When our children were quite small we used to do a family visit to the grandparents’ house in Southport every Christmas. On Boxing Day we would make a family outing to the red squirrel reserve at Formby Point. Today I read an odd story about Formby, about someone called Arthur (no surname given) confessing on a Radio 2 programme to having been the “Phantom Gnome Snatcher” of Formby fifty years ago. In his teens he took garden gnomes from people’s gardens and left ransome notes in their place. When nobody paid up, he put the gnomes back in place, just as secretively. How curious that this has been on his conscience all these years.
Equally odd is this story about animal rights activists:
“Animal rights activists have called for a popular pub to change its name saying that it is "derogatory" to foxes. PETA has sent a letter to the drinking hole known as The Sly Old Fox, with campaigners labelling the moniker "inaccurate" and "unfair".
The message by PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen called for a rebrand and suggested a "clever" alternative name for the Birmingham pub. In the letter, Allen wrote: "We're sure you'll agree that language is powerful and can reinforce negative stereotypes."”
Well, well! I can understand the outcry about people wearing fox fur stoles and other animal fur items but protesting about the name of a pub seems a little extreme. I suppose they also object to Beatrix Potter’s Mr Tod, a crafty chap who plays tricks on others and tries to entice rabbits into his home, with a view to eating them. Similarly, they might spring to the defence of Tommy Brock, the badger, equally likely to try to capture small rabbits in order to make them into stew, allegedly!
"Brock" and "Tod", by the way, are Lowland Scots and Northern English dialect words for "badger" and "fox" respectively.
And still thinking of nature study and traditions, here’s something about bees:
“The custom of "telling the bees" is a charming and ancient tradition where beekeepers inform their bees about significant events in their lives, such as deaths, births, marriages, and other major occurrences. This practice is believed to have its roots in Celtic mythology, where bees were seen as messengers between the human world and the spirit world. The presence of a bee after a death was thought to signify the soul leaving the body. The tradition became particularly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries in Western Europe and the United States.
To tell the bees, the head of the household or the "goodwife" would approach the hives, gently knock to get the bees' attention, and then softly murmur the news in a solemn tone. This ritual was believed to keep the bees informed and prevent them from leaving the hive or dying. The custom underscores the deep connection and respect that people historically had for bees, viewing them as integral members of the household and community.”
More seriously, out in the wider world it seems that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire. However, both parties reserve the right to start hostilities again if they feel the other has broken the terms of the agreement. That leaves a lot of room for continued fighting. Hardly a true end to the war, regardless of Mr Biden’s express wish. And what struck me was that even as negotiations were underway, Israel was bombing Beirut and Hezbollah was firing rockets at Israel - hardly the best situation for ending hostilities. Inremain unconvinced! We shall see!
And here’s Michael Rosen again:
“If people want to justify why they're entitled to a bit of land based on the fact that their ancestors lived there, then that brings up the matter of whose ancestors get first pick? Which set of ancestors have the right to the land? (Other ways of deciding the matter are available eg siege, hh or negotiated settlement)
Britannica says:
'The Israelites occupied and conquered Palestine, or Canaan, beginning in the late 2nd millennium bce, or perhaps earlier; and the Bible justifies such occupation by identifying Canaan with the Promised Land, the land promised to the Israelites by God.'”
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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