It was quite pleasant walking out to catch the bus first thing this morning - well, at about twenty to nine! There is supposed to be a bus to Uppermill at 8.59, which can arrive at that time or at any time in the next 5 to 10 minutes. I don’t wait at the bus stop at the crossroads where there is a bus shelter which has largely become a huge litter bin, since they removed the actual litter bin some time ago, and which often smells as though someone thinks it is a public toilet! Instead I walk down the road to the next stop, assuming it isn’t pelting down rain, which is a pleasanter place to wait.
Until a couple of weeks ago I would consult the Bee Network App on my phone to see when I should expect a bus. Depending on the prognostication I might then walk to the next stop a bit farther along the road. But a couple of weeks ago my app stopped working; I click on it, it pops up and instantly disappears. Granddaughter Number Two, who works for the Bee Network, tells me they have updated the app and it only works on more recent iPhones than mine. She promised me that the network was looking into it, but two weeks down the line it’s still not working. It’s amazing how quickly you can grow used to using a bit of technology in your everyday life. Now I have had to readjust once more: back to guesswork as regards buses whose printed timetable is really a work of fantasy, a rough approximation of when buses should run!
Anyway, it was quite pleasant strolling along to the next stop. By the time I got off the bus in Uppermill it was already warming up. I bought fish and fruit as usual. The fish-man told me that he did not expect to stay beyond 12.00 midday as it would be too hot for an open stall of fish, even with ice beneath the fish and fans working overtime above them. Fair enough!
Before 10.00 I was home, making coffee.
I read that in Paris they are taking the heatwave very seriously. Yesterday 54 of France’s 96 mainland departments were in vigilance rouge – and the national meteorological service Météo France had confirmed France was experiencing the hottest day since records began in 1947. Parks in Paris will remain open 24 hours so that people can benefit from cool air in the parks in the evening. Presumably they are locked up usually to prevent rough sleepers moving in or young people up to various nefarious activities! The mayor has said that the swimming-permitted section of the River Seine (Paris by the Sea) will open earlier than usual, so that Parisians can cool off in the water.
The Green presidential hopeful, Marine Tondelier, is calling for a five-day heatwave sabbatical to help people cope with extreme heat. All well and good but people still need to be fed, food needs to be bought, someone needs to work in the kitchen. And presumably bars and restaurants will remain open. A five-day sabbatical sounds very good but would need some organising.
Here in the UK people are advised not to travel and in some places schools have been closed. Years ago a German friend told us about something called Hitzefrei:
“When the weather outside gets super hot, German schools and workplaces can declare hitzefrei, which literally translates to “heat free”, and send children and employees home to take the rest of the day off to escape the heat. Sounds dreamy, right? It’s a concept that dates all the way back to a ministerial decree issued in Prussia in 1892, according to FAZ. “
So that’s official!
Neither Phil nor I can remember a single occasion when our schools closed because of hot weather … nor for “snow days” either for that matter. I remember certain teachers who could be badgered into moving the lesson outdoors onto the playing fields. But that, of course, was when schools still had playing fields. My Spanish tea her in particular was a soft touch and could be persuaded to be like Miss Jean Brodie with her girls around her discussing Lorca’s dramatic work!
Reporting on our changing political scene continues in the newspapers. Here’s a link to an article in which Owen Jones pulls Mr Starmer apart.
And since we have had rather a lot of prime ministers over the last 10 years, here’s a link to an article about the best fictional TV prime ministers.
Out in the wider world war and killing still continue. Here’s a link to an article about a UN inquiry into the Gaza genocide. We mustn’t forget that children are still dying. What a way to demoralise a people!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.
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