Throughout the summer we were treated to the ongoing spectacle of the Conservative Party leadership farce. Then, just as things were going to get back to some kind of normality the queen died. She can’t be blamed for that. It wasn’t her fault and she might well have wanted to avoid it but there it is - bad timing! And now we’re launching into party conference season! What happens to government while all this goes on?
It’s been a very odd year. In fact it’s been a very odd few years. I might even go back as far a 2016 and say it’s been a very odd just over half a decade!
Yesterday, probably on the PM programme on Radio 4, they interviewed I don’t know which Labour MP about the upcoming Labour Party Conference. She was waxing enthusiastic about the fact that they are going to begin with singing God Save the King. This is a first. Well, we’re all going to have to get used to fact that the words have changed, even if we aren’t planning on actually singing it any time soon. But they don’t usually sing the national anthem at thevLabour Party Conference. They normally have other songs to sing.
A Labour source said the party wanted to reflect recent events. However, they dismissed reports that drinks receptions will be toned down at this year's conference in a sign of respect to the late monarch. It was reported last week, though, that Labour MPs were advised not to do any media during the national mourning period, except to pay their own tribute to the Queen.
It’s yet another symptom of people treading carefully and wanting to be seen to do the right thing, especially those in the public eye. But at least, despite all sorts of examples of cancel culture, we haven’t yet got around to banning books. It’s happening in the USA.
“More than 2,500 different book bans were enacted in schools across 32 US states during the 2021-2022 school year, according to a new report by Pen America. And attempts to ban books from libraries are on track to exceed 2021’s already record-setting figures, the American Library Association said on Friday.”
So much for the land of the free! Many of the books banned seem to look at history from a black point of view or show inequality - racial, social or gender - or promote greater equality. Here we are in the 21st century, taking backwards steps and banning things! And we criticise countries like Iran where women are punished by the “morality police” for disregarding hijab rules!
Moving on to more cheerful things, on the radio after the news programme they’re giving us advice on how to improve our lives by doing “Just One Thing”. Today they are concentrating on apples, a fruit I am much in favour of. The Italian fruit and veg shop is selling Cox’s Orange Pippins, almost certainly the very best apples in the world. There was a moment in my student life when I might have become fruitarian, I consumed so many Cox’s Orange Pippins. And on the route we follow when collecting blackberries (which we might do again later today before they come to an end) there is a tree laden with small - small and not the prettiest apples in the world but I am considering collecting a bagful to make apple pies.
That’s assuming it stays dry. Today began very fine and sunny, a splendid day for cycling along bridle paths to the rather diminished market in Uppermill. The men who sell shoes and slippers are on holiday and the fruit and veg man has been having a hip replacement. The cheese and biscuit lady tells me that he will be back next week if he can persuade his son to drive him. Since I returned home the cloud has moved in. The weatherman says it should remain dry. We shall see!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment