Recession? What recession?

Yesterday's news that we are officially out of the recession was surprising. Having just spent three weeks touring Great Britain and now back in Somerset for a few weeks I can assure the powers that be that there are plenty of empty shops and others that are having closing down sales that suggest the recession is still alive and well just for starters. Of course newspapers/media are quoting all the differing indicators that form a recession, a double dip recession and other such phrases but to the individual the most important indicator is whether there is enough money in the household budget to last the week/month/year.

Surely we must all know at least one person who is unemployed and trying to get work and many more who have had their pensions raided. Yet this government persists in talking about benefit scroungers. Yet once again down here in Somerset 'ordinary people' on holiday this year in a small holiday camp, despite the recession, have raised over £2500 for 5 charities - and this is despite less people coming on holiday. Working class people have always believed in a wider society and been very willing to  help others less fortunate than themselves. It is only this millionaire government who have allegedly just 'found' the 'big society'. 

Individuals like my cousin who have given up years to help others are the backbone of this society, not Cameron and co. Thousands of people marching with the TUC on Saturday were expressing their disgust with the austerity measures too. When will the government learn?

Yesterday was a worrying day for members of my family with redundancies announced at Ford and Coca-Cola - but not just for us. There will be many more worrying days for many more people and the so called news that the we are out of the recession will not resonate with these people.

Yesterday too Iain Duncan Smith made one of his pronouncements about welfare benefit cuts. If we are out of the recession why is this necessary? Just a thought...

As always when in Somerset I don't have access to my own picture 'library' so I am posting a John Lennon picture and quote instead. Pretty apt I think.

By the Grave of Robert Tressell I Knelt Down

 

Another in the loose series of Travels with Other Half*

The last week of our travels around Britain saw us visiting a few iconic Socialist sites plus a some other more random choices, perhaps.

It has been remarked that Other Half and I 'do weird things'. I don't really understand this [why change the habits of a life time] but leave others to judge. As I have said before, our places to visit have been idiosyncratic but I have discovered that saying in reply to the question 'what made you visit this place' when paying one's entrance fee 'I have wanted to come here since I was 14' makes one look like an awful geek to the rest of those waiting to pay. Plus there was not a button to push on the till for this answer and I had to choose something else.....

So, a few of the places we visited - in no particular order as they say!:

The place where I looked an awful geek was New Lanark, the mill village built in the 1790s by David Dale who eventually took into partnership Robert Owen, one of my socialist heroes. As Wikipedia puts it, New Lanark 'New Lanark became a successful business and an epitome of utopian socialism'. Quotes from Owen are placed all around the New Lanark 'site', one such placement is shown above.

I also became badly over excited at visiting Coalbrookedale and Ironbridge and getting steeped in the area that is often credited as the birth place of the Industrial Revolution. Spending a couple of days there meant that we really 'absorbed the atmosphere' although when I asked Other Half if he could hear the clogs clattering along the cobbled streets the look he gave me was quite enough......

If you remember that I taught Popular Culture as well as History and English, it will not be a surprise that we had a lovely afternoon indulging in a cream tea in the refreshment room [shown below] of Carnford Station in Lancashire, where the film 'Brief Encounter' was shot. I pretended I was Celia Johnson although Other Half refused to imitate Trevor Howard. I had my photograph taken under the clock and walked up and down the slopes that CJ and TH had run up and down so madly. Oh the excitement!

And of course on visiting Morecambe we took photos of the statue of the sadly missed Eric Morecambe one of which is shown below.

In the Lake District we visited two of the houses where Wordsworth has lived and we strolled along Hadrian's Wall in Cumbria. We visited the Lowry exhibition in Salford - brilliant- and the Tate in Liverpool. We said 'we are names and not numbers' in Portmeirion. Marvelled in the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool and paid homage at Wigan Pier. We had a brilliant time and I have lots more to tell you all [I can see you all yawning and I forgive you]

But the most moving place and time, truly, was finding the grave of Robert Tressell, the author of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists in the disused Walton Cemetery in Liverpool. Now a City Farm , I searched for the grave in the pouring rain, avoiding the cowpats and sheep doodoos! You can find the story of the grave here and if you think I look rather manic in the photo below please remember the pouring rain and the huge raincoat I am wearing! And yes I knelt down, once to clear the rain from the words to take a picture and once when I fell over in a cow pat!

On the Road - or Whisky and Kilts

Part two of travels with My Other Half*.

Although we have seemingly stopped travelling this week, by staying in a little wooden lodge by a burn [see I know the correct phraseology] not too far from Fort William, we are in fact using it as a base to travel around the Highlands, some of the Islands and other northerly places in Scotland.

Our choices of places to visit are, as ever, idiosyncratic. As well as 'must see' sites like Loch Ness - taking the usual snaps of each other by the Loch and putting these on facebook with titles like 'The real monster of Loch Ness' [oh the wit!] - some of our destinations have been determined by facts like family history; places where friends and family now live; shopping; places named in Great Literature [me]

Other Half has a couple of places where way back in his family history his ancestors lived. One we visited yesterday and is the furthest North we have reached on this trip: Ullapool in Ross and Cromarty. A really lovely village with a very comprehensive, although deceptively small, museum. The first folder Other Half opened in the family history section of the museum showed a photograph of his grandfather about to depart with his battalion for the front in November 1914. We also managed to fill in a few missing details about the family prior to and just after WW1.

Today's destination on the Isle of Skye was actually one of those really wild ideas of mine. One of my favourite authors is Wilkie Collins [the link is to the excellent site by Paul Lewis], and one of Collins' best books imo is Armadale And as Armadale is a small place on the coast of Skye, I [we!] obviously had to visit.... [Collins' visited Armadale on Skye when yachting around Scotland] A very pretty place to visit. Although the photo of me [courtesy of Other Half] at the Ferry Terminal flatters neither the place nor me it does show the name 'Armadale'!!

We also found an interesting place which allowed me to indulge other odd interests of mine - a tin chapel and a canal system. Another little village, Fort Augustus. Other Half also managed to get me up in a 'gondola' - a sort of cable car - up one of the mountains in the Ben Nevis range. As I am not a lover of heights this was a momentous experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Politics - past and present - can never be completely left behind: listening to the speeches at the Labour Party Conference on the radio whilst driving about and thinking about the Highland Clearances whilst driving around the Glens etc. On the first point I actually enjoyed Ed Milliband's speech, on the second I was even more enraged at the unfairness of the 'us and them' that allowed the Clearances to impoverish even further the already dispossessed.



*With apologies to Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt

Photo of Ullapool courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ullapool

Goin' Travellin' or Cathedrals & Scones

Elizannie and Other Half are attempting that difficult challenge to marital relations: a road trip and are off on a three week tour around the UK. Spending a lot of time together in a car might prove our nemisis - watch this space - but could equally prove which one has the most patience with the other.

We have just entered Scotland and the biggest problem so far has been the loss of raincoat, probably left in a hotel in York. Since York during our stay experienced flooding due to the second highest levels on the River Ouse and many residents were evacuated from their homes, it would seem mean to have a tantrum over such a small material loss and I did manage to desist mid-scream.


Inevitably one cannot help comparing 'Points of Interest' on the way and we agreed that Lincoln and Durham Cathedrals were equally impressive for different reasons. But the difference in scones in the various tea places were indisputa ble. So far the best has been found in Edinburgh Castle tea shop and would have made the gruelling climb worth while even if we hadn't thought the views magnificent! [More on Edinburgh Castle here] I had a lovely chat with one of the guides in Edinburgh Castle about the shortcomings of a couple of the Stuart[or Stewart in Scotland] Kings. We were also impressed with the Scottish crown jewels, against our better judgement! Subjects for another day, another blog will include perhaps the 'us and them' feeling [or the 'us and plebs' as one cabinet minister would have it] that is enhanced when looking around the stately homes en route. Meanwhile today's other exciting moments have included the first view of the Forth Bridge and our first proper look at a Scottish Loch - Loch Leven just up the road to our hotel. Beautiful, but unfortunately at the moment on this borrowed laptop I can't figure out how to add my photos! Subject for another blog, another day and if you are lucky, dear reader, you might miss the link for that blog! Onward tomorrow, another place!

Who's sorry now, Mr Clegg?

Yesterday's 'apology' by Nick Clegg put me in a bit of a parodying mood:

TO BE SUNG TO NICK CLEGG @ BRIGHTON CONFERENCE

Who's sorry now, who's sorry now
Whose heart is achin' for breakin' each vow
Who's sad and YELLOW, who's a cryin' FELLOW
Just like we cried over you

Right upto BRIGHTON, just like a WRONG 'UN
WE tried to warn you somehow
You had your way, now you must pay
WE'RE glad that you're sorry now

Right upto BRIGHTON, just like a WRONG'UN
WE tried to warn you somehow
You had your way, now you must pay
WE'RE glad that you're sorry now **

Personally, I think that it was just as easy for Nick Clegg to say sorry for breaking his promise as it was for him to promise all sorts of things pre-election. After all in 2010n he probably thought it was near to impossible that he would have any power post election. He would have realised that the only chance that he could have a stab at power sharing would be through forming a coalition with one of the two other parties - which of course happened - and then he would have the 'excuse' that he would be over ruled in 'big decisions' like this one.

The fact that yesterday's 'apology' is probably a preamble for a conference seeking apologia is all too evident and makes him look like the true hypocrite he really is. The Autotune Remix to which I have put a link below has now been 'accepted' by Clegg on the condition all proceeds go to charity, a children's hospital in Sheffield [his constituency] As Other Half commented, they wouldn't get any funding any other way..... Yet another of this government's achievements of which surely Nick Clegg must be proud. Or is he sorry now?

[Watch Naughty Nick singing his apology here]


**With my apologies to ruining the lovely lyrics [B.Kalmar/T.Snyder/H.Ruby] sung by Connie Francis.


The photograph above has been taken from the live blog by Andrew Sparrow at the Guardian Well worth reading.

Now it is time for my apologies! I am trying to work with the new blogger.com website. Any errors and omissions are therefore my own and the photo of Nick Clegg above should be bigger and I am sure that once I understand the instructions it will be......

Mr Gove's School Report

It's not like Elizannie to pass up an opportunity to disagree with Michael Gove. He just rattles me whenever he speaks - largely because whatever he says I find usually 100% opposing my own views. I have tried to be fair and mark Gove's examination paper of the school system which has resulted in the new Education Baccalaureate qualification which will come into force in the next few years impartially. But I can't give it a pass rate and these are the reasons why:

How old do I feel now that the exam system for 16 year old has changed *three* times in my life time? CSEs were brought in whilst I was at school and run concurrently with GCE ‘O’ levels which were really divisive – I went to a [really bad] grammar school and the lower forms were not allowed to take ‘O’ levels however good they were at individual subjects. I was in a higher form but had to take ‘O’ levels even in the subjects at which I was really bad! Then the amalgam of GCEs and CSEs: the GCSEs arrived which were supposed to be fairer although with the foundation paper system they were still divisive especially with schools who wanted their rating systems to be based on the number of ‘successes’ on the A-C passes.

And now this, the ‘Gove Levels’. Michael Gove should write out one million times ‘We must not play politics with our childrens’ futures’.

To be fair, there is one thing that I really like about the new system, that one examination board across the country will result in 'a level playing field' for all students - but maybe getting rid of league tables for schools would have been a help too?

If all the money that all these changes will cost is spent in improving the current system instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water, surely this would prove a more effective investment? No scheme will ever be perfect but the current system does seem to favour both those who are good at exams *and* those who work steadily throughout the year.

Having worked for some years in education I can of course point to weaknesses of some areas that need improving whilst at the same time recognise strengths in other areas. One area that does not seem to have been addressed so far in detail in the forthcoming system is in the provision of special educational needs like dyslexia and other learning difficulties and I will be reading any announcements in the next few days with interest on these points.

Two examination questions Mr Gove failed to answer are:
1. Why are these 'reforms' not to come into force until after the next General Election?
2. Since the school leaving age is to be raised to 18 why are the 16 year old examinations the 'target' of your venom?

Mr Gove, take note of all those that are examining your results at the moment, please.


Some interesting articles and blogs on this subject:
The Telegraph
The Spectator:Isabel Hardman
The Independent:Richard Garner


Photograph courtesy of Guardian.co.uk

A Summer of Disconnect

Well, the Elizannie/Other Half entourage arrived home last night after nearly a month of cliff dwelling above the Bristol channel. It was a lovely time, being with so many family and friends but although as always we were sad to leave it is also good to be back with more family and friends, here over looking a different stretch of water: the Thames Estuary.

As always I like a good pun so the blog title refers to quite a few things which happened during the August weeks whilst we were in the West Country. The first and most annoying disconnect refers to the fact that the broadband and telephone signals in our bit of the West Country were even worse than usual. One day I 'phoned Eldest Daughter just to tell her about my pure joy that I had managed to get a telephone signal! However it did mean that I had to desist from angry rants on twitter and facebook about various government and politicians' pronouncements which ultimately meant that I could have been a more placid person with whom to live!

There also seemed to be a complete disconnect at times with several politicians/government bodies and the general public. Just a quick list [leaving out some, obviously....]

[a]ATOS sponsoring the Paralympics [even Jonathan Swift could not have written this, surely? However Mark Steel writes a really good piece on this.]
[b]Examination boards changing the criteria for marking GCSEs but without telling teachers or pupils until the results were published. Head teachers not being sure who to sue? Pupils who had worked really hard - and teachers ditto - devastated.
[c]Virgin trains NOT being awarded the West Coast Main Line rail franchise renewal despite having built the service up over their previous franchise which has run since 1997. Virgin now taking legal action.
[d]Tim Yeo asking if David Cameron is a man or a mouse made me choke on my holiday weetabix. Suggesting that rats are leaving the sinking ship seems to be mixing metaphors when the ship in question is a runway for Heathrow airport. Sending Justine Greening to answer that she strongly opposes this seemed to offer her up as a sacrificial lamb and http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-urged-to-ditch-justine-greening-and-expand-heathrow-8084806.html suggests she may indeed be offered up for Sunday dinner very shortly.
[e] Nick Clegg and George Osbourne seem VERY disconnected over Clegg's idea of an 'emergency tax' on the rich!

The very last disconnect which had me really very cross within minutes of walking through my front door last night was the fact that the bank which I am leaving because they have made such a hash up of my bank account this year [Santander] have done it again and not passed on one of my direct debits to my new bank [The Co-op] Since this was to my union [Unite] I am even more annoyed!

The photograph above was taken in the West Country by Eldest Grandson, aged nearly seven. Any resemblance to any politicians is purely coincidental.