Old Farm Park COVID Memorial
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
Because there is an abundance of parks in the UK, they can sometimes be taken for granted. They’re often seen as local resources that you use and you don’t really think about beyond the fact that it is there. However, as these green spaces are frequently in prime locations in urban areas they are often targetted by property developers. In 2019 Bexley Council decided to resolve its financial issues by selling off one of its parks. It was a controversial decision and it was strongly reisted by residents of the borough. Even the local MP at the time, thought it unwise policy. Despite concerns, the council decision was final and Old Farm Park was selected to be sold. Fortunately, due to an access road running behind some of the houses that back onto the park, only half of the land was bought by property developers. Hence in early 2020 Old Farm Park was partitioned and building began on sixty homes in the eastern half.
Up until 2020, Old Farm Park was effectively just a field with trees around the edges Some areas were specifically left unmaintained to accommodate “rewilding”. When the park was partitioned it was decided to landscape the remaining area and build a path to circumnavigate it. Exercise areas and a children’s playground were also added. Areas of rewilding were kept and a pond was built with decking looking out over it. No doubt this redevelopment of the park was undertaken to increase the desirability and marketability of the new housing estate. Residents opinions on this makeover were mixed. The quality of some of the work was questionable and as a result, the paths have been repaired several times already. The pond was not correctly constructed and as such, has never maintained a body of water for more than a few day. Yet despite these short comings, Old Farm Park is a pleasant and safe environment.
The pandemic and the accompanying lockdown was certainly made more manageable by numerous parks in this borough. The provided a degree of freedom from the confines of our own homes and a means to meet family and friends in a safe fashion. Therefore I was both surprised and pleased to see that a decision was made by the council to redevelop the failed pond in Old Farm Park and repurpose it into a rock garden and COVID memorial. The work was carried out towards the end of February and the memorial was officially opened on Sunday 8th March. During 2020-21 over 720 people died COVID-19 in Bexley Borough. My father passed away in hospital in September 2020, although not from COVID. However, due to the lockdown, I only visited him once. Hence this is a matter close to my heart and I am pleased that there is now a place of remembrance locally. It is important that the pandemic is not quickly forgotten, so this is a welcome addition to Old Farm Park, which is itself an invaluable community asset.
NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit
Being a 58 year old man, I welcome any undertaking which can potentially improve my health. One such thing is proactive screening and testing. The UK National Health Service has started doing a lot more of this in recent years, mainly because diagnosing a problem and treating it early is far more efficient and cost effective than retroactive action. Hence this policy and my age is why I was recently sent a NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit via the post. This screening service takes place every two years for people aged 50 to 74 in the UK. The kit is very quick and simple to use. A sample of your stool is sent via a prepaid return envelope for testing and the entire process is free of charge. Upon receipt, the laboratory test determines whether there is any blood present in your stool, which is a potential indicator of bowel cancer. If detected, an early diagnosis greatly improves any subsequent treatment outcomes.
Being a 58 year old man, I welcome any undertaking which can potentially improve my health. One such thing is proactive screening and testing. The UK National Health Service has started doing a lot more of this in recent years, mainly because diagnosing a problem and treating it early is far more efficient and cost effective than retroactive action. Hence this policy and my age is why I was recently sent a NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit via the post. This screening service takes place every two years for people aged 50 to 74 in the UK. The kit is very quick and simple to use. A sample of your stool is sent via a prepaid return envelope for testing and the entire process is free of charge. Upon receipt, the laboratory test determines whether there is any blood present in your stool, which is a potential indicator of bowel cancer. If detected, an early diagnosis greatly improves any subsequent treatment outcomes.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year. However, bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis saves lives. More than 16,800 people die from bowel cancer in the UK every year. But the number of people dying of bowel cancer has been falling since the 1970s. This is due to earlier diagnosis, better treatment options and the start of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Hence my willingness to take part in this screening.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit consists of a sample bottle which has an integral stick built into the lid. You collect a small amount of your stool on the stick and securely seal it in the bottle. A diagram shows you exactly how much you need to collect. The sample bottle is then placed in a robust return envelope and posted back to your local screening centre. The results are sent back to participants usually within two weeks. Most people return negative test results and are invited to be screened again in two years time. If blood is detected in the stool sample, this does not necessarily indicate cancer. However, further tests are usually carried out, such as a colonoscopy to investigate the cause of its presence. Overall, the NHS Bowel Cancer Test Kit is a discreet and efficient means of testing for bowel cancer. It proactively save lives which is a good thing. Hence if you live in the UK and are eligible for such a test, don’t pass up on the opportunity
A Lifetime of Learning
I like learning things. I always have. During my middle school years I thought I was a mediocre student and often I wouldn’t apply myself. According to an old school report this was because I was “too busy indulging in Tomfoolery”. Then I had the positive experience of meeting an exceptional teacher. Their lessons were the highlight of the week as they had an ability to make the subject matter, Classical History, utterly compelling and relevant. The teacher in question also treated us like adults and the class benefitted from only having five pupils. This really brought home to me that a lot of disinterest and underachievement in education is linked to the paucity of some teachers. One bad teacher can undermine the good work that all the others can do. Perhaps it has improved nowadays?
I like learning things. I always have. During my middle school years I thought I was a mediocre student and often I wouldn’t apply myself. According to an old school report this was because I was “too busy indulging in Tomfoolery”. Then I had the positive experience of meeting an exceptional teacher. Their lessons were the highlight of the week as they had an ability to make the subject matter, Classical History, utterly compelling and relevant. The teacher in question also treated us like adults and the class benefitted from only having five pupils. This really brought home to me that a lot of disinterest and underachievement in education is linked to the paucity of some teachers. One bad teacher can undermine the good work that all the others can do. Perhaps it has improved nowadays?
Since leaving school, over forty years ago, I have adopted the philosophy that you are presented with opportunities to learn continuously throughout life and it is incumbent upon you to make a conscious choice whether you choose to do so or not. For me, there is no shame in not knowing something. We all have gaps in our knowledge by default. Hence there is nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know” and asking for an explanation. In fact I think it should be encouraged more. However, I consider wilful ignorance to be an egregious act of self sabotage. Especially in an age where information is so freely available. I also eschew the cultural pushback of recent years against “knowledge” and “expertise” and the resentment that accompanies it. Ignorance and indifference are exalted and seen as a badge of honour.
So what do I like to know, learn about and understand? Pretty much anything. Naturally I have specific subjects and fields that hold more interest to me than others but overall I admire skills and those who have taken the time to acquire expertise in a discipline. Be it a plumber, a telecoms engineer or a heart surgeon. Furthermore, all people know things. Skills, hacks and information that they have acquired during the course of their lives. Knowledge can come from some interesting quarters sometimes. All of which raises a question that I’m frequently asked. “Why do you want to know”? Because I find a lot of things interesting. There is also a value in knowledge. It helps with practical problem solving, it makes you more employable and it offers a degree of protection from the iniquities of life. Knowledge is power, to a degree.
I read a lot. Books, magazines and online content. If I find myself waiting at a bus stop or travelling, I will fill that time by reading. If I’m listening to a podcast or perusing a website and a phrase or subject comes up that I’m not familiar with, then I’ll look it up. As well as learning in the traditional sense, I like to keep up with popular culture. Which artists are currently in vogue, what TV shows are being talked about and what are the latest internet memes. I find my granddaughters are an invaluable window into this world. Being generation alpha, they are immersed in internet culture. I have learned from them that a lot of what gains traction online has no real meaning. It is often about the fun of someone creating something and participating in it as it spreads. It’s often more about belonging rather than “we do this because [insert reason here]”. I find that a fascinating concept.
Something that comes apparent with age is that learning takes longer. Especially with complex subjects. I listen to a lot of non-fiction audiobooks because the slower pace of narrated content allows me time to absorb information. I can also rewind and listen again to difficult concepts. Philosophical subjects are becoming a struggle of late as I find some too abstract. Similarly I find a lot of theoretical physics very hard to conceptualise. I find that these subjects often take me to the limits of my understanding. I am aware that Carl Sagan argued that all ideas and concepts should be able to be explained to the wider public but I think that some subjects that exist primarily as abstractions are too hard to simplify and convey as a simple metaphor. Fortunately, I am not alone in struggling with certain fields of knowledge.
I also have an intellectual blind spot when it comes to subjects and concepts that are driven by feelings and other subjective, less tangible factors. Religion, faith and spirituality are immediate examples. I understand the principles but as I’ve never had that personal connection or anything remotely close to what can be described as a religious experience, I find these matters to be nebulous and mainly “thought experiments”. I feel similarly ambivalent towards politics that are founded on feelings rather than specific ideology or policy. I’ll even go so far as to admit to being a little sceptical about professional formal criticism, especially of the arts. Yes there is logical scope to critique such things as technique and presentation. However, aesthetics and how something makes you feel is highly subjective. Are such things knowledge?
Finally, let us address one of the biggest problems that blights our current political and social discourse. Something that learning, knowledge and intellectual rigour has difficulty addressing. The conflation of opinion with fact and personal perspective being seen as universal. There was a time when quashing a factually incorrect or spurious narrative with factually correct information would definitively draw a line under it. Sadly due to cultural change and the internet, we now find ourselves in a position where lies, factual inaccuracies and abject stupidity simply won’t back down. Criticism is seen as a personal attack. Facts and data are oppression and elitism. The reality is that you can’t reason someone out of a position that they haven’t reasoned themselves into. In such times, learning is something that should be embraced, not just out of curiosity but necessity. As Sam Kinison wisely stated “stupid never sleeps”.
The Paranormal
I’ve had an interest in the paranormal since I was a child. My mother always got books out of the library about ghosts and UFO phenomenon, so in some respects I was influenced by her reading habits. As a child such tales were by default interesting and any potentially scary element naturally made them more enjoyable. However, my father being an academic had taught me to question everything, so I felt fairly evenly equipped when exploring these subjects. Further to this point, over the years I have learned that humans have a very unique perspective on the world. We are hard wired to see patterns, regardless of whether they’re there or not. Our senses can also be fooled and often are. Perhaps the most important aspect of our nature that impacts upon any analysis we make into the paranormal is our penchant for creating stories. Hence unusual experiences can be subconsciously misremembered and “retconned” to form more precise narratives.
I’ve had an interest in the paranormal since I was a child. My mother always got books out of the library about ghosts and UFO phenomenon, so in some respects I was influenced by her reading habits. As a child such tales were by default interesting and any potentially scary element naturally made them more enjoyable. However, my father being an academic had taught me to question everything, so I felt fairly evenly equipped when exploring these subjects. Further to this point, over the years I have learned that humans have a very unique perspective on the world. We are hard wired to see patterns, regardless of whether they’re there or not. Our senses can also be fooled and often are. Perhaps the most important aspect of our nature that impacts upon any analysis we make into the paranormal is our penchant for creating stories. Hence unusual experiences can be subconsciously misremembered and “retconned” to form more precise narratives.
My interest in the paranormal is mainly to do with people who have such experiences, rather than the specifics of the experience themselves, which are frequently generic. A lot of people who experience events that they cannot explain are sceptical of such things to begin with and profoundly affected by them afterwards. Humans like the illusion of certainty and can be severely traumatised when something shakes their existing world view. Hence, when listening to tales of the paranormal, I do not immediately distrust what I am told, in so far that I believe that the subjects of such things genuinely feel their experiences are real. More often than not, admitting publicly that you’ve had a paranormal experience is positively detrimental to your life, so fabricating a story is a potential risk. Yes there are individuals who will lie for profit or some other underlying psychological need but I do not assume this to be the case in all instances.
Ghost Hunters US TV Show
However, the field of paranormal study is fraught with problems. Much of the discourse surrounding the subject is hyperbolic and intentionally designed to be sensational. Books, TV shows and online discourse about the supernatural is intended to grab your attention and first and foremost, driven by the need for ratings and clicks. The paranormal also intersects regularly with religion which is contentious and highly subjective. Sadly at the fringes of the paranormal there are conspiracy theories, “woo” science and those with mental health issues which muddies the waters. The field also attracts a lot of charlatans. Furthermore, the paranormal has had such an influence upon the zeitgeist, that often the existing pop culture tropes born of film, TV and literature impact upon our understanding of the subject and prejudice our opinions. Which is why there was a marked increase in reported UFO siting after the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1978.
Now that I’ve stated my interest in the paranormal, I guess the most obvious question to ask is do I believe in ghosts. However, before we can even discuss a subject such as “ghosts”, we require a commonly agreed and recognised definition. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be one and so any in-depth discussion can potentially fall at the first hurdle. Which leads me to my wider thoughts on the paranormal. Although I find it a fascinating subject, I feel that it is not really being researched in an appropriate manner. Possibly because research funding is mainly allocated to things that have a commercial application. Hence, those who are active in the field of research are not necessarily the best fit, academically or ethically. Consider Harry Price, Uri Geller and Derek Acorah. Let us also reflect upon the plethora of questionable supernatural TV shows with boisterous Americans incorrectly using scientific equipment and bellowing at alleged ghosts.
Alleged Spiritual Medium Derek Acorah
I was asked once, because I lean towards scepticism why do I find the paranormal so compelling. To which I replied “because of the human element”. I also went on to add, that it is possible that what is broadly labelled as the paranormal is actually something else that has been incorrectly observed and documented. It is not unreasonable to consider that as human knowledge advances, we may eventually be able to validate these things but within a scientific framework, establishing them as part of the universe. What I don’t care for is the deliberate setting of alleged paranormal activity into some separate and distinct category. It smacks of trying to appropriate something, take ownership of it and keep it free of any scrutiny. Something that exists but only on the terms that you dictate. That is a little too similar to the culture of conspiracy theories for my liking.
As you can see, I don’t see the paranormal is simple terms. I think there is a lot to unpack and it is a subject that has numerous layers to it. These can be scientific, spiritual, psychological, sociological and cultural. Due to the sprawling nature and complexity of many of these elements it makes it exceedingly hard to determine the facts of a case and process them. Which is why I often choose not to. I am a fan of the Uncanny podcast with Danny Robins and am going to see the live version of the show at the Churchill Theatre in March. For me the biggest appeal of Uncanny are the stories and the people telling them. I don’t expect a definitive answer to be given at the end of each episode and often all I can do in response to such stories is recognise that I cannot explain them. Once again, I would like to see a third option added to standard binary stance on the paranormal. I think that “there is insufficient data to draw any definitive conclusion” is a perfectly valid position and should be encouraged more.
Where I Live
I have lived in Sidcup, in South East London, for most of my life. The first two schools that I went to were local and within 15 minutes walking distance. My Doctor’s Surgery and Dentist are only a few streets away, as is the barbershop that I’ve frequented since 1970. I now have my haircut by the son of the original barber. My point being that Sidcup has everything that residents immediately need. There’s a local hospital, good public transport networks and a broad range of shopping and restaurant facilities. It also has several parks with lakes, sport facilities and children’s play areas. It is a microcosm of the concept of suburbia with its residents commuting into Central London or out into Kent for work. People move here to raise families and end up staying. My parents lived here for 62 years.
I have lived in Sidcup, in South East London, for most of my life. The first two schools that I went to were local and within 15 minutes walking distance. My Doctor’s Surgery and Dentist are only a few streets away, as is the barbershop that I’ve frequented since 1970. I now have my haircut by the son of the original barber. My point being that Sidcup has everything that residents immediately need. There’s a local hospital, good public transport networks and a broad range of shopping and restaurant facilities. It also has several parks with lakes, sport facilities and children’s play areas. It is a microcosm of the concept of suburbia with its residents commuting into Central London or out into Kent for work. People move here to raise families and end up staying. My parents lived here for 62 years.
Because Sidcup is a relatively affluent area, it enjoys the associated benefits. It has a low crime rate and is considered safe by its residents. The schools are well rated and an important factor in people moving here. Healthcare provision, especially in light of an ageing population, is good. Public services such as policing, local government and sanitation are broadly well run. Council tax (IE local taxation) is not excessively high by national standards and competently managed. Politically Sidcup is right leaning, as is the Borough that it is part of. The local MP is a member of the Conservative party. No surprises there. Politics is often linked to the socioeconomic nature of an area. Setting aside the political landscape of the area, Sidcup is considered a desirable area to live. I make no bones about the fact that I like living here and think myself fortunate to do so.
Sidcup originated as a tiny hamlet on the road from Maidstone to London. The name is thought to be derived from Cetecopp meaning “seat-shaped or flat-topped hill”. The name first appears in records around 1254. According to the antiquarian Edward Hasted, “Thomas de Sedcopp was owner of this estate in the 35th year of king Henry VI. (circa 1450s). Today Sidcup has a population of 15,500 and has become part of the wider urban sprawl of Greater London. However, it hasn’t lost its character. Many of the public buildings date back to the 18th century. My local pub, Ye Olde Black Horse, has been at its present location in one form or another since 1692. Moving on to more recent times, there are several blocks of flats in the area that were built in the 1920s in an Art Deco style. Sidcup can also claim to have some notable residents. Musicians John Paul Jones and Kate Bush both were born and raised locally. The author Neville Shute also resided here for many years.
Although I am broadly content to live here, Sidcup does suffer from a growing issue that impacts upon all parts of London. During the course of my lifetime things have become increasingly more busy. The population has grown steadily, yet the resources and facilities to accommodate such change have not kept pace. Many homes in the area have replaced their front gardens with drives for off street parking, as most households now own at least two vehicles. Road repair is poor, with the local Council struggling to deal with potholes and maintain trees and grass verges. Street lighting is another issue, with the illuminations being notably dimmer due to cost. These are minor things but they’re all symptomatic of London’s journey to becoming a megacity. As a result the streets are continuously busy late into the night and there is little respite from the ambient noise.
With this in mind, I am once again thinking about whether it is time to move out of the capital and relocate to somewhere more sedate. Noise and nuisance are things that distress me, however I have to temper such feelings against the benefits of living somewhere like Sidcup, which I enjoy. Can a comparable location be found elsewhere? Plus the fact that my immediate family lives here is also a major factor in any decision. So moving is not something we would do rashly. Yet the New Year seems to be a time when this subject rears its head, so I will ponder such things over the next few weeks. It remains to be seen if anything tangible will come of such musings. There is often a marked difference between where you would like to live and where they can afford to so. Also there is that old adage to consider, “better the devil you know”.
Fighting the Cost of Living
Our household is currently trying to reduce our monthly overheads in response to the ever increasing cost of living. April is not that far away and a great many service providers will increase their rates and tariff as the new financial year begins. Then there is the ongoing effects, both direct and indirect, of inflation to consider. Although the UK inflation rate is dropping, currently sitting at 3.4% in December 2025, food inflation remains higher at 4.5%. Being based in the UK, salaries and billed services tend to be administered monthly. You get paid usually at the end of the months and bills can turn up at any point, depending upon when you started a service. Any payments coming from central government, such as state pension or other benefits, are paid every 4 weeks. This means that there are 13 payments in a year. I thought it pertinent to clarify this point as other countries, such as the USA, favour a fortnightly financial cycle. Hence as a household we work around a monthly budget.
Our household is currently trying to reduce our monthly overheads in response to the ever increasing cost of living. April is not that far away and a great many service providers will increase their rates and tariff as the new financial year begins. Then there is the ongoing effects, both direct and indirect, of inflation to consider. Although the UK inflation rate is dropping, currently sitting at 3.4% in December 2025, food inflation remains higher at 4.5%. Being based in the UK, salaries and billed services tend to be administered monthly. You get paid usually at the end of the months and bills can turn up at any point, depending upon when you started a service. Any payments coming from central government, such as state pension or other benefits, are paid every 4 weeks. This means that there are 13 payments in a year. I thought it pertinent to clarify this point as other countries, such as the USA, favour a fortnightly financial cycle. Hence as a household we work around a monthly budget.
Broadly speaking, our monthly outgoings breakdown as follows. I would assume that this is fairly universal. Council tax which funds the local authority and the services they provide. Then there are utilities such as gas, electric, water, mobile phone and internet. Most people have travel expenditure or the cost of running a car. Then there are groceries. Perhaps the biggest monthly expenditure for most people these days is paying for housing. Be it a mortgage or rent. Some of these things have very little scope to be reduced as customers have very little agency in the markets that govern them. Hence mortgages, rent and local taxation tend to increase steadily and can only be addressed by an increase in income or by moving. Travel, car and utility costs do have scope to be reduced. There are alternative vendors and a culture of changing service providers and securing the best deal. However, that only works if the vendors operate in your area.
At the end of last summer, we signed up to a fixed cost tariff from our energy provider. This is the second year that we have done this and it has proven financially prudent. It was unusually hot in the UK throughout June, July and August in 2025, hence we used a lot more power than usual trying to keep the temperature in the house equitable. The tariff meant that we weren’t hit by excessive costs for our three months of increased power usage. Other providers increased their base costs to capitalise on the heatwave. We have also given thought to having solar panels installed on the roof. We’re fortunately based in a warmer part of the UK and there are several schemes available at present that have favourable terms. However, our heating systems is still gas based and therefore wouldn’t benefit from such an undertaking. We could replace the heating system but that is sizeable capital investment. However, there are grants to help make such transitions.
Perhaps the areas with the greatest scope for financial savings are from services such as internet provisions, mobile phone tariffs and streaming platforms. We’re shortly moving to a new ISP and maintaining an identical service for half of our current cost. Both Mrs P and I have moved to SIM only phone contracts, electing to get off the expensive, yet pointless upgrade treadmill. We have also cancelled or replaced some streaming services. I am also trying to eliminate the costs associated with certain software services like Office 365. All of these sorts of saving can initially appear quite small and possibly inconsequential. However, once you add them to a spreadsheet and see the accumulative savings, they prove their worth. Exactly the same can be said with regard to supermarket loyalty cards and their respective members discounts. We no longer shop exclusively at just one supermarket but will go to specific stores to get deals on frequently used products.
There is one other area of potential financial savings that can be addressed but is often neglected due to customer apathy and fear that it may all go wrong. That is changing bank accounts, credit cards or moving your savings. It never ceases to amaze me how some folk will chase a deal online or in the actual stores but are quite content to let their wages stagnate in a current account with little or no benefits, or who miss out on higher interest rates by not moving their savings around. Legacy banks are no longer the best default options and there are now plenty of new online only institutions that are trying to increase their market share. The incentives on offer are not just purely money based. Many banks offer “freebies” such as subscriptions to services such as Netflix and Spotify. Plus transferring an outstanding credit card balance to a new providers can still yield substantial benefit. I guess people treat their banking differently from other services, when it really isn’t.
However, I don’t advocate turning cost savings into an all consuming ideology. For example, I will from time to time buy “reduced” label items in the supermarket but I have no intention of living exclusively that way. Some brands have a cost that simply doesn’t fluctuate and don’t have an immediate lower cost equivalent. For example, I won’t eat cheap biscuits from pound stores just to save a few pennies. I’d rather have some good quality indulgences from certain stores, than a larger quantity of inferior products, from a discount outlets. Like many things in life, looking for a deal needs to be tempered with common sense. Another essential tip is to visit websites that collate information on the best deals available, such as Uswitch in the UK. Or to follow people like Martin Lewis on social media, who have made consumer advice their career. Making savings to your monthly expenditure is no longer an optional extra but an imperative. Good luck in your pursuit of a good deal.
Instruction Manuals
I try not to let the failings of contemporary capitalism get to me but such a mindset is very hard to maintain. From time to time it does just piss you off and you know damn well that there’s nothing you can do about it. So to begin this tale, at the end of November, our Indesit washer/dryer gave up the ghost after a valiant twelve year lifespan. As a result of this household appliance’s stirling work, it was decided to buy another from the same manufacturer. Their website informed me that the model that had just broken was no longer being produced. However, it recommended two newer appliances that had comparable specifications and more importantly the same size. This washer/dryer had to fit into a fitted kitchen unit. To cut a long story short, a model was chosen, purchased, delivered within 48 hours and installed. The broken predecessor was subsequently taken away. The wonders of modern consumer culture!
I try not to let the failings of contemporary capitalism get to me but such a mindset is very hard to maintain. From time to time it does just piss you off and you know damn well that there’s nothing you can do about it. So to begin this tale, at the end of November, our Indesit washer/dryer gave up the ghost after a valiant twelve year lifespan. As a result of this household appliance’s stirling work, it was decided to buy another from the same manufacturer. Their website informed me that the model that had just broken was no longer being produced. However, it recommended two newer appliances that had comparable specifications and more importantly the same size. This washer/dryer had to fit into a fitted kitchen unit. To cut a long story short, a model was chosen, purchased, delivered within 48 hours and installed. The broken predecessor was subsequently taken away. The wonders of modern consumer culture!
The aforementioned process all sounds very good, doesn’t it? Broadly speaking it is. All that there was left to do was to come to grips with the operation of the new washer/dryer. However, there was one small thing that proved to be a major impediment to this process. We didn’t get a physical manual with the appliance. It would appear that getting any printed instructions with white goods nowadays is a thing of the past. To put this succinctly, that is a fucking nuisance. A manual is immediate, by which I mean it is close to hand and can be quickly perused. It is also wholly independent of any other requirement. You just need hands and the ability to read and think, to use it. Sadly, the time, effort and cost it takes to produce a printed manual has been deemed far too excessive and the ruination of the bottom line according to big corporations. So they have been dispensed with.
If you find yourself sans manual for the device you’ve just purchased, fear not. You can always go to the manufacturers website and download a PDF version. All you require is a phone or PC with internet access along with some PDF reading software. You also need to know what the fuck you’re doing. Because all the aforementioned steps come with an assumption of knowledge, experience and a willingness to use technology. Something that a substantial number of customers may not wish to do, or be able to do. Now in my case, I sought out an appropriate PDF version of the instruction manual which I then printed out. Mrs P who is the primary user of the household washer/dryer for “reasons”, doesn’t warm to technology based solutions. Hence presenting here with a printed (and stapled) manual was a step forward in addressing this problem.
Most modern washer/dryers come with a wealth of bespoke washing cycles for all sorts of situations and scenarios. Have you spilt sancerre on your cravat? Do you need to get blood out of your chinos after dismembering a corpse? Are you having to do an emergency wash of whatever your grandson was wearing to get god knows what off his clothes? That sort of thing. However, most households tend to use two or so washes at most, for their daily requirements. The thing is this becomes quite difficult to determine, if the PDF instructions are poorly written/translated and also have graphics missing from the PDF. Graphics that represent the appropriate buttons on the sodding washer/dryer. Oh how we laughed (we fucking didn’t). We managed to guess some functionality but ended up having to watch a YouTube video by a helpful engineer. He had a regional accent.
Let it suffice to say that after an online search, it would seem that a lot of other people who bought the same make and model of washer/dryer, were equally pissed off by the lack of a manual and the utterly shit quality of the PDF instructions. One person was attempting to rewrite and share them online but had been told to “cease and desist” by the manufacturers. The mind boggles. Having online resources is fine in principle, as there are always people who are happy to use their phones. However, online resources should not be the only means of providing instructions for a product. Not everyone uses their phone in such a fashion. Not everyone is familiar with PDF files. Not everyone wants to search for the answers via YouTube. But untrammelled capitalism is self-serving and cuntish by nature. Unless legally compelled to do something it seldom does so by default. Hence my and others desire for printed manuals is ultimately irrelevant. “Grr”. Shakes fist at clouds etc.
Digital Jukeboxes
I was in a pub last night, catching up with friends before Christmas, when I noticed on the wall something I haven’t seen in a pub for a very long time. A jukebox. In my experiences most of the pubs I go to take one of the following two approaches to background music. They either have a sound system and exclusively manage any music via personally curated playlists from behind the bar. Or they have no music at all. The Wetherspoons chain of pubs broadly follow the latter policy and actively use it as a marketing point. Quiet pubs for clientele that just want to talk can be popular. Hence finding an accessible jukebox was a blast from the past. During the late eighties and early nineties, I regularly visited my local pub and often used the jukebox there, which at the time, was operated by an ever changing store of CDs. The jukebox I encountered last night was digital.
I was in a pub last night, catching up with friends before Christmas, when I noticed on the wall something I haven’t seen in a pub for a very long time. A jukebox. In my experiences most of the pubs I go to take one of the following two approaches to background music. They either have a sound system and exclusively manage any music via personally curated playlists from behind the bar. Or they have no music at all. The Wetherspoons chain of pubs broadly follow the latter policy and actively use it as a marketing point. Quiet pubs for clientele that just want to talk can be popular. Hence finding an accessible jukebox was a blast from the past. During the late eighties and early nineties, I regularly visited my local pub and often used the jukebox there, which at the time, was operated by an ever changing store of CDs. The jukebox I encountered last night was digital.
Naturally I was curious about this device so I went and investigated. The first thing I noticed on the LED screen was that the jukebox had an app associated with it, from which I could select and pay for songs if I wanted. I was surprised to see that this jukebox still had the option to pay by coin. I have subsequently learned that some have contactless card readers as another means of paying. I also noted that it cost £1 to play one song. Being a digital device, the jukebox offered thousands of songs from multiple artists and I was quite surprised at the range of material that was available. Searching via the touchscreen was easy. You can also see the current song queue, so you know when your choice will be played. Overall the device was intuitive to use. As for the cost, a pound is not going to break the bank and simply comes out of the change after buying a round of drinks.
Because I was quite intrigued as to how such an old school institution as jukeboxes still exists in today’s world, I did a little further research today and was quite surprised by the results. Digital jukebox suppliers offer a profit sharing business model where venues get a free machine with no upfront cost. Sharing the revenue with the supplier, typically on a 50/50 split, with the venue keeping half of the earnings after music charges are deducted. This allows pubs, bars, and clubs to offer modern music without investment, generate extra income and improve customer experience (allegedly, depending upon your stance on music in pubs). The suppliers handle installation, maintenance and music updates. I couldn’t find any data on what percentage of revenues reaches the artists but I suspect it is comparable to services such as Spotify.
There are times when I go to the pub and I want some peace and quiet so I can concentrate on conversation with my friends. There are other times when I am happy to have some background music and to be able to choose something to listen to myself. It’s nice to be able to sing along with a familiar song that catches the mood. It can also be fun to put on a “crowd pleaser” and watch others get into it. I’m not averse to playing something that is annoying from time to time, just for the hell of it. Hence, I was pleased to see that jukeboxes have survived the various cultural changes of the current century and still exist in pubs and clubs. The modern iterations may not be as stylish and iconic as their fifties and sixties predecessors but they still serve the same basic purpose. I think there is comfort to be had in having access to music in pubs that isn’t exclusively controlled by the landlord.
The Passage of Time
Today is my 58th birthday. It would appear that I have existed for nearly six decades. Put another way, I am over half a century old. All of which has given me pause for thought with regard to the passage of time. A phrase that is often bandied about, but what exactly does it mean? As I understand it, the “passage of time” refers to our perception of the flow of time and how we experience its movement. This is something distinct and different from objective time as measured by clocks. Our subjective experience of time can vary due to multiple factors. Two common examples are how time can feel like it's flying by when we're having fun and enjoying something or dragging its feet when you’re enduring something dull. Other factors are whether we are applying ourselves to a task, concentrating and general activity. Such focus can make time pass quickly.
Today is my 58th birthday. It would appear that I have existed for nearly six decades. Put another way, I am over half a century old. All of which has given me pause for thought with regard to the passage of time. A phrase that is often bandied about, but what exactly does it mean? As I understand it, the “passage of time” refers to our perception of the flow of time and how we experience its movement. This is something distinct and different from objective time as measured by clocks. Our subjective experience of time can vary due to multiple factors. Two common examples are how time can feel like it's flying by when we're having fun and enjoying something or dragging its feet when you’re enduring something dull. Other factors are whether we are applying ourselves to a task, concentrating and general activity. Such focus can make time pass quickly.
Perhaps the most important consideration regarding the passage of time is our age. Current research suggests that as we age, our perception of time passing can change. Older adults often feel like time is accelerating and the passage of days, weeks and months is quick. Some argue it is because we become aware of the wealth of years that are behind us and the finite amount of time ahead of us. Conversely, young children feel that the passage of time is slow. School days drag and the Summer holidays seem infinite This time the theory is reversed. Children have only experienced a short passage of time,over their lives. They still have a substantial amount of years ahead of them and that impacts on their perception. I suspect these ideas to be true, as I certainly feel that time goes faster for me. Even though I am now retired, my week has a schedule and regular events. All of which seem to fly past.
As for my actual age, I am beginning to think that it can no longer be conveniently crowbarred into that catch all phrase, “Middle-age”. I have even given some thought as to how much time I have left. My parents both lived into their early nineties which is a very good “innings” to coin a very British phrase. However, before I consider this longevity to be an immutable family trait, I should take into consideration several Uncles and Aunts that died early, mainly through heart disease which is conspicuously inheritable. Some people consider it morbid to dwell on one’s mortality. I think it should be given some thought from time to time. Due to medical advances, I may have more time left than I think but how much of that will be of an acceptable quality? Sadly, there’s no way at present of knowing, so I simply consider myself fortunate to still be here and enjoying a good standard of life.
Does the passage of time confer wisdom by default? I think not. I know people who journey through life with their eyes figuratively closed. Something I try not to do. I think mistakes have to be made to teach some lessons, which is why I find any philosophies that eschew failure or seek to avoid it are problematic. Time is also not necessarily a healer, although it can provide a sense of perspective and allow one to grow tolerant of our hurts. The passage of time is a fundamental aspect of human experience, influencing our memories, expectations and sense of self. Philosophers have long debated the nature of time and its relationship to consciousness. Overall, I think the passage of time is an interplay between objective time and our subjective experiences. It may just be a confidence trick, created by the Swiss and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
Paying For Domestic Services
When Mrs P and I moved into our current home, over twenty years ago, we were both working full time. As the garden was poorly maintained and neither of us had any horticultural skills, we decided to employ a gardener. At the time it was a practical solution to the issue of garden maintenance and remains so today. Hence it is a service we continue to use, although our personal health is now the main reason we pay a gardener.
When Mrs P and I moved into our current home, over twenty years ago, we were both working full time. As the garden was poorly maintained and neither of us had any horticultural skills, we decided to employ a gardener. At the time it was a practical solution to the issue of garden maintenance and remains so today. Hence it is a service we continue to use, although our personal health is now the main reason we pay a gardener.
More recently, we paid to have our oven cleaned. Again, this was a decision that was mainly made because we find the logistics of the task difficult. The results were better than anything we could have done ourselves. We are now giving serious consideration to having a cleaning company visit once a month to carry out a substantive household clean. This will then be supplemented with basic cleaning on a weekly basis, carried out by ourselves. Again the main reasons for using such services is time, our ability to do such things ourselves and the fact that the work is often done to a higher standard.
I personally have no problem with the idea of paying for domestic services. They are in principle equitable business transactions, carried out by people who have superior skills in the requisite field. Furthermore, the benefits of such arrangements go beyond the customer and vendor dynamic. Those supplying such services as gardening, car valeting or household cleaning are running businesses which are good for the wider economy. Yet despite all this, I occasionally encounter people who “frown upon” such business arrangements. Their opprobrium is not aimed so much at the providers of these services but more specifically at me for using them.
I am curious to try and understand where this mindset comes from. Is it born of a sense of middle-class guilt, perceptions of laziness, concerns about socio-economic inequality and the exploitation of workers? Perhaps it is a hangover from seventies socioeconomic politics? Or is it more entrenched in the UK’s neverending relationship with class? Do people still see such transactional services as reinforcing some archaic “upstairs, downstairs” social divide? Or is it as simple as the general lack of respect and dignity afforded to "unskilled" labour in society. Let us not forget the social dimension to this conundrum. Is hiring a cleaner an acceptable way to achieve a work/life balance, or is it merely outsourcing inequality. Maybe it’s simply a case that I encounter too many unreconstructed Marxists?
The philosophical arguments against such services notwithstanding, the demand for cleaning and other similar services, is at an all-time high in the UK, with 17% of households now hiring a cleaner. Many people see it as a practical and efficient way to free up leisure time, which is a premium and finite commodity. As for the social dynamic between customer and vendor, in my experience it is far from “feudal”. I treat those providing a service in my home with the same courtesy as I would outside of it.
Perhaps this is a uniquely British quirk? Does the same criticism of using domestic services arise in the US, which to my mind is a far more transactional society. Surely the growth of the gig economy must be putting pay to this somewhat archaic perspective? There are many more practical services available for hire than ever before. From bespoke cake making to jetwashing your drive. In the meantime, I am certainly going to continue to pay for whatever domestic services our household requires. Furthermore, the older I get, the more I shall use them, for obvious reasons.
The UK Online Safety Act: 3 Months On
In July the UK Government introduced the Online Safety Act which requires age checks for accessing sexually explicit content online. As a result of this, Pornhub, the 19th most visited site on the internet, has reported a 77% decline in UK traffic. Furthermore, according to the UK regulatory body, OFCOM (The Office of Communications), overall visits to pornographic websites from the UK have fallen by 33%. Naturally, those who championed this legislation are claiming a moral and political victory. However, once you consider what these facts actually mean, they paint a somewhat different and potentially more worrying picture. It would be staggeringly naïve to think that UK visitors to Pornhub have ceased visiting such sites due to the age verification requirements. The more likely explanation is that UK porn consumers are now using VPNs to circumnavigate these restrictions and that this traffic to Pornhub is now recorded as coming from elsewhere.
In July the UK Government introduced the Online Safety Act which requires age checks for accessing sexually explicit content online. As a result of this, Pornhub, the 19th most visited site on the internet, has reported a 77% decline in UK traffic. Furthermore, according to the UK regulatory body, OFCOM (The Office of Communications), overall visits to pornographic websites from the UK have fallen by 33%. Naturally, those who championed this legislation are claiming a moral and political victory. However, once you consider what these facts actually mean, they paint a somewhat different and potentially more worrying picture. It would be staggeringly naïve to think that UK visitors to Pornhub have ceased visiting such sites due to the age verification requirements. The more likely explanation is that UK porn consumers are now using VPNs to circumnavigate these restrictions and that this traffic to Pornhub is now recorded as coming from elsewhere.
According to independent research by Cybernews, the UK has become one of the world’s fastest-growing VPN markets. The UK ranks eighth worldwide for VPN adoption at the time of writing and is now the leading G7 nation in terms of VPN use and one of only three European countries included in the top 10 list. Data shows the UK logged over 10.7 million VPN app downloads in the first half of 2025, surpassing countries such as the US, France, and Germany. One vendor of VPN services for smartphones saw an increase in downloads of 1,800%. All of which indicates the inherent flaw in the OSA, that it can be easily bypassed by using a VPN. Clearly this law is not supported by a substantial number of UK citizens. According to Google, prior to the OSA, eight million users from the UK visited a quarter of a million pornographic websites each month. Such a market doesn’t just vanish overnight.
The Online Safety Act is a typical piece of UK Government legislation, insofar as it is well intentioned in seeking to protect children from harmful content online. However, the parameters of this act and the manner in which it strives to enforce its mandate are ill considered. Clearly those involved have little or no understanding of contemporary information technology and infrastructure. It can also be argued that they have underestimated human nature. The result is legislation that can only deal with the symptoms of a problem and furthermore, only in a binary fashion. Any site that is deemed problematic has to implement age verification. If it will not or cannot, it is blocked by UK ISPs. At best it is a rather blunt tool. At worst, it has provided the current and all future UK Governments with the means to censor content with impunity.
I am not an absolutist libertarian but I do prefer the state to minimise its involvement in social issues. I believe that there is a duty of care to protect children from specific online content but I do not think that is the sole job of the UK Government. Parents, guardians and carers should be the first and foremost group involved in such an undertaking. Those who are legally responsible for a child’s welfare should know exactly what a child is doing online and police it accordingly. Sadly, we have a generation of parents who are just as enamoured with social media and online culture as their children and therefore are hardly best equipped to deal with this matter. Levels of IT literacy are also quite low in many adults. Despite a superficial “monkey see, monkey do” ability to use technology, there is seldom any functional understanding of how such things actually work.
Three months on from the launch of the OSA in the UK, I personally have not been greatly inconvenienced by this legislation so far. I’ve had to verify my age once for Instagram. This used an AI to look at an image of my face and determine if I am over 18. It was hardly a chore and I didn’t expect my age to be disputed. Beyond this one time, I have bypassed any issues as I have a VPN extension installed in all my web browsers and a year’s subscription to Surfshark. Outside of my personal experience, numerous websites that deal with sexual health and wellbeing have been blocked. Even Wikipedia has had to age gate certain content. All of which is troubling. Unfortunately, I can only see this matter getting worse over time and becoming more of a political football, driven by hot takes and showboating. Poorly conceived legislation often fails and brings the law into disrepute. In the meantime are children any safer? I doubt it.
Education in the UK
Formal education in the UK is a structured process, starting at early years learning and continuing through to higher education at university. Some aspects of the educational system are mandatory, whereas others are optional. At present, children in the UK must start full-time education from the age of 5 and remain until the age of 16. After this age, they are no longer required to attend school per se but must remain in some other form of education or training, such as a vocational college or an apprenticeship. Many students remain at school until 18, as there are specific exams to be obtained that are required for a subsequent university placement. Here is a breakdown of the current process as it exists in the UK.
Formal education in the UK is a structured process, starting at early years learning and continuing through to higher education at university. Some aspects of the educational system are mandatory, whereas others are optional. At present, children in the UK must start full-time education from the age of 5 and remain until the age of 16. After this age, they are no longer required to attend school per se but must remain in some other form of education or training, such as a vocational college or an apprenticeship. Many students remain at school until 18, as there are specific exams to be obtained that are required for a subsequent university placement. Here is a breakdown of the current process as it exists in the UK.
Early years education:
This stage is non-compulsory and caters to children aged from birth to 5 years old. In England, 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery education per week for 38 weeks of the year. Early years education takes place in various settings, including state nursery schools, nursery classes, reception classes within primary schools, and private nurseries or childminders.
Primary education:
Primary education is compulsory for children from age 5 to 11. It is divided into Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11). Children learn basic literacy and numeracy skills, as well as foundational knowledge in science, mathematics, and other subjects. Children in England and Northern Ireland are assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2.
Colfe’s School, South East London
Secondary education:
Secondary education is compulsory for children aged 11-16. It is divided into Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) and Key Stage 4 (ages 14-16). Students pursue a broader curriculum including core subjects (English, maths, science) and optional subjects (humanities, languages, arts, vocational courses). At the end of Year 11, students typically take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams.
Further education:
This optional stage encompasses post-16 education, including A-levels exams, vocational qualifications, and apprenticeships. Further education is offered at schools as well as in colleges and adult education institutes. A-levels exams are the primary qualification required for a university placement.
Higher education:
This refers to study beyond further education, primarily in universities and Higher Education Institutes. The UK higher education system is recognised internationally. It includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Entry typically requires A-levels exams or equivalent qualifications, and applications are made through The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.
Balliol College, Oxford
As an addendum to the above summary, here is a breakdown of the different types of school available in the UK. State education in the UK refers to government-funded schools that provide free education to children and are paid for by taxes. Every child is entitled to a place. These schools must generally follow the national curriculum, set by the Department of Education and are overseen by local authorities or directly by the government. There are several types of state-funded schools, including community schools, foundation and voluntary schools, academies, and free schools, each with varying degrees of independence from local authorities.
Types of schools:
State Schools: Government-funded, following the national curriculum.
Academies: Publicly funded but independent from local authorities.
Free Schools: Newly established, publicly funded schools.
Grammar Schools: Selective schools based on academic ability and an entrance exam. Publicly funded.
Independent Schools (Private Schools): Funded by fees and not required to follow the national curriculum.
Home education. Schooling at home is an option in the UK. Parents are responsible for the costs of education, including materials, trips, and examinations. They don't have to follow the National Curriculum.
Next let us consider what is exactly taught at school. The National Curriculum is a set of learning standards for England's local-authority-maintained schools. It outlines subjects and attainment targets across four key stages, ensuring children learn similar content and skills by age 16. It mandates core subjects like English, Maths, and Science at all key stages, while also including other foundation subjects such as Computing, Art, and Languages. While academies and independent schools don't have to follow it, the government is reviewing the framework to increase its relevance and ensure all state-funded schools teach the curriculum.
Department of Education, Westminster
Finally, here is a brief summary of the exams and tests that occur during a child’s formal education. The first significant test in the UK is a phonics screening check in Year 1. The UK school system's key public exams include SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) for primary school pupils at ages 7 and 11. GCSEs (General Certificates of Secondary Education) are taken at age 16 in Year 11. Students in Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4) typically study for 8-10 GCSEs, with English Language, English Literature, Maths, and Science (either combined or separate) being compulsory subjects in most schools. While students can choose additional subjects, these core subjects are required. A-Levels (Advance Level), at age 18 in Year 12, are not mandatory and can be replaced with alternative vocational qualifications like BTECs and T-Levels. A-Levels are predominantly taken by students pursuing university higher education.
In the follow up blog post to this one, I recount my own experience of the UK education during the seventies and eighties. I shall try and highlight the differences between what were considered the educational norms in my day, compared to the current system. I will also explore a lot of the social and cultural changes that have happened over the forty years that have elapsed since I last attended any form of school. The most noticeable one being the notion that learning per se is a laudable undertaking, as opposed to specifically learning to meet the needs of the job market.
Conservatives and Tolkien
I don’t know if you have noticed that there are quite a lot of companies that have names taken from Tolkien’s Legendarium. At first glance, this seems innocuous enough. Tolkien’s writings grew in popularity over the seventies and eighties but since the release of the film trilogy at the start of the twenty-first century, his work has become more well known and been assimilated into our wider pop culture. Hence, it seems quite logical that a startup tech company, for example, would choose a name from his writings. No doubt the founders grew up reading The Lord of the Rings and are fans. That all seems plausible. However if you take a further look, it gets somewhat more complex. Here are four companies that have Tolkien based names.
I don’t know if you have noticed that there are quite a lot of companies that have names taken from Tolkien’s Legendarium. At first glance, this seems innocuous enough. Tolkien’s writings grew in popularity over the seventies and eighties but since the release of the film trilogy at the start of the twenty-first century, his work has become more well known and been assimilated into our wider pop culture. Hence, it seems quite logical that a startup tech company, for example, would choose a name from his writings. No doubt the founders grew up reading The Lord of the Rings and are fans. That all seems plausible. However if you take a further look, it gets somewhat more complex. Here are four companies that have Tolkien based names.
Palantir Technologies is a private American software and services company, specializing in data analysis. Named after the “seeing stones” from Tolkien's legendarium, Palantir's original clients were federal agencies of the United States Intelligence Community like CIA and NSA.
Lembas Capital is a San Francisco-based investment firm named after the Elven waybread that appears in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The company invests in both public equity and private equity.
Valar Ventures, named after the Valar, is a US-based venture capital fund founded by Andrew McCormack.
Anduril Industries, named after Aragorn' sword, is an American defence technology company that specializes in autonomous systems.
I don’t consider banks, armaments suppliers and intelligence gatherers to be benign. Yes there are other companies with Tolkieneque names that are doing benevolent things but there are enough doing the opposite for me to consider that there’s something else going on. In this case, the common thread is that political conservatism embraces and feels an affinity to the writings of Professor Tolkien. In fact conservatives from both the US and Europe often cite The Lord of the Rings as a source of inspiration.
Why is this you may ask? Mainly because right-wing politicians are drawn to Tolkien's themes of the heroic struggle against corrupt systems, the return of a legitimate ruler to restore social order and a conservatively hierarchical worldview that reflects medieval Catholic ideas. There is also a suspicion of social modernity. The appeal lies in the narrative of a righteous hero or group challenging a “moribund establishment” to build a “brave new world that reflects a former past glory”. Such ideas resonate with right-wing figures who see themselves as fighting for traditional values against societal collapse. Politicians such as US Vice President J.D. Vance, former Member of theEuropean Parliament Lord Hannan and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Here are some of the key themes and interpretations that appeal to conservatives.
Heroic Mission and World-Making: Politicians see a parallel between their own political aspirations and Tolkien's heroes, who feel a "duty to save the world" and build a better future.
"Return of the King" and Feudal Order: The core narrative of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings involves the re-establishment of a rightful monarch and the restoration of a pre-existing feudal social structure after a period of chaos. This narrative strongly appeals to conservative viewpoints.
Conservative Values and Hierarchy: Tolkien's work is seen by some as aligning with conservative principles due to its depiction of a divinely ordained natural hierarchy, echoing medieval Catholic notions of the "Great Chain of Being" and a worldview that favors traditional social orders over modernity.
Critique of Modernity: Influenced by his experiences and his devout, pre-Vatican II Catholic faith, Tolkien harbored a deep suspicion of modernity, a sentiment that resonates with many on the right who view modern trends as destructive.
Anti-Totalitarianism: While some interpretations of Tolkien focus on conservative themes, others emphasise his opposition to totalitarian systems. This could also appeal to those who view themselves as fighting against oppressive governments or ideologies.
Like many things political, there is an inherent contradiction to much of the above. The drive to build a better world usually means a better world for that specific political class. The restoration of a prior status quo seldom means it is an equitable one. Critiques of modernity are usually against changes in social attitudes, though not technology as that is a useful tool. As for opposing totalitarianism, this usually means circumnavigating legitimate opposing views or institutions that don’t allow conservatives a free hand. But such is the nature of politics and its use of semantics. As for the question of whether these specific interpretations of Tolkien’s work are actually there in the source text, that is highly subjective.
It helps us understand things much better if we can actually determine what were Tolkien’s own personal politics? Well he most certainly was a conservative both politically and socially but within the context of the times he grew up in. Hence despite the sharing of the term, I don’t really think there is a great similarity between Tolkien’s form of Catholic conservatism and his post WWI social sensibilities and a modern American neocon. Tolkien by his own admission disliked political organisations and institutions, claiming an affinity to non-violent anarchism. He was also anti-fascist and sceptical of industrial capitalism, albeit from a romantic perspective. He was also an ardent environmentalist.
Perhaps Tolkien’s biggest appeal to conservatives is his passion for mythology. Myths are a lens through which we explore the mysteries of the world around us and then use to codify and quantify it. Change the myth and you can change the world, as JRR Tolkien well knew. Which is why he spent his life creating new myths to help us better understand the modern world. An understanding tempered by his own world views. It is this that attracts many politicians on the right, who see mythology as means to frame their populist ideas. Political narrative and mythology have many similarities and are rife with archetypes and heroes.
I’m sure we’re now at the point where some readers may argue “so what if the right finds inspiration in Tolkien’s work” as well as “many fans will interpret things in that which they hold dear, irrespective of whether it is truly there or not”. All of which is true. We all see things through the prism or our own passions, or bias if you prefer. However we live in a world where nuance is in decline. The claiming of aspects of pop culture by specific groups can sometimes have negative consequences, mainly for that which is being claimed. Already because conservatives have stated an affinity for Tolkien’s work, some on the left are already seeking to find content connecting it to the right. Hence there have been claims, unsubstantiated in my view, that The Lord of the Rings is inherently racist and therefore by extension, so was the author and those who read it. There is a risk that the failings of the right may inadvertently blight the cultural standing of Tolkien work, simply by an act of non consensual association.
Which is why I feel the need to push back against the risk of such a thing. I do not believe that Tolkien’s work should just be surrendered to the politically and socially conservative. I’d also prefer not to see certain types of companies usurping Tolkien’s work for their own agendas and chronically misinterpreting his work. Or worse still, doing so just to be associated with something that is “cool”. Perhaps Robert T. Tally Jr. professor of English at Texas State University, said it best “In 2024, a number of prominent right-wingers embrace Tolkien’s work as the inspiration for their own ultraconservative worldview. While some Marxists may look upon this scene with bemusement, fantasy as a mode and a genre is far too important to allow the right-wingers to take for themselves, and that includes the works of Tolkien”.
Trapezius Myalgia
Last Wednesday, I woke up with what I thought to be a crick in my neck on the left hand side. I assumed this was simply due to sleeping awkwardly and so I self medicated with some non-prescription pain relief and judicious use of a heat pad. Unfortunately, the problem has persisted and in the last 24 hours it has become much worse. I awoke this morning at about 5:00 AM and as I sat up in bed, an intense pain ran up the left side of my neck and behind my ear. It took several attempts for me to get out of bed because if I turned my head in either direction or inclined my chin, the pain would again run up the side of my neck. Sitting down, getting up and raising my arms caused similar results. While dressing, I attempted to pull a t-shirt over my head. The pain in my neck on this occasion was so severe that I yelled out loud and nearly blacked out.
Last Wednesday, I woke up with what I thought to be a crick in my neck on the left hand side. I assumed this was simply due to sleeping awkwardly and so I self medicated with some non-prescription pain relief and judicious use of a heat pad. Unfortunately, the problem has persisted and in the last 24 hours it has become much worse. I awoke this morning at about 5:00 AM and as I sat up in bed, an intense pain ran up the left side of my neck and behind my ear. It took several attempts for me to get out of bed because if I turned my head in either direction or inclined my chin, the pain would again run up the side of my neck. Sitting down, getting up and raising my arms caused similar results. While dressing, I attempted to pull a t-shirt over my head. The pain in my neck on this occasion was so severe that I yelled out loud and nearly blacked out.
Mrs P subsequently took me to Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough, Kent. It is not my local hospital but we decided to go there because it has both an Urgent Treatment Centre and a comprehensive Emergency Department that are both available 24/7. Furthermore, being a training hospital there are a lot more staff available. Due to traffic and the fact it took a while for me to get in and out of the car, I arrived at the UTC at 7:40 AM. Fortunately, there were only about 10 or so people in the waiting room. After checking in at reception, I was quickly seen by a triage nurse who took note of my symptoms, current medication and wider medical history. Fortunately, as this wasn’t battlefield triage, I was not shot in the head. Instead, I waited for about 90 minutes and was then seen by a doctor who was very thorough in reaching a diagnosis.
As I didn’t have a fever or persistent vomiting he ruled out meningitis, which was fine by me, as I had even considered that. Because I was in pain when raising my arms and that the pain was specific to my neck, I was concerned that it may be heart related. I suffer from heart disease and take medication for it. Thankfully, I wasn’t having a stroke. Hence the doctor concluded that I have injured my left trapezius muscle, which runs along my neck, connects to the shoulder blade and down to the top of the rib cage. This is known as Trapezius Myalgia and it is not a medical disorder or disease per se but rather a symptom of an existing underlying condition. Hence I shall be having a scan within the next three days to determine what is causing the problem with this specific muscle. IE is it a sprain, tear or something else.
I spent about two hours at the Urgent Treatment Centre and was impressed by its efficiency. I suspect that I arrived at possibly the optimal time of day. Upon returning home, I checked the National Health Service app on my phone and found that the doctor who saw me had already updated my medical history. This had details regarding my Trapezius Myalgia and a list of follow up actions. Due to lines of demarcation and ongoing changes to “business delivery”, he could not make a direct referral to the physiotherapy department at my local hospital. There is now a self referral system in place which has to be done via a specific app. Needless to say, I have now installed this app and completed the requisite questionnaire. I now await a response from the musculoskeletal (MSK) clinic at my local Hospital, Queen Mary’s in Sidcup.
The NHS in the UK tends to be very good at dealing with urgent problems and emergencies. It doesn’t always do so well with follow up clinics and long term health issue management. For example, Mrs P’s records were not migrated when a specific cardiology department database was updated a few years ago, resulting in her effectively falling off everyone’s radar for 66 weeks. I am not especially happy or confident that the ongoing move to make all major medical departments accessible apps, is going to be as successful as the Minister of Health thinks. However, for the present my immediate health concerns have been addressed. My ailment has been diagnosed and I have a supply of opiates to address the immediate pain. The next step is to determine why it happened and what can be done to effectively remedy it. No doubt that will be another blog post.
Car Parks
I am a non-driver. If you wish to know the specifics of how this situation came about, feel free to read the post I wrote about it back in early 2018. To be succinct, I don’t drive, I’ve never learned how and have never owned a car. I don’t feel that I’ve missed out. In fact I feel quite the opposite. I think I’ve dodged a major hassle and expense in life. Mrs P, my significant other, is the designated driver of our household. She owns a car, insures it and maintains it. She also mainly pays for the petrol, whereas I pick up the tab for other things such as lunch or hotels when we travel. All I have to do is make like Iggy Pop if we go anywhere. The most I am ever called upon to do is navigate using Google maps and Android Auto. Fortunately, Mrs P enjoys driving. Always has done. Hence I look upon this situation as an extremely fortunate and equitable arrangement.
I am a non-driver. If you wish to know the specifics of how this situation came about, feel free to read the post I wrote about it back in early 2018. To be succinct, I don’t drive, I’ve never learned how and have never owned a car. I don’t feel that I’ve missed out. In fact I feel quite the opposite. I think I’ve dodged a major hassle and expense in life. Mrs P, my significant other, is the designated driver of our household. She owns a car, insures it and maintains it. She also mainly pays for the petrol, whereas I pick up the tab for other things such as lunch or hotels when we travel. All I have to do is make like Iggy Pop if we go anywhere. The most I am ever called upon to do is navigate using Google maps and Android Auto. Fortunately, Mrs P enjoys driving. Always has done. Hence I look upon this situation as an extremely fortunate and equitable arrangement.
However, a few years ago something came along to alter this balanced situation. Namely, the increase in use of parking apps. For a long time, we just kept a stash of coins in the car for parking meters etc. This broadly worked but from time to time, we would be in a car park and the ticket machine would be on the fritz. Often these would be because the machines were solar powered and the panels on top were covered in several inches of pigeon and seagull guano. This would always fill us with trepidation, as we’d have to take copious photos via our phones so we could appeal the penalty charge we’d inevitably be slapped with. So I installed the first and possibly the biggest parking app in the UK on my phone. Ringo. It was hardly rocket science to set up an account and a method of payment. The app usually identifies which car park you’re using and the payments are taken promptly.
Roll on several years and now it is just part of the routine that I pay for the parking. I also have two other parking apps on my phone. “C'est la vie”. Overall, these apps are quite useful. Not only do they make paying for parking easy, they also are a great way of finding out if a car park is full prior to arriving. However, we have had a few issues such as having no internet access which obviously renders the apps useless. This always happens when the traditional ticket machine is also broken. Oh fate, you capricious bastard. Overall these apps are useful but they ultimately only address the symptoms of the UK’s infrastructure problems. Car ownership is increasing, while investments in roads and parking are declining. Finding a space is therefore going to become increasingly difficult in time and although I don’t drive, that is still going to be a problem for me and everyone else.
"42"
I am getting old. I shall be 58 in December. Now, as soon as you say something like that these days, some folk will get uncomfortable and say things like “age is relative” or “you’re as old as you feel”. Well I don’t measure my age in geological terms, so it’s not relative and I’m not feeling anyone especially young at the moment, so both schools or thoughts can sod off. I am getting old by the yardstick we measure human life by, namely years. I have specific, age related health issues and I just don’t feel as energised as I did a decade ago. There are minor signs, such as deciding to go to bed earlier and taking longer to get dressed after taking a shower. I’m not at death’s door but I am slowing up physically. It would also appear that my reactions are also slowing down as I tend to get massacred in any FPS I play these days. So far, my mental faculties seem to be holding up. However, that is the one thing I worry about the most. The potential loss of cognitive abilities scares the shit out of me.
I am getting old. I shall be 58 in December. Now, as soon as you say something like that these days, some folk will get uncomfortable and say things like “age is relative” or “you’re as old as you feel”. Well I don’t measure my age in geological terms, so it’s not relative and I’m not feeling anyone especially young at the moment, so both schools or thoughts can sod off. I am getting old by the yardstick we measure human life by, namely years. I have specific, age related health issues and I just don’t feel as energised as I did a decade ago. There are minor signs, such as deciding to go to bed earlier and taking longer to get dressed after taking a shower. I’m not at death’s door but I am slowing up physically. It would also appear that my reactions are also slowing down as I tend to get massacred in any FPS I play these days. So far, my mental faculties seem to be holding up. However, that is the one thing I worry about the most. The potential loss of cognitive abilities scares the shit out of me.
As you get older, you tend to become more philosophical. Possibly because you have less immediate demands upon you, so you have more time to think and reflect upon “life, the universe and everything”. These musings are vastly different from those you had with your friends, as a teenager. Those late night discussions were often ill informed, naive and tempered by substance abuse. The sort of personal reflections I indulge in now are couched in hard experiences and not all of them are good. I also have a lifetime association with organised religion, both tangential and direct, to draw upon. Another factor is that I’ve read prodigiously over the course of my life, across a range of disciplines. Hence, I reached a point in my life where it is assumed by my peers that I should know something by now. I’ve even had a younger acquaintance ask me if I’m any closer to figuring it all out.
Well it is my considered opinion that all questions about the so-called meaning of life are pretty much pointless. Why, you ask? Because there basically isn’t one. Human life on this planet is just an accidental by product of other natural processes. There isn’t a plan. There’s nothing next, it doesn’t get better and your time here is broadly irrelevant and futile. Not futile enough for me to top myself. There are still plenty of pointless distractions to pursue or indulge in the meantime. But overall, what you see is what you get in life. Through a caprice of birth you either get lucky and have decades of hedonistic pleasure, or you work hard for not much and experience intermittent moments of joy, or you have an utterly terrible life filled with pain, suffering and misery. Life is inherently unfair and human beings continuously act against their own best interests. If you pick up a history book you’ll see that we make the same mistakes, again and again. Like Electronic Arts.
So what do you do in light of this revelation? Well it’s up to us to impose our own meaning and purpose upon our lives. Also, accept the fact that some things are nothing more than the sum of their parts. One of the questions that has always gotten on my Tatty Bojangles is this “science can explain the how and why but not the meaning”. Well Colin, because it’s always some p’tak called Colin who trots this drivel out, have you ever considered that there’s no requirement for everything to have a meaning? But I digress, if you’re finding it hard, coming up with ideas for the purpose of life, consider this one. “Try to be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations”. If that’s too complex, how about this one? “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always”. Even to Colin, I guess.
Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre
Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre is the fancy name of our local dump. A few decades ago, this was no more than a scrap yard. The rubbish and bric-a-brac left by the public was sorted and scavenged for resaleable scrap. Everything that was left was subsequently sent to landfill or incineration. Much has changed. Today it is the embodiment of the modern recycling ethos. The recycling centre is a well managed, carefully segregated site providing safe disposal of a wide variety of household and garden waste. Wood, metal and hardcore are recycled and there is similar provision for a multitude of electrical goods. Plastics, oils, paint, batteries can be safely disposed of. I have yet to find a home item that they do not have provision to dispose of. The Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre has won awards for the service it provides and is considered one of the best facilities of its kind in the South East of the country.
Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre is the fancy name of our local dump. A few decades ago, this was no more than a scrap yard. The rubbish and bric-a-brac left by the public was sorted and scavenged for resaleable scrap. Everything that was left was subsequently sent to landfill or incineration. Much has changed. Today it is the embodiment of the modern recycling ethos. The recycling centre is a well managed, carefully segregated site providing safe disposal of a wide variety of household and garden waste. Wood, metal and hardcore are recycled and there is similar provision for a multitude of electrical goods. Plastics, oils, paint, batteries can be safely disposed of. I have yet to find a home item that they do not have provision to dispose of. The Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre has won awards for the service it provides and is considered one of the best facilities of its kind in the South East of the country.
I recently went to Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre. We had some old garden furniture to dispose of along with some packaging from various new kitchen items. Upon arrival Mrs P had to show her drivers license as it has our home address on it, thus proving we are residents of the borough. We were duly allowed in, subsequently parked and took our items to the appropriate disposal points. The staff are very helpful and happy to assist us. It was a very efficient process. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was seeing the direct consequences of living in our modern, consumer society so starkly. Sadly, due to the busy nature of the recycling centre, I wasn’t in a position to quickly take photos, so I’ve had to rely on the internet to provide them and illustrate my point.
Most of us will be familiar with those large plastic, vacuum moulded toy vehicles that children ride in. Some are pedal powered, others are designed to be towed by an exhausted parent. These things are usually brightly coloured or based upon a popular franchise such as Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig. I saw a substantial pile of these items which must have been 20 feet high. It was a very striking image not only due to the quantity of these things but that it instantly made you consider “how do you safely dispose of these”, closely followed by “didn’t anyone else want them”? As I walked around the recycling centre, I was further struck by similar stockpiles of microwave ovens, trampolines and mattresses. Another thing that surprised me was how new many of the items were. After speaking to staff it would seem that many items are thrown out just to make room for a replacement and not because they are broken.
Someone had collected all those household decorations and ornaments that have life affirming messages like “family”, “love” and “we live here”. There were also a few corporate motivational posters added to this pile. The fact that these had all been disposed of by their owners just made their central conceit even more spurious. This and many other stockpiles of commonplace domestic bric-a-brac suddenly hammered home the reality of consumerism and the unsustainable nature of the way in which we live our lives. The Foots Cray Reuse and Recycling Centre can safely dispose, reuse or repurpose much of what is left by residents of the borough but there is a lot of stuff that cannot be so easily addressed. There are of course many other recycling centres up and down the UK that do not do such a good job and still defer to incineration and landfill.
Cities are highly complex systems and much of their functionality goes unseen by the general public. Water, gas, electricity and waste disposal are all services that we use but we seldom have any direct experience of how they are delivered. We often become oblivious to them and take them for granted only to be reminded of their importance when they fail. My short visit to my local recycling centre has given me a timely reminder about the way we live or lives and its inherent unsustainability. There’s not much that I or Mrs P can immediately do to remedy this situation but we will certainly give greater consideration to trying to find a new home for unwanted items. We already make great use of local charity shops when disposing of old clothes. Our local railway station has a book exchange facility. All of which helps to a degree but I worry about the long term future of waste management and recycling in the UK.
The Art of Packing Your Groceries
One of the things I enjoy most about having my own blog is the fact I can write about the mundane and the trivial. Mainly because so much of life falls into this category. Life defining events are all fine and dandy and certainly lend themselves to philosophical musings that make fine blog posts. However, you can get just as much mileage out of those everyday things in life with less gravitas, that we all do. Such as buying new clothes, taking out the recycling and going to buy groceries. I have written about all of these in the past. However, today I wish to broach a subject that both fascinates me but also raises my blood pressure. I believe it to be a social marker and a clear indication of an individual’s personal psychology. Yes, I’m talking about packing your groceries at the supermarket and the various rituals and social etiquette associated with it.
One of the things I enjoy most about having my own blog is the fact I can write about the mundane and the trivial. Mainly because so much of life falls into this category. Life defining events are all fine and dandy and certainly lend themselves to philosophical musings that make fine blog posts. However, you can get just as much mileage out of those everyday things in life with less gravitas, that we all do. Such as buying new clothes, taking out the recycling and going to buy groceries. I have written about all of these in the past. However, today I wish to broach a subject that both fascinates me but also raises my blood pressure. I believe it to be a social marker and a clear indication of an individual’s personal psychology. Yes, I’m talking about packing your groceries at the supermarket and the various rituals and social etiquette associated with it.
Now before we begin, it has come to my attention that in some countries, such as the US, there is a culture of having a grocery clerk undertake this task for you. However, research indicates that this practice is declining due to the increased use of reusable bags and the desire for faster checkout lines. Self-checkouts are also a factor (something else I have strong views on but that, alas, is another blog post). So this disparity may not be such a major distinction, as it previously was. Moving on, let me set the scene for that which I wish to discuss. Imagine if you will, that you’ve gone to the grocery store/supermarket of your choice at a fairly busy time of day. You’ve finished your shopping and are now in the checkout queue. The customer in front is currently having their items scanned and there is now space on the conveyor belt for you to place your groceries.
Firstly, how do you organise your shopping on the conveyor belt? I favour a process of segregation according to size, weight and whether an item has come from a cooler/refrigerator/freezer. Cold items cause condensation to form so you don’t want them coming into contact with specific things such as a magazine or birthday cards. Next when packing begins the following protocols are followed. Weighty items are evenly spread between bags with lighter objects placed on top. An item’s category and where it goes once home also affects which bag it is packed in. We keep a stock of household cleaning products in our garden shed, along with a supply of toilet paper. Bags packed with such products can then be conveniently taken directly to their respective destinations. Finally, fragile items, such as eggs and crisps, are packed last of all and cushioned with bread etc. When required we will use bespoke bags for bottles or hot food.
Next, after this efficient undertaking is complete, there is the matter of paying the checkout operator/cashier. Fumbling, dithering and any other form of being unprepared is verboten and a cardinal sin that will invoke much tutting and “hard stares” from other customers waiting in the queue. Hence cash or cards must be provided post haste. There is usually a LED display facing the customer indicating the price as goods are scanned. Use this visual cue so you can be prepared. While you pack your bags, it is socially acceptable and indeed, civil, to make “small talk” with the checkout operator/cashier. However, once you have paid, do not linger relating anecdotes pertaining to your last enema or the birds on Mrs. Coltarts roof, as you will unnecessarily delay the next customer. This again will invoke tutting and further social admonishment.
The process I’ve described is best carried out by two people and is a skill that Mrs P and I are well versed in. We have experimented with aspects of this procedure over the years, segregating items according to atomic weight and taking into account the Beaufort scale as well as sun spot activity. We have found the current method the most efficient and self righteous. Of course, there are other methods for packing your bags. Many people prefer a more “free style” approach, wreaking havoc in their wake. Make note of such individuals and act accordingly, come the revolution. Mrs P thinks I take these matters too seriously and there are worse crimes to commit. Indeed there are, like that blasphemous act of eating an item in store, before you’ve paid for it and presenting the cashier with an empty wrapper and barcode. I believe there’s a new eighth circle of hell reserved for such barbarians.
Managed Decline
“Managed decline” is a phrase that refers to the processes associated with the end of a specific lifecycle, with the goal of minimizing costs or other forms of loss. The concept originated in business where it referred to the management of companies and industries. More recently it is used in wider contexts. The concept gained prominence with regard to urban policy, particularly in the UK during the eighties when several major cities suffered economic and political collapse. Of late, the term has been applied to the UK, encompassing a systematic weakening of the economy, social structures, and cultural values, as well as its global political and diplomatic force. In each case, managed decline involves making strategic choices about resource allocation and accepting the consequences of those decisions. It is a complex issue with ethical and practical considerations, often sparking debate about the best way to address decline and reverse the process.
“Managed decline” is a phrase that refers to the processes associated with the end of a specific lifecycle, with the goal of minimizing costs or other forms of loss. The concept originated in business where it referred to the management of companies and industries. More recently it is used in wider contexts. The concept gained prominence with regard to urban policy, particularly in the UK during the eighties when several major cities suffered economic and political collapse. Of late, the term has been applied to the UK, encompassing a systematic weakening of the economy, social structures, and cultural values, as well as its global political and diplomatic force. In each case, managed decline involves making strategic choices about resource allocation and accepting the consequences of those decisions. It is a complex issue with ethical and practical considerations, often sparking debate about the best way to address decline and reverse the process.
When I was in my early twenties and beginning my working life (circa 1990) there was still a strong belief held within the UK that overall, things improved for each generation. By this we meant working conditions and pay, opportunities, both career and social, as well as healthcare and life expectancy. To a degree it held true. By the time I was thirty I was earning far more each year in IT than my father had ever earned as a mechanical engineer. However, there were some disadvantages to this era, the most noticeable being buying a house. In the UK there has always been and remains a strong culture of home ownership. Like it or not, it is considered one of the criteria by which we define success. Sadly from the nineties onwards, buying a home has become increasingly more expensive to the point where it becomes an impossibility for those on low pay or a single income.
My son’s generation (he is in his early thirties) has a very different perspective on their personal future and that of the nation. The post war social contract is dead and the welfare state is unsustainable. Jobs seldom offer a salary sufficient to cover living costs, therefore one’s future is one of constant work and managing personal debt. As for retirement, it is seen as an impossible dream. The expectation is that one will have to work continuously, primarily to pay for rented accommodation. As for wider political issues, there is a growing consensus that traditional politics and parties cannot or will not fix the most immediate problems. Hence there is a growing interest in new parties and populism and a misplaced hope that they will reset the status quo. Sadly, populist leaders around the world have proven they are not up to the job and despite promises simply increase the existing wealth gaps and social disparity.
I no longer believe that the problems facing the UK can be fixed. The existing political system is not fit for purpose and attracts the worst of us. We have an ageing population and a diminishing workforce that expects continued access to the welfare state and healthcare at the standard that they have always enjoyed. All of us want national infrastructure and institutions such as the courts, police and schools etc to work but no one wants to pay the increased costs required to run them. As for the loaded subject of immigration, the real issue is not illegal immigrants but the number of legitimate migrants who come to the UK to fill the jobs caused by the ever increasing skills gap. We are failing to learn the skills required for a modern economy and today’s world. Both these issues are integral to our current problems and contribute to our national decline.
Another factor is the breakdown of social interaction and our national discourse, the replacing of community with the cult of the individual and the erosion of critical thinking. Nuance, context, knowledge and reason are now rare skills which are often met with hostility. Social media and the internet are certainly a factor in this cultural shift. All of which makes discussion and compromise impossible. Everything from what is your favourite brand of coffee to national politics is presented as a binary choice. Those who don’t favour your choice are, by default, your enemy. This cancerous mindset is spreading everywhere and into everything. Unable to counter “feelings” with logical arguments, the rational thinkers retreat, ceding territory to the furious hard of thinking. Nothing gets better because those who now have what they craved, namely power without knowledge, just break things and move on when they lose interest or fail to achieve their misplaced goal. Of course it’s always someone else’s fault.
Managed decline is a gradual process, although global events can exacerbate it. Hence I don’t see an immediate economic and social collapse. Governments will continue to tinker at the periphery of problems and there may be occasional lulls in problems and even minor economic booms, depending on wider global economic issues. But I do see pay stagnation, increases in the cost of living, public services struggling to work and infrastructure failing. Food shortages are also possible due to war and failing supply chains. Crime will increase as poverty grows and civil unrest will increase as frustration grows. As ever, it will be the poor and vulnerable who will bear the brunt of these problems. Civil rights and freedoms will also be curtailed as we voluntarily give more and more information to big companies. As AI becomes more ubiquitous it won’t be a case of robots oppressing us but simply a case of “the computer says no” because you failed to meet some spurious criteria within an algorithm.
What does one do in the face of such inevitability? At 57 I’m pretty much going to do nothing, because there is nothing I can do. There are no credible political parties and the process of government as it stands is unable to facilitate change. As for the younger generation, posting “ I stand with [insert cause here]” on social media, that isn’t going to help either. Traditional forms of lobbying and striving for political change are no longer effective. Plus, we don’t all want the same thing, due to the way we compartmentalise our lives and pick “sides”. Hence the future politically in the UK will be distinctly Pythonesque. Frankly, there comes a point where you have to cease feeling concerned and powerless about domestic and global politics because it is such a burden. So you just continue to live your life, the best you can, doing small acts of kindness as and when you can. Perhaps I’ll be dead before the worst of it happens, although I suspect that isn’t going to be the case.
COVID-19 and the Pandemic: Five Years On
It’s been five years since the COVID-19 global pandemic. At the time it was an utterly alien and tumultuous experience. However, due to the way numerous institutions responded (but not the government), many people thought there would be a great deal of social and political change in the UK afterwards. The pandemic highlighted the impotence of the NHS, as well as those who work in jobs designated as essential. It also shone a spotlight on many of the country’s inequalities. Due to our national character, a real sense of community emerged. Something that had been absent for a very long time. Briefly, we got a glimpse of what the UK could be when we all broadly worked together. There was a sense that now was the time to change the status quo. Sadly, nothing changed. As soon as the vaccination program was launched, the UK quickly slipped back into the mire it’s been wallowing in since the end of WWII.
It’s been five years since the COVID-19 global pandemic. At the time it was an utterly alien and tumultuous experience. However, due to the way numerous institutions responded (but not the government), many people thought there would be a great deal of social and political change in the UK afterwards. The pandemic highlighted the impotence of the NHS, as well as those who work in jobs designated as essential. It also shone a spotlight on many of the country’s inequalities. Due to our national character, a real sense of community emerged. Something that had been absent for a very long time. Briefly, we got a glimpse of what the UK could be when we all broadly worked together. There was a sense that now was the time to change the status quo. Sadly, nothing changed. As soon as the vaccination program was launched, the UK quickly slipped back into the mire it’s been wallowing in since the end of WWII.
I caught COVID-19 in early April 2020. This was hardly surprising as I was at the time caring for both my elderly parents. They lived one road away from me and I visited everyday to undertake chores. There were also healthcare professionals coming and going all the time, so despite rigorous hygiene protocols, the increased risk made catching COVID-19 inevitable. It was a most unpleasant experience that lasted about a fortnight. The initial flu-like symptoms soon increased in intensity, resulting in constant head and muscle pain, violent coughing and a sense that I was in a constant bear hug, making it difficult to breathe. I slept for most of the day and had very low energy levels. Once the virus had run its course, I had extreme fatigue for the remainder of the year. It took a full twelve months to return to what I consider to be my normal state of health.
Regent Street, London, during lockdown 2020
The standout aspect of the pandemic were the three lockdown periods. Everyone has their own perspective on these based upon their own personal experience. For me the lockdowns were not a big deal. I was a carer with a very fixed routine. I continued to undertake my duties and the only difference was having to wear a mask when out and standing apart from others in queues. When the restrictions were reduced, Mrs P and I would go for walks and visit local parks. I remember vividly how much less traffic there was and how that impacted upon ambient noise levels. The air quality in South East London noticeably improved. COVID-19 did not interfere with my hobbies and so I continued writing and gaming. In fact it was a “golden age” for the latter. I spent a lot of time playing Warzone, which had just launched and Fall Guys. As someone who finds the hustle and bustle of contemporary life quite tiring, the lockdowns were an interesting change of pace.
However, for many the pandemic brought bereavement. As a carer of two elderly parents, I came to know a great many other ageing residents in the local area. Over the summer months of 2020, many would pass away after catching the virus. People who I knew from my mother’s hairdressers and those I often saw at surgeries and clinics. Several residents in my street died and not all of them were old. My son also lost colleagues at TFL due to the nature of their work. And then I lost my father in August. Ironically he did not catch COVID-19 but instead caught pneumonia after a chest infection. He survived the pneumonia but was left exhausted and frail. He elected to decline any further treatment and died on 16th September 2020. Due to the lockdown I only visited him once during the four weeks he was at hospital and was not with him when he passed away.
National COVID Memorial Wall London
I find that post pandemic, my sense of the passing of the years has been derailed. I have a clear sense of events up to 2019 but from 2020 onwards it all gets confused, due to the unusual nature of that time. Five years on, COVID-19 is still trotted out as a political excuse for anything not working or underperforming. As for the hoped for social change and political renaissance, it never happened and frankly was never going to. Many in the top 1% used the pandemic as a means to further enrich themselves and the country’s social divides are still there, bigger than ever. The pandemic has also been a contributory factor in the growth of nationalism, which is now looming large. Overall it is hard for me to summarise and quantify my thoughts on the pandemic. To quote Dickens’ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”
