Idle jottings: I have learnt a lot about the Wagner affair over the last couple of days. Talk of dark deeds in the Kremlin, Putin about to lose his power and Russian generals who were 'in on the plot'. The story will take its course.
Then there is the poverty that is being experienced in the rich Western countries, America, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and of course little old Britain. Food banks have grown exponentially and are beginning to feel the pinch themselves. One head of a food bank in London, shut it down and in its place introduced experts to help with the poverty that lies at the bottom of all this.
How do we address this breakdown in our society. When I was born the country was coming out of war, mobilisation of citizens to help the war effort either by growing food or working in the factories meant that people worked together.
Then along came the 60s: Freedom those young people thought as they bounced away on their beds with the security of the birth pill, the horror of back street abortions flushed away. Also it was a time for getting rich and this is where the rot settled in. Or maybe it was Margaret Thatcher, who created the 'greedy society' that wants all but pays little back into the common good. Note the scandalous behaviour of the water companies who have neglected our rivers and mending of pipes and given the money in over inflated salaries to CEOs and of course investors.
We have arrived in the 'now' of this history. House prices are bitterly expensive, some people love this thought sitting on half million pound house, their retirement secured in property and a decent pension. This is what everyone wants - security. But for our young people it is a far distant dream, as they get stung by avaricious landlords and families see the right to own a family home fading further into the distance.
I expect this bleakness has been seen through the centuries, fairness is not a given, some people survive others don't. But some of us hate 'the survival of the fittest' expression used.
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Gentler news: The camping party are back, having found Wales beautiful, but haven't I always said that? The fox was apparently a regular raider and the camp site owner had said do not have food in the tent keep it in the fridge (poor fox). Rented cars and deflated tyres. Pay for the tyre yourself said the garage man. Renters charge £200 pounds, garage £70.
Interestingly in my Resurgence magazine was an article on the wild orchids that we have in Britain. 51 to be precise, though I only counted 48 in Marjorie Blamey's book on wild plants and have only found about 3 myself. Ben Jacobs a lecturer has made it his mission in life to save all the orchids of Britain. Well at least save their seed in little glass phials. To uproot one of these plants is of course illegal in Britain so he does it at night. As a country, no matter how many beautiful photos John of Stargoose and Hanglands and Simon of Careering through Nature put on their blogs, our native flora is on the wane and is paltry compared to Europe and other countries.
Autumn Lady's Tresses - Spiranthes Spiralis. Its name gives its form away spiralling upward. "Flowers white fragrant 6-7 cms long, in a single spiral along the flowering axis." Looking it up it reminded me of the Bath Asparagus and the Twayblade, also an orchid, which Jennie mentioned a couple of days ago.
At least some of the recent breakdown in society I think can be laid at the door of mass immigration. Historic levels of a few 10's of thousands allowed for integration, we've seen this with Windrush, East African Asians etc, however the sheer numbers over the past couple of decades have made integration impossible, leading to in some places ghettos and loss of any sense of community.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, where I used to live in Sussex we had bee orchids in the farm driveway verges.
Immigration is a thorny subject Will, take it out of the problem and you are still left with the expensive houses for the next generation and some rampant landlords. Here in this part of the world because of the Asian culture we see a somewhat different side to what you describe. Many people have acclimatised to our ways the Asian culture will always feed everyone in times of drama like floods and bad weather.
DeleteI love the bee orchid by the way though there is something scary about plants that can mimic live creatures.
DeleteQuite right. All nature in the UK is waning, except in a few well-protected places. I would guess that the increase in the number of orchids is just a matter of taxonomy; I know that the Fragrant Orchid has been split into three species - Common (or Chalk) Fragrant Orchid, Heath Fragrant Orchid and Marsh Fragrant Orchid. I imagine that a divided society has always been a problem, otherwise whoever wrote the Bible wouldn't have been imploring us to "love thy neighbour".
ReplyDeleteThe Autumn Tresses orchid has a sister in Summer Tresses as well. They are all so unlike the exotic orchid you buy in the supermarket. I notice you have plenty of reserves in the part of the world you live in, but overall farming practice has spelt the extinction of many species. Actually though we may not love our neighbour we do help though mostly.
DeleteLots to think about here today Thelma. We had just one orchid on the farm - at first after I married David there was a [place where about a dozen common orchids grew - but sheep grazed the spot heavily and by the time he died only one remained.
ReplyDeleteIt is always sad to lose a special patch of wild flowers Pat. I was gutted when they laid an artificial path to the West Kennet Long barrow, destroying all the little field pansies along the way.
DeleteI read this after I read your comment over at my place. I always knew I was preaching to the converted...
ReplyDeleteI have never understood why we can't put some people in prison. Even if they are supposed to represent 'the good and the great'. But I really think this time, money should be extracted from them so that some of the damage done can be ameliorated.
ReplyDeleteYou summarise a great many things no longer working in the country. We are not all pulling in the same direction. I thought the slogan "We want people to be able to keep more of their own money" reveals a lot. No one replied "Yes, but not until they have paid their way first". Vote for us to increase the value of your house.
ReplyDeleteThere is always a full stop for most of things. Growth of course is one thing Tasker that needs addressing. Greed which it underlines, but is not necessarily mainstream in most of the the human race, is a motivation that will only end in grief.
DeleteI think those of us who have lived a goodly number of years are flummoxed by the crumbling and decline around us--where ever we live. Most of us have such a tiny sphere of influence: family, a few close friends. I can share my concerns, but mostly end up concentrating on the things that still interest me and bring joy: plants, animals, seasons, books. They provide a hedge around the unchangeable.
ReplyDeleteThat in the end Sharon is all we can do but also I think we should 'speak truth' as we find it. I find it extraordinary in America that people can go out and build their own houses. You and Jim have done it as well as Debby and her husband. But sadly the crisis that America is going through is being echoed in many countries.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen a couple of species of orchids in the wild. I know a few places where I can find Common Spotted Orchids at this time of year and they seem to be increasing in number in our local cemetery, which is lovely to see.
ReplyDeleteI think most wild plants are happy on undisturbed land.
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