Several initiatives running locally to help people through this tough winter.

Having been in touch with the local Council re building resilience in the community, it turns out that someone I know is on the Partnership working in this area and she has forwarded information to help local people including Hertshelp. The local Churches are offering warm spaces on a regular basis and the council is signposting where to get this information from.

The snow in Hertfordshire was so thick on Sunday night that between train strikes and the snow I thought I would not get to Wales, but I am here and despite the central heating being on, and wearing 5 layers, I am still cold. It is - 6 degrees. Cold but very beautiful. Off to the ballet tomorrow, professional dancers and community member contributers, including my brother.

Choir nights and jazz nights have also been very warming.

Managed to have a nice Green Party Walk the weekend before coming away and a lovely tree dressing and Christmas Party with Harmony Gardens and another nice Christmas Party with the WTBL.

Get Up, Sit Down, Sit Down for your Rights.

6 buses 3 appointments 2 hospitals and a partridge in a pear tree. I left Ealing on my second bus of the day at 10 to get to my hospital appointment in Finchley at 11:40 which given the predicted 42 minute journey should have been easy. Bad news 11:50 I finally arrived at Finchley. Good news the hospital had cancelled whilst I was en route. But appointments s 2 and 3 in Barnet were dependent on that 1st appointment. I regrouped in a cafe planning to call Barnet hospital but efficiently they rang me and offered to fit me in at Barnet prior to my other two appointments. Yippee. Leapt on bus number 3 only for the driver to refuse my bus pass. Determined I went and sat down and I thought he had given in when he resumed the journey. However next stop the inspector he had called to sort me out got on. Some negotiations later I was allowed to resume my journey having explained that my bus pass never works in London and I had discussed it with both London transport and the issuer but no one had resolved the matter. Luckily I just about got to Barnet in time had my new 1st appointment then my 2nd and then went up for my third. This was the only appointment that I hadn't had a reminder for or a letter about as it had been organised over the phone but I presented myself confidently only to be told the appointment was in Enfield! Had I known this earlier I could have got there, but I have no record at all that the appointment was for a third hospital!. Three buses later luckily all unchallenged I got home! Strange day and I will have to over this all over again at some point both for my 3rd appointment and the two follow ups hopefully after that I will be liberated but having several hospitals in a group practice all a couple of hours away is always going to be a bit of an issue. Get Up Stand Up the musical, which I saw over the weekend, was a lovely introduction to Bob Marley's life and the reinterpretation of his music really brought out the significance of the words, but whilst what was going on on stage was very entertaining, I was also amused and puzzled by the presence of so many ushers up in the Gods, very actively policing at times, missing the person climbing over seats though to get to the loo and missing the camera work taking place a floor down in the upper circle.

Good weather, good food, good company and very few gripes.

Just over a week in Croatia. Time to sit, time to enjoy the sun, share food, wa>tch movies, work a litte. Time to revisit Split and Trogir and then time to go again, but this time up north to Zagreb, which is a lovely city, but finding a couple of nasty bity things in the room in the hostel, not so good. (1) But even more reason to go out, enjoy the mix of old buildings many with a art nouveau feel to them, but also a bit of grime as they are covered in grafitti and losing their decoration. At times I was reminded of Prague, other times other memories sparked up by a turn in the road, or patch of grass so whilst Zagreb is its own unique self something about it also brought up happy thoughts of other travels. My first day there the weather was lovely so I was happy to potter, the second day, rain was forecast and arrived as scheduled so I headed off to the Tesla musuem, which I can recommend, especially to engineers or people who like machines. I know I will return to Zagreb, so I mostly sat in the sun and pottered when I could, and look forward to discovering more of it on another visit. I then travelled overland to Germany. Breakfast before I left, coffee in Slovenia, afternoon tea in Austria and after being stopped by the side of the road by the German authorities checking all our passports, a light supper in Munich in my hotel room. Interestingly both hotels in Germany the single room was just that a single room. Crazy prices, but no worse than the UK, and it was a good place, just out of the centre. With one day only in Munich the sensible thing to do was to leave the programme in the hands of one my long standing students Monika, who introduced me to the fabulous breakfasts at the Glockenspiel Cafe, (gripe number two be aware the waiter might think your change is the tip, so have a more expensive breakfast and give the waiter the correct money and any tip you want to give not the 4 euro 50 I unintentionally gave. Note to MoD, I know let it go :)) We also visited the fabulous market nearby where German comedians feature. By this time Monika was laughing at my attemtps to take pictures, so the shot here was by her. And we just pottered really. It turned out that Munich, which is really nice and interesting, was hosting the NFL event that weekend, so it was heaving with people, so I was glad to have a local with me to propel us through the grounds and manage a cup of tea when flagging. Prices in the centre for tea are high but head out to Harras and you can get a great Vietnamese meal for a very reasonable 9 euro whilst catching up with a friend from England who was also going on the Englishausen programme for 6 days just outside Munich.

I was very worried prior to heading out to Germany that I would have the energy either to travel or do the volunteer English programme, but having a week to relax first, then time in Zagreb to feel the pleasure of change and then to have a really well run programme with really interesting people made for a really good time in Germany. My camera is shot, so my pictures are terrible and I wanted to focus on the people, but four came from America, one from South Africa along with two other English people and the Germans were as per usual absolutely lovely. The food amazing - first time I have tasted boar. I can recommend it, but also lovely veggie options were available too.

I completed the week by flying back from Memmingen which is a small airport, and perhaps not quite up to the numbers of people using it, but the town is defintely worth seeing. So, whilst one can get to the airport by Munich by coach, I suggest a night at the joe sepps hotel and time to absorb the lovely buildings showing the diverse and sometimes dark religous background of the town. It used to have a synagogue, but no more and is a place where the Catholic domination was challenged by the Lutherans. It also has a few storks and what greater joy is there than to see these great big birds fly and land. Just be aware if you are using the machine in the station to buy your bus ticket, you can put 20 euros in but will only get change for a 10 euro note, but other than that it is great!

Building resilience.

All during the pandemic I heard talk of resilience groups, but did not know what they were or where to find them. I wrote several times to the council for more information and have just been sent a link for the Hertfordshire Resilience Group. At last. I will be interested to learn more.

Farewell to Joy.

Family and friends arriving at Mortlake for the funeral of Joy. 

When someone is over 90 years old the news of their death may not seem surprising, but in fact all of us in the family were both saddened and shocked by her sudden death as we all thought she would be around for many more years.     People came from Croatia and Singapore and family were watching in Australia too.  It was an honour to stand with my brothers and niece to be part of the eulogy.  The relationship with the woman who suddenly married my Dad was always going to be complex, as a child it was bewildering and painful, as an adult too, and yet it was never spoken of but as a person I always enjoyed Joy's company and never more so after the death of my father as she helped keep his memory alive.  Joy was a very good academic in her own right, a very knowledgeable woman.  (see 

Connexions: His and Hers - An Examination of Masculinity and Femininity)

  I am very grateful for all she has done to keep the blended families together.    She will be missed by all of us.  

A joyful meal. 

Times are changing in Wormley.  Years ago when Nathan started school, he was one of only two black boys and then the other child left. Nathan was the subject of bullying and there was no value placed on his culture at all.    Luckily he formed friendships with friends from Turkish and Bangladeshi families who lived locally.  Now a very large proportion of his old senior school are from West Indian or African families as well as Turkish and British.  He would not feel so alone here now.    This was reflected in the community meal held at the local community centre and echoed up at the local museum by an exhibition on West Indian food and at this time of economic crisis it was also just a good value jolly.   get together. 

  
   
 

In Battalions.

Friday we had the Tories mini financial that was not mini, but which was a budget. A budget for the rich, the very rich, the super rich, but left people like me with scarcely a cent more in my pocket. I do to pay National Insurance, in fact I would have been happy to as in the end it is people like me who are heating towards are dotage that would have benefitted from this benefit, but I do not pay National Insurance, but it does mean my company has made a small saving, which they will not pass onto me as this year our pay has been frozen.   Meanwhile the value of my pension has gone down another £200 and it has already lost over £1000 in value since the energy crisis.    And yet the Kwasi Karteng claims we will all be better off.  It is great that the Tories have such a diverse group of leaders, but if only any of them had common sense or decent values and felt it was more important to look after those on limited means rather than those on top.  Things just get darker and darker here. But abroad the pictureis darker still. The Italians have just voted in another right winger and the climate crisis has impacted several nations recently - Canada, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, now the Phillipines and yet Rees Mogg wants to ignore professional advice and climate science and pump more CO2 into the atmosphere.  

I have personally had potentially some good news, but whether the world will survive long enough for me to benefit, who knows. I write this very limited blog just in case history wants the trivia of the ordinary person, but maybe none of us will be left this time next week as Putin and Biden are in getting the very very very big guns out.  Thousands are trying to leave Russia, now they are being forced to stay, will that help topple Putin or just make things worse.   Dark times indeed.   

It is the start of the Big Green Week, and we have a special event at the garden, so let's hope that at least will be cheerful.  

A good deal.

 Had such a brilliant trip away,  learned a lot more about Henry 8th castles in Deal and absolutely loved Sandwich with is quaint buildings and fascinating medieval history.     Top off with a very brief trip to Canterbury.  

Unhinged

 My friend and I walked up towards the Royal Albert Hall, sharing school day memories, when we heard mournful music and was told the prom had been cancelled following the announcement of the death of the Queen.   Despite this we continued up to the Royal Albert Hall along with the large majority of the rest of the audience as we told that the National Anthem would be performed by the Orchestra who were due to appear.  A minutes almost silence, - several phones interrupted the proceeding - followed by Nimrod.  Neither of us are particularly monarchists, but we wandered about the Hall, not knowing what had happened or what to do with ourselves, but this kind gesture by the staff at the Royal Albert Hall allowed us to process the information. 

It has been one of the most extraordinary weeks in politics, presumably a day with Boris and Truss, our new PM, was enough to finish her off.   I am worried Truss might finish the whole country off, but today is just time for mourning, what ever one's politics. 

It has been such a lovely summer and I have had such a lovely time up north. I have seen animals and bike rides and runners, and Shakespeare family and friends up north but today the rain has just poured down,  the end of summer and the end of an era or error as I once wrote in my history book. 

Fun and disasters.

On a personal note have been enjoying making the most of "Have bus pass will travel" and the lovely sunshire, so visited Capel Manor where a friend was exhibiting her pictures and then went to see the gardens and for the first time got beyond the Abbey to see the High Street in Waltham Abbey where the National Photographic Exhibition had taken up residence.   

Also managed to travel home much of the way by bus from Kentish Town where I had lunch with a friend and also caught up with another friend in town and went to see South Pacific, which was terrific.    And The Broxbourne Green Party joined in with the Harlow Green Party quiz night and our team won! So that was a bit of fun. 

On a much more worrying note, I looked up from teaching the other day only to see a huge plume of big black smoke.  I tried alerting next door and my tenant so that they could phone the fire brigade as it looked so serious, but neither responded.   Luckily, or so it seemed by the end of the lesson it had died down, but that therefore means that actually it only took about 40 minutes for a house to be destroyed and its neighbours fire damaged.     

About an hour of rain only 4 days later were enough to flood my street.  So we have gone from blazing sunshine and burned out houses to flooding.  Climate change is well and truly happening locally. I think I need to increase my insurance if nothing else.  

Brum is glum

 Readers of these pages - all one of them - will know I get very upset when things do not go right.  I think systems will and should work and then I go into a pout when they do not and then I beg the organisations concerned to do the right thing and they consistently and repeatedly do the wrong thing. 

I have had many holidays with Booking.com like most of their customers I am at Genius Three level to thank me for the custom I have sent in their direction. I cannot claim, with the small amount I usually pay, to have lined the pockets of all those involved, too much, but the company is doing something "right" as in theory its CEO G Fogel earned $54 million in 2021. despite many of us being unable to travel    On the whole I have been satisfied with their services.  There was that time in France, when our booking did not exist,  but luckily my then  87 year old step-father had efficiently brought all the evidence required and the hotel backed down and accommodated us, so we never had to push booking. com to resolve the issue.  And there was that time in India, where I was staying in a place, that was a fire hazard.  Booking.com operatives handled that so badly it made the rest of my stay in the place very unpleasant.  But given that all of the dealings are dealt with automatically online and I have been to loads of places with them, on the whole, one could say things have been okay with them.  

But it is when the shit hits the fan, that you can judge a business, do they help you or do they complicate things so much they hope you will go away?  Do they promise you good service, apologise when it fails to arrive and then make sure that everything they do is up to the mark, or do they aggravate an already difficult situation?   Based on these two comments,  Booking.com is failing to deliver.  in fact it has added to the stress and distress of a balls up holiday.  

 My health, my phone and booking.com have conspired to give me either really the worse holiday
experience ever, but one that has been very cheap, or they have conspired to give me a horrid holiday and charged me a fortune in the process.    At the moment it is the latter, as all attempts to get some money they promised me has failed to appear.  

It is a shame as the holiday started so nicely.  I had a brilliant day at Cambridge Folk Festival catching up with music and friends. I successfully navigated my way back into town at the end and had a really enjoyable stay at Christ's Cambridge. I felt it was worth pushing the boat out to experience staying there.  It was a pleasure,  and cost £50, plus £12 for breakfast.  I state the amounts as they will offer a contrast for later.    

Christ's vegetable garden in the courtyard. 

On the train I did not rest as much as I could or should have,  I also failed to find anywhere to plug in my phone.    By the time I had got lost on my way to my accommodation, I was desperate to have a sleep.    I could already feel my health and stamina slipping away, and I just knew I needed to lay down.  So imagine my despair, when I was informed by the pub I was staying in, that my accommodation had been cancelled. 

Originally,  I had booked to stay in Birmingham back in October 21 and was delighted to see the prices hadn't been hiked, so then fixed my weekend around that.  Because of my M.E I had built in rest times and travel times, and I felt I could handle the mix of Cambridge for the Festival, Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games and Worcester for a catch up with my friend.  But by the time I hit Birmingham I was already shattered and having to manage a situation where the accommodation had been cancelled, my phone was out of power and the staff at the bar,  without a bed, did not know how to access the internet was very difficult  With my dying power,  I was surprised when the man at Booking.com said that if I paid to stay for three nights at a sports bar for the price of £324,  I could get the balance back afterwards from Booking.com. I was amazed, we had a whole conversation about gosh, Booking.com takes the hit, and so although I was uncomfortable, both with the idea of another sports bar and that price, as I would never spend that money,  at the time that seemed the only choice, so I asked him to hold the bed for me, whilst I tried to find a place to power up my phone and get the internet, and double check the place or decide whether to just go back home.   So I headed back into Birmingham, where in theory I could get power and the internet at the station, but I just could not get anything to work, I just felt more and more ill and could not decide what to do.  So in the end I felt I had no choice but to navigate my way through Birmingham and up to the pub as that was the only thing that had been fixed.  People en route were very kind, so about 10 I found myself wondering down a desolate road, past wasteland, an industrial estate and then into a Peaky Blinders pub on the corner, where I was greeted by a very friendly woman who told me that Booking.com had not been in touch and that they did not have any bed for me. 

To make a long story short, they eventually moved people around and I was put into a room with three beds, a TV that did not work and where the toilet seemed likely to fall of the wall imminently.

The toilet that felt like it might fall off the wall any minute. 

  I was shattered but sleep eluded me, as the late night drinkers outside chatted and smoked the night away, outside my window and up above heaven knows what was happening as it sounded like people moving furniture and drumming and bouncing about.   As I said the next day, if I had known there were having a party I would have joined them.  Eventually I did sleep but I was awake again before 6 as the refuse van seemed to be round. I decided to get up in time for the 7 start to the marathon.  Wending my way round Brum, only getting lost a couple of times, I eventually found the starting point at 7.17, so I had missed the start, but a chance word from one of the officials revealed I had missed the start of the wheelchair race but the men's was starting at 9 and the women's at 9.30.    I headed back to the market open around the corner and got myself a cup of tea and enjoyed the build up to the race. I stood next to David Weir as he manoeuvred his punctured wheelchair round the course,  I chatted to photographers, and even spotted Hugh Jones, the marathon runner and embarrassed myself by talking to him, because years before his wife and sometimes he would come to the community centre I used to run.  He did not remember of course, but I had recognised him some 25 years later.  I stupidly asked if he was still interested in sport as he was there, only to be told he was the course measurer!    Anyhow for about an hour it was fine and it was fun, but as soon as the men had started exhaustion hit me and I toddled back to the pub, and again tried to sleep, but kept getting woken up by what turned out to be the scrapyard next door.  When I feel ill I just do not know what to do with myself and I usually toss and turn sleep and listen to the radio and just potter, so that is what I did as best as possible within this b and b. 

By late afternoon, I felt okay enough to at least try and go to get a coffee and some food or go the art gallery, but the art gallery was shut and I did not feel well enough for a restaurant so just came back to the b and b and fell into a deep sleep, until awoken by the rain outside my window, and then by the rain dripping onto the other bed in the room.  It was 5 am when I contacted Booking.com to let them know.  Only for them to reply we are sorry to hear you feel it is raining in your room, I was not feeling, it was raining IN my room..  Luckily nothing fazes the staff at this B and B,  they are used to rain coming in - only when it is heavy - and moved me to their prize suite, with a built in motion sensor, that came on every time I moved in the bed, but which turned off when I needed it on, whilst in the shower or on the toilet. It was like Fawlty Towers meets Peaky Blinders.    And all of that would have been fine, it they had charged the normal say £40 a night rent and we had had a nice laugh.  And all of that would have been fine, if I had not felt so ill, but of course I had to spend another morning sleeping so did not get to do the things I had hoped to in Birmingham, but I did at least get to the Badminton and onto Worcester the next day. 

Collecting rain water in the bin so that it was quiet enough for me to sleep and to protect the facilities. 

  I have survived is how it felt, but now Booking. com are saying the paper work I have sent them is not correct so they will not consider refunding me the money. At this point I am still hoping that this can be resolved but it is not looking good.  That room cost me half a month's salary. In the long run, it is only money, only 29 hours work, but it is more than that it is the lost trust in a system that had been working well.  I never want to go to Birmingham again. These games were supposed to show the world an exciting place, well, it showed the world poverty, broken bottles and dirt but jolly people.  The people in the end are probably the most important,  and if it had not been for them I do not think I would have coped, but it is unnecessary for pubs to be that broken down,  or that greedy.   It could and should have been a fun weekend but between the cancellee and booking.com and my phone, it was not.  In the long run that might save me money as I might stop going on holiday, so sod my Genius 3 status.  

In the reviews I notice that the staff at the B and B have promised to deal with the things raised immediately, but they were still an issue by the time I came - so lovely though the staff are there is an attitude of we takes your money and the piss.  The pub that first cancelled is also charging three times more for people to stay there.  I would have preferred to stay in another town and popped into Birmingham to see an event, had I had the full information to hand.  And my insurers will not cough up either for the difference in the two bookings so what is the point in having All Clear Insurance if they too will not help in an emergency.   

What is wrong with these people. Sunak and Truss more criminal overtures to asylum seekers. Not in my name.

 

Recceing off the Essex coasts for safe means to bring people who have the right to apply for asylum into the country.  A country I am already ashamed of because of their illegal inhuman approach to asylum seekers. 

A fox came into the garden

 

A fox came into the garden a fox crept into the garden a fox slunk into the garden And drank the water down. 

We gathered up the rain drops, we gathered up the dew drops and put this in a bowl for you to drink the water down. 

Oh Bradley we'll glad share in Harmony with you and drink the water down.  

Water is the stuff of life, water is the stuff of life, water is the stuff of life and we'll drink the water down.   

It is so hot, that the foxes, which up to now in the Harmony Garden,  have been discreet,  came and sunned themselves but they were so hot that we realised they needed a drink.  W named the main fox Bradley.  

 Truly ghastly racism in the news on the BBC,  it is not a nice listen, but needs raising so please try and find the item about young children being exploited in Malawi. 

Boris is about to go 

I have reported an ad on facebook now several times and the same spam/scam ad keeps on a coming. 

And I am caught up with the NHS medical system.  I am waiting for a phone call, which is now late,  but not sure what it is about and this afternoon, have variously been told I have an appointment at 2.50 and also at 3 pm.    Unfortunately when I check my NHS website - the code I have been given is not recognised,  and there is no phone number on my referral letter so I cannot ring them. Three buses are needed to get me there, so hope it will pan out as my M.E, kicked in earlier this week, making doing anything difficult.   I can see why people avoid going to the Drs sometimes.  But if I have an ultrasound this afternoon that could either give me very good news or something I really do not want to hear. 

Roeing back on rights/wowing the crowds

 The usual highs and lows of life,  

In America millions of women have lost the right to a safe abortion.    Although the number of babies being aborted has gone down from over a million in the 90s, clearly the number of deaths is heart breaking.  Each of those deaths are a situation that for what ever reason could not be.  With real support, decent working conditions, housing perhaps many of those babies would have been saved but for the woman facing a desperate situation,  the access to a safe abortion was a vital solution and now that right has been taken away.    The republican justifying the decision,  literally said we are going back to the Constitution - written 300 odd years ago -  which and these are my words allows you to have a gun so you can kill that child when it reaches school age, but as a woman you have no rights as to whether that pregnancy proceeds or not.  Better support for all pregant women is what we should all be fighting for but the debate like so many things at present is so toxic, it is hard to have a reflective conversation on the topic.  

In the UK meanwhile the Conservatives are bidding to break the law again - all part of their oven ready Brexit deal, which has left us all with burned fingers.  

So thank goodness for the joy that is Glastonbury.    Having grown up with The Beatles, but in the guise of hearing my brother's choice, I had no idea that this music that has just always been there, would be so brilliant to listen to in the context of an 80 year old giving it some in a field in Somerset, but whilst the start seemed a bit hesitant - an elderly man pacing himself perhaps or just a musician who knows his craft,  it was a delight to hear such familiar songs suddenly bursting into life again and by the end when Dave Grohl and Springsteen joined in, it was just a brilliant, rock guitar fest.   Lovely stuff.  I still do not think I could cope with the crowds there, but really enjoyed having the weekend of non stop music party  back on TV/  

Cheering the soul.

Harmony Gardens Wyld Edges Picture. 

Litter pick followed by BGP walk. 

 

State sponsored trafficking and others examples of this Government breaking the law.

 The behaviour of the British Government is increasingly distressing.  They are behaving not unlike fascist regimes, when people have traipsed miles from say Afghanistan to England because they  worked for the English, but cannot get a visa to come here because we are so incompetent at sorting out visas,  they could finally get here only to be imprisoned on arrival and then sent to Rwanda.  

Monday came and the hope of many opponents of this law, was that the Law would step in but to my dismay for once the Law did not stand for the righteous.  It took the European Courts to stop this illegal act, and now rather than taking note and re thinking their behaviour the Government wants to get rid of the lawmakers. 

This Government has shown itself capable of breaking the law, lying about it and then breaking another law, now having signed the Brexit agreement, which was never oven ready,  they now want to unilaterally break the agreement.  How any Tory M.P justifies their actions is beyond me?  They grow closer and closer to the morals of Hitler and Stalin, whilst pretending to uphold moral values. This kind of double think is a British speciality but never in my lifetime did I think it would or could be this bad. 

Most of us just wish we had somewhere safe to live.  The UK has for a long time been hostile to people who have come here, mostly to the benefit of the country, but now that hostility has boiled over and the people in charge of some of these legal changes were from immigrant or refugee families. Rather than showing understanding and compassion based on the experience of their family, it is almost like they have to be more firm in their rejection of others, than the British.  This is one of the manifestations of history of racism and abuse   I do not know how the Tories will be stopped from terrorising refugees.  Labour are not better, they pandered and did not challenge anti immigrant sentiment enough or reform refugee policy.  So the Government is spending a fortune on rounding up people and imprisoning them. 

Meanwhile  apparently 32 billion pounds worth of soft fruit was ploughed up last year in the UK  because there were not enough people to pick the food.   People are going hungry in the UK because of the cost of living and draconian benefit system, people are going hungry in some parts of the world, often a result of climate change that Western countries have mostly caused, and food is ploughed up because we, who sent Europeans packing because they are "taking our jobs"  have no one to pick it. The Government has belated recruited a few thousand people from Nepal to fill in the gaps, but it is not enough, but if that Nepalese had entered the UK asking for refuge, he (and the policy here seems to be sexist) could have been sent to Rwanda.  The world is quite mad, it always has been, but it is getting worse by the minute.   It is very hard to hack it in such a world, but we older folk who are still standing are the lucky ones, so we have to work to try and make a better world, hand in hand, with those suffering these inequities.   We pray, we sign petitions, we try and rouse spirits,  and change hearts and minds - meanwhile the climate emergency rattles on untended.  More praying,  despite not really believing,  just praying things could be better. 

Brecon beacon -

 Brecon is famous for its mountains or beacons, but the beacon is question is a Platinum Jubilee one.  When I booked to come up to Wales, it was before all the parties back in Hertfordshire had been arranged, I did not realise it was the Jubilee Weekend at all, I was just coming to go to Hay - an event curtailed two years ago when it was cancelled because of the pandemic.      So me and H headed off to a sunny Hay, which I thoroughly enjoyed, whilst my brother's choir sang in the Jubilee celebrations.  

David Olusoga

I am not a particular fan of Jimmy Page, but having recently picked up a guitar, and having failed to set the world alight with it, I was happy to listen to his account of starting to play and how he developed Led Zeppelin. I was very impressed by how cogent he is.  At 67 I would be useless if someone tried interviewing me as I can never remember anyone's name, but JP, despite time with glandular fever and some drug use, neither of which got mentioned during the interview, recalled things as if it were yesterday.    Perhaps promoting a book has refreshed it all. Not a guitar in sight or any images from aforementioned book, which mostly consists of pictures, but definitely worth listening to. 

And then onto the main event of the day.  David Olusoga, who was very good.  I did not quibble with anything he said as he built the evidence for his argument that whilst almost everything he has covered historically has been uncontentious and evidenced based, only when he mentions the negatives of slavery and colonialism does he get targeted for his views.  So murder, child abuse, appalling work conditions are all fine to raise, but evidencing how many British people earned money through slavery that apparently is a no no.    He argued in favour of all of us knowing much more about our histories and about how often a statue is put up not to celebrate someone's great deeds, he cited Clive for example, but many years after their previously tarnished reputation has been forgotten and at a time it suits the attitudes of those putting up the state.    DO has the sexiest voice on TV so I was entirely shallow about seeing him, except that I find the histories he has presented on TV very good,  in person he is sexier still, and a very good historian and speaker. It was great to get my brain working listening to him.  

And then it was back to the lighting of the beacon.  The Queen impersonator was entertaining the fairly large crowd by the time we arrived, then things were hushed, but we could not hear what was said as we were some distance away with the dog and then a tiny flame that we could only just see yards away, burst up, and we went home.  So that was it the Platinum Jubilee.  Hertfordshire there was a party that night and again on Sunday so in some ways a little sad to have missed them but in other ways mightily relieved.  

The Queen in some ways is fascinating,  and the sketch with Paddington a delight.  I have known no other monarch so I do in some ways admire her, I do not feel the need to wave a flag to that effect for four days, in fact is there anything weirder than seeing Prince Charles waving a flag in a desultory fashion at a concert he seems to not be enjoying? Princess Anne seemed to be having much more fun throughout though everyone myself included got drawn in by the Pageant, must have been incredibly hard work and fun for those involved. Indeed very memorable but not very moving.    Rather bizarrely my nephew noticed Nazi iconography on one of the pageant floats, he has also informed me about the moves in Buck House to limit the ways black members of staff were employed and all this seems in very direct contrast to the wonderfully eclectic and diverse contributions to the pageant, which celebrated multi-cultural Britain.  

A simple ceremony down in the peace garden, with prayers and the Last Post,  ukuleles and choir, was more moving yesterday. 40 years since the Falklands War,  at the time it seemed a bit irreverent, but for those still living with it, it is haunting and so it was an honour to be at this little ceremony at a charity bike ride to remember the dead and injured.    The dogs ears twitched like mad, when the Last Post sounded, but she only barked at one bike, so despite the organisation being a bit off, it was a nice way to end the week in Wales. 

Adventures in Antwerp and a bit of a damp ending.

 Arriving in Antwerp's splendid train station and initially as per usual setting off in the wrong direction I encountered two things associated with Antwerp - diamond shops, one after another, and a charming Hasidic family enjoying the Friday evening sun.    Following the kids, I found myself heading in the right direction, but when I looked at the map and saw where to I was to pass by the zoo,  I thought don't be preposterous there can't be a zoo, next to the train station,  except of course there was, it was where the children were heading.   It has a charming, what looks like 30s entrance, and whilst you cannot get into the actual zoo without paying,  you can see a few very orange looking flamingos from a distance.     Antwerp I decided there and then was a delight.  Given that the next thing I saw was a welcome to Chinatown arch,  that only reconfirmed my view.  The hostel was not far away and met all my positive expectations, very clean, well equipped and to my relief also dealt with my concern that I might be the oldest thing in it.     I probably still was by a mile, but at least I was not the only person there above 25.   

The walk into Antwerp is through the modern town, bustling with shoppers anxious for a last minute purchase before the shops shut at a surprisingly early 7 pm.  But then you get into the old streets and the diners enjoying the evening.  I wondered through and down to the river and back very happily.  Even stopping outside the Irish pub to listen to some good music, only to be distracted by some young Belgians on a treasure hunt and needing a foreigner and an old person to be photographed with.  I gained them two points.  Back in the hostel I was greeted by three glasses of champagne, but no sign of the people who had consumed them. I reasoned that they would probably not get back to the very early hours so made the most of the dorm and rested well.  They tiptoed in about 4.  I tiptoed out about 9 the next morning and by the time I returned later in the day the mysterious group I had shared the room with had already left. 

I am not a particular fan of Rubens, but having now visited his rather lovely house, at least I have a better sense of the man. Although his house is full of interiors reminiscent of a Vermeer painting,  the overarching motif seems to be his love of Italy,  this is especially apparent out in the garden, but even inside he has an Italianate collection, which befits his artistic style.    He seems to have been a very correct man, yet on the side was spying for some of his patrons.    When he lived in the house a canal ran by it and Antwerp was fabulously rich, but then it fell into decline and the river route was drained and became a road with a wonderful and unexpected market beyond. Wherever I went in Belgium people were out relaxing, it was very nice. Of course the weather helped - at times - but in the market, people were consuming champers or something bubbly and seafood and everything was of a very nice quality.   Despite the sun, it had been nippier than Brussels - river side - so I felt obliged to buy some warmer clothing in Primart, which turned out to be useful as it was so warm when I left Antwerp that I sadly left behind my lovely turquoise scarf.  In its place I got a rather ugly ring of mosquito bites, so big I wondered if I had Monkey Pox.  So the downside of wandering down to the river at dusk.    That aside, Antwerp turned out to be a good distraction before returning to Brussels and a stay in a nice hotel:  Made in Louise. 

Back in 2018 I attended a short course at Schumacher college and one of the participants told us about his family hotel where they were trying to incorporate green and community thinking. Staying there cost much more than the usual hotel but I promised myself a visit there one day.  So on Sunday night after a great visit to the Horta museum and the joy of the street market in the area, I found myself in a nice comfortable bedroom just luxuriating in watching the BBC whilst in Brussels.  Next morning I indulged in another shower to enjoy the nice bathroom  but forgot to use the slip mat provided.  I am still recovering from the bruising and still have a light graze and my glasses are not quite right still.  Having flipped out of the bath, I had the really lovely breakfast despite feeling very sorry for myself, and then with the hotels permission went back to bed for a bit, then sat cossetting myself with a coffee and croissant till about two before finally feeling I could face Brussels again.   Outside the torrential rain had returned and after a visit to the EU exhibition I returned to my rather sad hotel near the train station for the night it really felt like time to come home.  I hope to return to Brussels and the nice luxury of the hotel when I can,  it is really wonderful to step into a train and be back home almost before one has left - because of the time difference  and there are lots of other places near to Brussels it would be good to visit but next time I will definitely remember to use the slip mat.   P.S on train on the way home sat next to a musician, who will be performing at Cambridge Folk Festival but sadly not on the day I will be there. 

Hunting buildings in Brussels.

I started my holiday thinking I was about to blown to bits, as a whole range of bags, minus owners sat next to me in the sun just outside Kings Cross.  Mindful of security I wandered back into St. Pancras to report it only to be told that they did not deal with Kings Cross or have any means of contacting security in Kings Cross.   How, reassuring to know, that in a crisis the security guards are on top of things!  I was genuinely pleased to get away despite a short delay and for no ghastly news stories from the UK cut across the screens in Brussels.  

 

Despite an hour's delay waiting for permission to enter the tunnel,  it still seemed a miracle to get on a train in the UK, that I come out shortly afterwards in another country.    I am still beating myself up about why I have not travelled like this more before.  Anyway, Brussels was at its sunny best and as I was in town earlier than expected, I not only got to enjoy a lovely vegetarian shawarma, I also managed to spend two hours getting lost on the way back to the hotel so saw most of what I had come to see at least provisionally. 

Several things had come together to initiate this visit.  One I wanted a break and realised I could get a cheap ticket somewhere,  two where I hoped to go to did not come through, three that gave me the chance to think about revisiting somewhere I had not been to in a long time,  four I have been meaning to go to Brussels ever since a friend moved there and ever since meeting someone with a rather lovely hotel there and five,  when I visited 40 years ago I failed to see the Palais Stoclet.  So number one on my agenda the next morning was to head out to Montgomery area where I was greeted by this wonderful sight. 

After that everything was literally downhill, I found another Art Nouveau gem, stopped for coffee in a park near the European Parliament building,  sheltered there during a downpour, continued past the Royal Palais and was able to get an earlier train than expected to Antwerp and part two of the holiday.