In preparation for today’s Italian conversation we had a series of questions to answer about how well we know our own country. There were questions about the country’s favourite sport, festivities, weekend activities, and so on. One in particular was “what are the people like?“. Amidst all the usual stereotypes about the English something someone posted on Facebook struck me.
Five years ago yesterday a bomb exploded at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, killing 22 people. The post I saw on Facebook showed a series of messages sent on the night of the bombing via tweets and other social media, messages from people close to the centre of Manchester offering help of various kinds. Some just offered sympathy and comfort. Some said they would bring cups of tea or sandwiches to people helping out with the aftermath of the explosion. Others went so far as to offer accommodation for the night for people who had been at the concert and now could not get home.
That’s what people are like!
Incidentally the BBC 10 o’ clock news reported a memorial service taking place at Manchester’s Piccadilly station. I wondered why it would be Piccadilly when the Manchester Arena is within Manchester’s Victoria Station, where there is a permanent memorial to those who died. Later in the North West section of the news they correctly reported the memorial service as taking place at Victoria Station, as expected. Why did the national news get it wrong? Lack of preparation? A slip of the newsreader’s tongue? A bit of bias with lack of care for things in the North? Goodness knows but it was sloppy reporting! I’m not aware of a correction or apology.
The Manchester Run took place yesterday as well, with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham appearing on the news, looking as though he had taken part and saying what a success it had been and how fitting that it took place on the anniversary of the bombing - a sign of hope for the future!
And then Manchester City won the Premier League, much to Liverpool’s chagrin. It’s always hard to come second. I felt rather sorry for Jurgen Klopp. He seems a nice bloke and appears to look after bis team well. He even has a song dedicated to him, to the tune of the Beatles’ “I feel fine”. It goes like this:
“I’m so glad that Jurgen is a Red.
“I’m so glad he delivered what he said.
“Jurgen said to me, you know. We’ll win the Premier League, you know. He said so.
“I’m in love with him and I feel fine.
“I’m so glad that Jurgen is a Red.
“I’m so glad he delivered what he said.
“Jurgen said to me, you know. We’ll win the Premier League, you know. He said so.
“I’m in love with him and I feel fine.”
But yesterday wasn’t his day. It was Manchester City’s turn to shine. Today I think they’re doing an open top bus tour of the city centre. It’s all happening in our city.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment