When I ran round the village this morning it seemed as though we were back to our usual March damp and dismal weather. However, conditions have improved since then and, in a fit of great optimism, I have even bung washing out to dry in the garden.
On the subject of hanging washing out to dry, my friends and I in the Italian conversation class have decided that our Italian teacher is finally becoming a true North-of-Englander since she told us a week or so ago that as the weather improved she rushed off to wash everything and hang it out to dry. This the action of a true North-of-Englander!
There was quite heavy rain overnight. The puddles are back on the footpath between the two millponds on my running route. Hopefully there was enough to fully extinguish the moorland fires.
Mind you even yesterday people were still posting on social media about fires starting in the Peak District near Glossop again.
The cases of fires in various parts of the UK has stoked the fires of the conspiracy theorists. Somebody posted news of a big fire in Newquay in Cornwall. This provoked a whole host of comments suggesting that there is a malign connection between fires in so many different places at the same time: Shropshire, Denbighshire, Cornwall, Wales, the Peak District, Heathrow (well, an electricity substation near Heathrow), California! There were voices of reason in there as well but a lot of suggestion that a wicked plot is going on. Here are some of the comments:
“Bit of a coincidence that a ship was rammed with jet fuel now there is a fire at Heathrow airport Also other fires up and down the country. 🤔”
“Very odd. Shropshire, Denbighshire, Cornwall, Peak District .... ?”
“Strange that so many fires are going on in the US and now the UK.”
“Any chance it's gorse burning season??”
“Is this happening all over England, Wales and Scotland and is it all connected?”
“Swailing, burning off the gorse, so doesn’t turn into a fire hazard in the summer, and it regenerates the new growth 🤔”
“Controlled burning, or "swaling," of gorse, heather, and grass is a traditional practice, managed carefully to maintain open moorland and benefit wildlife, but it's only allowed between October 1st and March 31st to avoid harm to nesting birds.”
“Devastating arson at Cornwall reserve branded 'attack on nature'
Cornwall Wildlife Trust described 'untold damage' left by the flames, adding that the fire was a targeted attack.”
Personally, I believe that climate change has a lot to do with it, making conditions ripe for fire to get out of control whether started accidentally, agriculturally or deliberately by someone who thinks it’s exciting to start a fire. Maybe I’m naive but I find it unlikely that there is a global conspiracy to set the world alight!
Regarding the state of Palestine, I read this about Winston Churchill’s grandson, Lord Nicholas Soames:
“Lord Nicholas Soames, a former Conservative MP who served as a minister in John Major's government, described Britain as a 'midwife at the birth of Israel' and urged for a Palestinian State as he spoke on Friday in the House of Lords.
"Recognising a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines, on the territory that Israel illegally occupied," Soames said, "would demonstrate that the government are committed equal-handedly to international law, are committed to a two-state solution and committed to Palestinian self-determination."
The Labour government itself officially supports the creation of a Palestinian state "at the right time" and not unilaterally.
( So when is "the right time" if not now ? )”
It’s still a long way from a soltion,
On a more positive note, here’s something about Finland from a few days ago:
“Today, on March 19th, we celebrate Equality Day in honour of writer and women’s rights advocate Minna Canth (1844–1897).
Equality is a core value in Finland, reflected even in our language, where the gender-neutral pronoun “hän” replaces both “he” and “she.” This spirit of inclusivity is also visible in everyday life. For example, just step into a public sauna, where status and titles are left at the door 🧖🏽
again.
Mind you, I hear that in order to get into the USA without problems at immigration control, your passport has to show the same gender as your birth certificate.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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