Hi Everyone
Dot and I live within two miles of where we were born, an area just on the southern boundary of Stoke on Trent known throughout the world as the Potteries. Now what was once a shop is working as a small charity dedicated to providing advice and support to people suffering from cancer. This week I decided to do a small fundraising event for them. One thing among many changes that have taken place is that there is now a micro pub almost opposite where the Fruit, Vegetable, Flower, Lolly, and Game shop used to be. The idea was to paint a picture of what the area was like 75 years ago when I was 10 years old. It was suggested that would make a good venue for my talk. At that time the country was described as a nation of shopkeepers and when you list the diversity of shops there were at that time, you begin to realise the devasting effect it had on many shopping streets across the country with the rise of the supermarket, DIY superstores, and industrial type sheds providing out of town shopping for furniture, clothing etc. In sharing memories, however, the one thing that I realised above any of the changes that have taken place was the freedom that we enjoyed as children. We went on our own to school and played in the streets in the holidays from early morning until often as it became dark. When you now look along those streets they are permanently full of cars. As children, we could play in those streets, only running to the pavement about twice in the whole day to let a car pass. Very few working people could afford a car. On Saturday afternoons in the summer, a gang of boys and girls went to the woods with our bottle of water and maybe a jar to collect frog spawn. Our parents never worried that we might not be acting irresponsibly or in danger. We had no televisions, mobile phones, or for most people, no phone at all. Now we talk about poverty and children going hungry yet all the streets are full of cars with practically everyone owning a TV and mobile phone. Back then life was tough for many people but there was a real community spirit and a work ethic that has somehow slipped away. Perhaps it is worth reminding people about life 75 years ago.
Don't we all love a penguin? Wherever they appear on a TV nature programme, I am transfixed even though Dot reminds me that I have seen it ten times before. After seeing them, I find myself waddling from side to side across the lounge floor only managing to entertain myself rather than anyone else. Now I read that one particular penquin has 15,000 followers on Facebook, probably even more than Boris has at the moment, and has been crowned the world's favorite penguin. Spike has lived at Birdland in the Cotswolds since his birth in 2007. He apparently gained the most votes in a global competition organised by Penguin International. Now I have a problem. Why was it that I did not get the opportunity to cast my vote as I had spotted a few thousand equally attractive penguins in the Antarctic who had never heard of Penguin International and, to my knowledge, there are no penguins on the organisations management committee. Another example of unequal opportunities and vote rigging to the disadvantage of other penguins across the world. Just going off now the prepare my placard. If you don't get an edition of this Rubbish next week I will have either been arrested, tasered or water cannoned unless Spike manages to bail me out.
As a difficult teenager when the Senior Partner asked me in a stern voice if I wanted her advice, it was a mere formality as it didn't matter whether I said yes or no as she was going to give me her advise (or was it threat) anyway. I think that she said something like "You'll never learn". Come to think of it I seem to remember that Dot told me that last week.
Just a Thought :
What do you call a penguin in the desert? Lost
We never grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
Brian
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