The country is in a state of high alert because of the heat. There is talk of railway lines buckling. Trains will run more slowly to avoid overheating the rails. Do they use different rails in hotter climes. Probably yes!
One Conservative gentleman yesterday said we were all making a terrible fuss about nothing. Other countries in Europe manage with high temperatures! The fact is though that in countries where the summers are regularly very hot, most children are kept indoors out of the sun for the hottest part of the day. I remember years ago, my Spanish brother-in-law, a civil servant, working to a different timetable in the heat of summer so that he avoided the excessive heat.nPeople gather in squares to talk and watch the children play in the evening. And contrary to some people’s apparent belief, not everyone has a swimming pool in their garden!
Another odd thing is the people who say to me, “You’ll be used to the heat because you’ve loved in Spain”, even those who know that we loved in the North of Spain, not the deep South! And people who see me out running in the mornings give me advice: “You need to be careful over the next few days. Run in the early morning!” Mostly these are gentlemen. The ladies I meet assume I can be sensible without their help!
But the sun has come out today. My weather app offers us a maximum of 23° which is pleasantly bearable. Tomorrow, however, temperatures are predicted to rise to 30°, which is a bit on the hot side for my liking. A friend of mine who lives on one of the Greek islands has been posting news about fires there. It’s not the only place with problem fires.
We have warnings here that because the peat moorlands are so dry they would burn easily. People have been fined for throwing cigarette ends down in a local beauty spot.
Basically we have messed up the planet. Goodness knows if we can stop the rot. It won’t be sorted by each country doing its own thing. We are going to need a global effort with proper cooperation as smaller and smaller bits of the world remain habitable and more people seek refuge there.
Which brings me to Mo Farah and his revelations that he was trafficked into the UK as a child, and indeed that Mo Farah is not his real name. Had he not been such a good athlete, would he still be here after his revelations? Here’s a link to another young man who would like to be given permanent right to remain but is having difficulties.
Samet is his name and he is waiting on the outcome of an appeal to a second asylum application. His foster father, John Stokes, 68, has watched his mental health decline while waiting, unable to work or study because of his immigration status.
“It’s a bit like he’s been put in a freezer,” Stokes said. “His life has stopped. The hope that he had has long-since vanished.”
Samet’s experience was very different from that of his older foster brother, Ali, a promising chef who was also trafficked from Albania.,He was granted asylum after the endorsement of a Michelin-starred chef.
Stokes believes that the Home Office prioritises exceptional cases, leaving many victims to suffer. “If Mo Farah hadn’t been a success I’ve no doubt that they’d be looking at deporting him”, he said.”
This is why we need an international solution and not a system that sends problem cases off to Rwanda!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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