It rained in the night. I heard it spattering quietly on the attic skylight windows, not very loudly, suggesting that the rain was not very heavy. In Lincolnshire they had the wettest night this year, according to the radio weatherwoman. That was Lincolnshire. Here it was less impressive. By the time I got up the rain had stopped and so I was able to cycle to and from the market without problems. (More on cycling later.)The bridle paths were hardly damp. Someone at the market insisted on explaining to me that we need a long period of drizzle to soften the drought-hardened (or at least dry-weather hardened) earth in preparation for a heavier downpour to fill up the rivers and reservoirs. It’s the parched dry earth not being soft enough to absorb the rain that is causing flooding problems. I frequently seem to get into conversation with know-it-alls when I stand in queues. Now I’ve done the know-it-all bit by sharing that information.
By midday, by the way, the sun was trying to break through the clouds.
I come across items in social media from North East Bylines, which defines itself like this:-
“We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond. North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.”
Here’s a little something from North East Bylines:
"Breaking news: English Heritage slap emergency preservation order on the Johnson’s number 11 flat interior.
A spokesperson for English Heritage said “It is a remarkable example of the high Narcissism or Delusional Style of the 2020s ‘elites’.” "
It’s a delightful idea - is it really fact-based?
The writer Kurt Vonnegut talks about “wampaloon”, in his novel Cat’s Cradle, I think. A wampaloon is a kind of false fellow-feeling just because of one thing you and others have in common: having been born in the same town, having ginger hair, wearing glasses, driving the same kind of car, etc, etc, etc.
Wampaloons seem to figure in the life of Liz Truss. I hear she claims an affinity with Scotland as she “grew up” in Paisley. This must be where she went to primary school I suppose, as she is supposed to have gone to a comprehensive in Leeds, which justifies her claim to be a Yorkshire woman! Where does she really belong? Not in the working class, it seems. Here’s an excerpt from a report about her comments on working people, who, it seems, need “more graft”.
“She said there was a “fundamental issue of British working culture”, and that if the country wanted to be “richer and more prosperous” then that would need to change.
“There’s a slight thing in Britain about wanting the easy answers,” she said. “That’s my reflection on the election and what’s gone before it, and the referendum – we say it’s all Europe that’s causing these huge problems … it’s all these migrants causing these problems. But actually what needs to happen is more … more graft. It’s not a popular message.”
When directly asked about the comments at a leadership hustings event in Perth on Tuesday evening, Truss maintained that she still thought British workers could be more productive.
She said: “I don’t know what you’re quoting there [but] what we need in this country is more productivity and we need more economic growth.””
Ho! Hum!
Here’s a bit of good news for Manchester:-
🗣️ "The introduction of lower, simpler fares across our bus network signifies the biggest shake-up of our bus system in close to 40 years and comes at a critical time."
📢 From 4 September, single bus journeys in GM will cost no more than:
- £2 adult
- £1 child
- Plus, unlimited daily journeys across all operators: no more than £5(adult)/£2.50(child)
#GetOnBoard
Getting back to cycling, the radio news is talking about Grant Shapps’ suggestion that cycles should have number plates and that all cyclists should be obliged to have insurance. According to a spokesman for a cycling, this is unworkable because you’d have to insure 7 year old cyclists as well as adults. Besides, he said, insurance companies aren’t interested in cyclists’ insurance because, “The risks involved don’t merit insurance”. I suppose this means insurance companies wouldn’t made enough profit out of it. Ho! Hum!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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