Well, it’s all over bar the commiserating! It’s so hard to come second! But everyone is still going football crazy. Anyone who is anyone has to have their say on the performance of the England squad.
On Saturday Mr Starmer was reported as saying that the England football squad had “done us proud”. And again yesterday he said on X: “You made your country proud, England. Congratulations to Spain.”
I must be one of the few people not posting on X. Even the king put a letter on X, in which he said: “Although victory may have eluded you this evening, nevertheless my wife and I join all my family in urging you and your support team to hold your heads high.
Some of his family were there in person: Prince William attended the match in Berlin alongside his son Prince George, and said on social media: “This time it just wasn’t meant to be. We’re all still so proud of you. Onwards. W”
London mayor Sadiq Khan also posted on X: “Skill, speed, courage and conviction. So proud of the England team for an amazing tournament. You’ve done us proud.”
And the intrepid I-can-do-stunts Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “What a fantastic effort by Gareth and the team.
Although they didn’t get over the line tonight the whole country is immensely proud of them and grateful for the memories that will last a lifetime.”
Goodness knows what sort of celebrations will take place if we manage something more than coming second in the European Championships!
And we still need a little cheer for our Mark Cavendish, no longer winning stages (although there is still time) in the Tour de France but hanging on in there, still managing to make the time limit even on steep mountain roads.
Elsewhere, more important and more tragic things continue. Here’s link to a report about new mothers in Gaza. Huge numbers of women who discovered they were pregnant just before or just after the current conflict began have not had a chance to enjoy their pregnancy but have given birth or are about to give birth in unbelievably difficult circumstances. Whenever I see the advert currently on TV for one of the phone networks, all about how young mothers with babies who won’t sleep need a support network, I think of the young mothers in Gaza with babies in tents, without enough to eat, without proper ante- and post-natal facilities and in constant fear of needing to move once again.
And then I come across posts from Ziad’s Gaza Diary, which I’ve not seen for a while. In one of his entries, from March I think, he writes about his feelings of despair but also his refusal to give in to depression, his sense of hope.
What is it that keeps him going? His answer:
“It is that seed of hope. That stubborn little, strong seed of hope.”
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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