket shopping (a limited amount) completed, I headed for the bus stop, feeling rather pleased that I had been very efficient in getting everything done and dusted in time for the 1.05 bus. Then someone approached me at the bus stop and asked if I was waiting for the 350. She had been thinking of doing so but according to the fancy travel app on her phone the 1.05 350 was cancelled! No explanation! Just cancelled! These things happen. Very considerate of her to let me know! So I crossed the road to the stop for the 356 bus, fortunately due at about the same time, but which takes a longer and more scenic route through Diggle and Dobcross. I had my fingers crossed that this would not be cancelled as well. There was no reason why it should be. All the evidence (i.e. buses trundling along here and there) suggested that most buses were running normally. So was the 356 - normally late by a few minutes but still running normally!
It’s the vagaries of the bus service that make so many people keep on using their cars. Will they continue to do so as prices rise? We shall see.
Here’s a comment on our times that is circulating on social media:
“The fact that in the last decade Martin Lewis has had to go from ‘The guy who tells you who’s doing two-for-one deals or how to get a good mortgage rate’ to ‘Here’s what you can do to get emergency help to stop you starving / freezing to death’ speaks for itself.”
And here’s something from The London Economic:
“TechnicallyRon
How to stay warm now the energy prices have gone up:
- Blankets
- Thermal leggings
- Overthrow the capitalist nightmare machine where energy companies hoard record profits whilst making sure the most vulnerable lose the most all while the government looks away
- Fire maybe”
And from Have I got News for You:
“Downing St officials begin to receive £5 fines for lockdown parties - just a fraction less than the £10,000 members of the public got.”
These are just a few comments on the state of things at the moment.
But it could be worse. I was reminded today that the war in Syria has been going on for eleven years. And last night I saw a news report about people starving in Afghanistan - some aid has been held back in protest at the Taliban preventing girls from going to school.
Most of us have things to be thankful for here.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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