Well, I hear that it's not really going too well at the moment. It's the 'Silly Season' and folk are hot under the collar and discontented.
We are constantly hearing that many children are not bothering to go to school any more. Since the Covid lockdown hanging around at home, or on the streets, is preferable to actually learning anything, or looking to any future careers. Many of them even make good money by selling things (ahem!!!) As long as you have a Smart Phone, you can get by quite well. No-one harasses you; not even the police.
Of course many of these absconding, or even expelled, children spend much of their time looking at such online sites as TikTok, where incitement to mass disobedience is common. A recent call to go shoplifting en masse in Oxford Street is a good example (below). Only 9 people were arrested, but the police say they are 'looking for more'; oh yeah! All much more fun, and profitable than going to school; unless you're unfortunate enough to be amongst the arrestees; like the young lad below (wasn't me gov; honest!). I now hear that Oxford Street, which used to be the jewel in the crown of London shopping, has almost become a crime, and rough sleeping no-go area.
And another thing, do make sure you don't get ill in the UK at the moment. You never know if there'll be any working doctors around. They're on strike again adding to the massive build-up of patients waiting for treatment and/or operations; the very thing they're complaining about. The little darlings say their £140,000 pa salary simply isn't enough and they want a further £35,000. Even the student doctors want more than their current pay of £33.000. I'm not sure who else is on strike at the moment, but state school teachers (only in term-time, of course), train drivers, and others are all jumping on the political bandwagon.
PM Rishi Sunak keeps going on about how desperately he wants to stop the boats bringing illegal immigrants from France over to England, but without too much success. The UK has already given France over £200 Million to help stop the crossings, but France (of course) doesn't want them either. If the Border Control folk keep picking them up mid-channel, and bringing them over, there's not much chance of stopping them; is there Rishi!
Of course once in England they need to be housed, fed, given spending money, and offered access to doctors (if they can find any who aren't on strike), and lawyers, etc; exactly as happens in France. Some were to be housed in a huge floating hotel in Portland Dorset; the craft had been specially refurbished for the illegal immigrants (nice comfy carpets, new restaurant, doctor's surgery, citizen's advice centre, etc).
Many of the new arrivals said they really didn't want to stay there; they preferred a 5 star land based hotel. On hearing this one government minister (Lee Anderson) said 'if they don't like it they can f*ck off back to France'. The lovie supporters of the illegals didn't like this one bit; but 99.99% of the population of course agreed with him. We now hear that they've conveniently found 'Legionnaire's Disease' on board, so I imagine the whole project has been put on hold until they've poured a bottle of Dettol down the sink.
With calm Summer water in the channel we can expect many more boats arriving daily on our shores.
Food prices are rising, rents are rising, mortgage rates are rising, blood-pressures are rising, and I quite expect the price of tattoos is also rising. Meanwhile more and more people are desperate to get to the UK, one way or another.
It is reported that the UK has come 3rd in the 'European pothole stakes'. Only Ireland and Italy have worse roads than England. There are simply far too many people using far too many vehicles, and no-one is repairing the damage.
It all sounds a bit chaotic. However, I expect when we return we'll find everything to be 'normal'. People do love to exaggerate. But who knows; we may all soon be eating grass and nettles, and camping outside Waitrose.
"Only Ireland and Italy have worse roads than England." Add regional roads in Australia, often travelled by huge "road trains" some of them aren't even sealed so in rainy weather the heavy vehicles get bogged for days at a time.
ReplyDeleteI think the survey was just in Europe. If they'd included Africa, India, and even Oz, we might have come a more respectable 10th in the world.
DeleteI live in rural Scotland. The pothole situation is awful, however, having just returned from rural Canada, it's not that much worse. On just about every other measure except national mood, things are better in the UK than Canada. One does wonder whether the media aren't, erm, encouraging a downbeat mood in the UK?
ReplyDeleteAs I said, it's the silly season. People love running-down the UK, it has almost become a national sport. Listening to LBC radio through the night, you'd almost think that all government ministers were crazed murderers, and that the UK was on the brink of collapse.
DeleteThanks for cheering me up this morning Cro!
ReplyDeleteI'm here to serve!
DeleteIt's years since I've been back to the UK and after reading your "encouraging" report, I wonder if I'd even recognise it!
ReplyDeleteIt's correct that there are certain things that could be improved, but political posturing tends to exaggerate everything by a mile. Socialism thrives on doom and gloom.
DeleteI had to 'Sign in with Google' six times before getting the box in which to comment. I have now fogotten what I was going to say.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, that was a good larf! So very true and I was well impressed by the Dettol solution!
I have a bottle here in France; pure panacea.
DeleteAn interesting blogpost. Mostly, I don't recognise the picture of England you paint but I must confess that after thirteen years of Tory rule plus their devastating man-made earthquake (Brexit), this is not the country it once was.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the England I recognise either. But if you believed everything you heard on TV, on radio, or in the press, you'd be mighty depressed. It's all electioneering, and painting the blackest of pictures is normal for any opposition party.
DeleteWell, it's all OK here in Suffolk!
ReplyDeleteGood. I quite expect it's the same in Sussex.
DeleteOne not insignificant point to note, Cro...
ReplyDeleteThe doctors and traindrivers are not on strike in Scotland and Wales. Just in England.
That doesn't surprise me. The English are very greedy, then price themselves out of the market.
DeleteSmash the TV set.
ReplyDeleteThey won't allow me!
DeleteI was gobsmacked to hear of a woman with an aggressive cancer who has not had doctor care for several months now because she cannot get an appointment. She got her treatment and has basically been dropped on her head. She's is doing her best, paying attention to nutrition and exercising...but has been doing this independent of medical advice. Here, doctors cannot strike, being considered essential personnel. That's how I understand it, anyhow.
ReplyDeleteI do understand that everyone wants more money, but the consultant Doctors already earn a very good basic salary; demanding another 30% will only add to inflation which is part of the problem. Our PM Rishi Sunak is desperately trying to reduce inflation, the strikers are doing the opposite. People are now waiting for years for treatment; it has become ridiculous, and yet the government is ploughing record amounts into the health service. It's all crazy.
DeleteKids refusing to go to school, choosing to become thieves and then sell stolen goods is no life. This is sad. US mortgage rates are at 7% and the highest in 40 years. We have a shortage of primary care doctors. Many docs retired if they could. We are told to go to walk-in clinics which have popped up on most street corners. I am hearing pharmacists will soon be able to prescribe medication. The message is: "Stay healthy."
ReplyDeleteOur National Health Service (NHS) is the pride of the UK. The government is doing its best to preserve it, but everyone else seems to be trying to wreck it. If they all keep demanding very high salaries, it will soon collapse, and then they will blame the government. You really can't win.
DeleteAs for those kids; no-one seems to care. They run riot in the knowledge that they won't be caught; or only a few.
Things are similar all over... or so it seems to me. Personally I think either there's a plan to spread doom and gloom throughout the world or civilization has simply come to a crossroads. We can only hope that people will come to their senses. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK the idea was to spread Socialism as an alternative to middle-of-the-road politics, but I now hear that many of their followers haven't yet made their minds-up. All this silliness could be working against them.
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