Ricki Sunak says the results last week were 'visually disappointing'. A slight understatement but come on Conservatives gather your forces and enter the battle with noble hearts! The thing about the British mercurial voter is they play around with their vote. But I am just happy for the fact that the mayors are Labour here in the North and that devolution has begun. Taken from this link.
I hope before the Grim Reaper takes me, to see more Independents running for office and government taken more seriously, less in-fighting and hopefully a stop put on the Stock Market selling our assets and utilities as a way of making a profit for the few. For letting those same utilities fall short of good working conditions is a disgrace. Like the fly-tippers, water companies have now used our rivers to dump sewage.
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Listening to Olivia Laing's book this weekend and doing some research work on her. She lives in a small village in Suffolk, with her husband Ian Patterson, who is a poet. They have bought the most idyllic house called Magnolia House, 18c with a garden, which is not particularly big but has 'rooms'. It was designed by a previous owner, Mark Rumary, a garden designer. There is a 'paradise garden' which has a quatrefoil pool and a library garden. When first bought, not so long ago, the garden was neglected but Laing worked tirelessly on it and it can now be seen on those special garden days (9th June) when gardens are open. The link is here. A gorgeous photo of a rose covered front to the house, but who gets up there and deadheads I wonder ;)
I have finished Horatio Claire's book Heavy Light. A good description of a book that covers madness. I think the author has done a very perceptive account of his illness. But the last few chapters, exploring the medication of mental illness is very striking.
A beautiful House and Garden but I wouldn't like to live there as it's right on the busy A12 and never quiet. Although I'll make a note of the date and see what I've got happening.
ReplyDeleteI failed on reading Heavy Light, I've loved his other books but couldn't cope with this one.
I think I am going to get two other of his books Sue, it was heavy reading the one mentioned, it took me an awful time to get through it.
DeleteHeavy Light was a heavy but worthwhile read. I was most struck by his assertion that mental health problems amongst our young people are almost always caused by contaminated soft drug use, frightening. I have Olivia Laing’s book reserved at the library and will look forward to reading it. We are indefatigable National Garden Scheme visitors and luckily there are plenty of gardens in Sussex to satisfy our curiosity. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteI also have her River Stour book, so I shall go back and read it Sarah. Thinking about it, this part of Yorkshire will probably not have many gardens to visit because of steep valleys and the moors on top.
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden. My reading these days is not along those lines. I need something lighter to distract me from Keith's illness. The Greatest Knight, about William Marshal is just the ticket.
ReplyDeleteI have never been into the medieval period Jannie, I think the Pre-Raphaelites put me off. It is a tough time for you at the moment and you definitely need distractions.
DeleteI am sick of "Party Politics" Thelma, don't know about you. When I was a child in Lincolnshire's 'Kesteven' District we had an Independent MP for years. His name, I remember, was Denis Kendall and he was almost a god-like figure because he fought our battles for us. He was always available and showed his face regularly around the villages. Rishi himself is my MP now - enough said!
ReplyDeleteParty politics is no longer for the ordinary person today Pat, what we have on offer is a battleground for two opposing parties.
DeleteNot really two opposing parties though, on the big tickets (Net Zero, trans, woke etc) they are clones and don't offer meaningful differences. Where are the genuine small-state Conservatives, the rewarders of personal aspirations?
DeleteI suppose they are still in the councils Will working for the community, it just seems that 'big' government plays a totally different game.
DeleteThere seems to be a difference between criminals who dump rubbish on the land and water companies who dump sewage at sea, effectively embezzle billions in public money and extort yet more money from the public by making them pay for repairs to the infrastructure which they have already been payed for in full themselves. I think the only difference is the scale of the crime.
ReplyDeleteOf course we do not put 'the great and good' and rich into prison Tom, it would never do;). It is a crime to be a burglar, but when there is money floating around in the system - like flies to honey it will attract the unscrupulous.
DeleteI suppose it isn't a surprise about Labour's sound victory in Yorkshire. 'Visually disappointing', is a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteNo Andrew it was expected. I rather like the term visually disappointing, I think it says it looks worse on paper
Deleteor perhaps even in the ballot box. But a lot of conservatives would-be's were found not to be wearing there blue badge of conservatism, tut-tut.
Sunak himself is "visually disappointing" like his two predecessors - one of whom was nothing more than a fat, straw-haired scarecrow with his shirt hanging out. Regarding mayors, I do not like them. They represent a layer of unnecessary expenditure and political power that should be wielded entirely by underfunded elected councils. We also do not need Police and Crime Commissioners with their hefty salaries, offices and travel expenses.
ReplyDeleteSo you don't like layers of authority? Police Commissioners are good in TV programmes;). The trouble with 'jobs for the boys' (luckily the girls are creeping up) is if there are no jobs to aspire to where will we be?
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