@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
How many former Soviet republics can be at war at one time?
I doubt this will be the last. It's gonna be open season now the Big Bad Bear has been shown to be no such thing.
Rumour that Iran is amassing troops on Armenia border
Unfortunately we are very close to World War breaking out
Yeah, I’m kind of resigned to it, now
The Times was tweeting earlier about all the ways it makes sense for Putin to drop some form of nuclear weapon, or to blow up the Zap plant in a major way. He needs a massive game changer, that could be it
Oh well. It’s been good hanging with all you guys, over the years
For a long time during the first few months of this war I thought it highly likely that tactical nukes would have been used this summer. But they weren't. I am no longer so sure. What does the Kremlin's coldest shark gain militarily?
Chatting to a Bajan heritage lady today, very pro monarchy.
Reckons the way the Royals have behaved towards uppity Meghan Markle is why the Black Commonwealth will skedaddle ASAP.
The fire was there, the accelerant was added.
Have you told her it's all bollocks and the real issue is the way Megan Markle has behaved to the Royal family?
That's partly true and partly not, I would say, but it's simply too important for the Royal Family. She simply has to be brought back into the fold, if they want to maintain an appeal to the Commonwealth and minorities. The monarchy is about symbolism, and it won't be able to cope with and navigate modern culture wars without this symbolism.
Her children are still 6th and 7th in line to the throne, it was her decision to sod off to California.
If really needed George can marry a BME wife in 20 or 30 years
Your psychotic sociopathy is showing there, do you not remember what happened when Charles married a wife who was what was really needed?
Yes, we got the most glamorous and charismatic figure the royal family has had so far into the firm
And we all can agree it worked out perfectly. Unless of course you think The King messed her around - that surely can’t be the case - or that she was the problem - which also can’t be the case as she was charismatic and glamorous.
Maybe it just wasn’t the right match and leave it to George to decide. Seems to work for the PoW.
For the royals it did work out perfectly, certainly in terms of the heir. Charles too has now married Camilla just not had the heir with her.
The British royals are ruthless, that is why they are still there, the Duchess of Cambridge has also brought some working class ancestry into the monarchy as well as sophistication. If some BME blood is required too to make a fully 21st century monarchy, George will be told to do the necessary
I sincerely hope not. He is a person who should be allowed the pleasures of life as much as anyone else.
The royal family has always arranged marriages for the heir to the throne, just no longer someone from the aristocracy or European royalty but someone who will appeal to the public and produce a suitable heir
It may have been that way in the past, but times move on and George has every right to find his own happiness as indeed should everyone
It was the way with Diana, to an extent it was the way with Kate who the Queen also approved of and it will also be the way with George. The marriage of the heir to the throne is the key way of ensuring the heir to the throne continues the brand to the next generation and via their first born too
Let us hope it is not as it is morally wrong and repugnant as is the rest of your paragraph
It is the way the royals have always done it whether you like it or not, arranged marriages for the heir and certainly at least a block on marriages disapproved of eg Wallace Simpson or Camilla when they might be mother of the future monarch
Because it has been done in the past is no excuse to continue the repugnant practise which you seem to condone
Tough, it will always be that way, to ensure the continuation of the line onto the next generation and to preserve the brand
And if George turns out to be gay? Or trans....?
If we had followed the Jacobean line we would currently have a gay King
What?
The heir to the Jacobite/Stuart line of succession, Duke Franz of Bavaria lives with his partner, Dr Thomas Greinwald
But if Henry VIII's will had been respected the Stuart line wouldn't even have started.
Indeed, the Earl of Jersey would now be King
Thanks. I hadn't followed the lines down to the present day.
There are some that interpret the rules as present in 1603 to delegitimise the current Earl as his father had remarried and it goes to Caroline Villiers the 9th Earls daughter from first marriage
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Herefordians still hate the Welsh, but not as much as they hate Worcesterians.
thinking about it a world war makes sense.... we need to slow the velocity of money to curb inflation...doing it by raising interest rates will cripple our debt laden economies.....however what better way than war to stop people spending and slow the velocity of money
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
My college mate took his Nigerian girlfriend back to Wigan in the mid 80's. "Are you related to Ellery Hanley?" Was asked more than a few times. It wasn't necessarily racism. Just unfamiliarity and ignorance. There weren't any black people around in many parts of the country then. And virtually none in a non-comedy or light entertainment role represented on TV.
I am looking forward to tomorrow evening's vigil, which will give us, during the moments of solemnity, the opportunity to reflect on the shaggability or otherwise of Beatrice and Eugenie.
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
i tend to throw away lots of books or give them to charity shops....too many books are a nightmare when you are moving
I don't recall engaging in racist insults as a youth, but we definitely used gay as an insult a lot. Feels very rapid the changes there, more so than with race perhaps.
thinking about it a world war makes sense.... we need to slow the velocity of money to curb inflation...doing it by raising interest rates will cripple our debt laden economies.....however what better way than war to stop people spending and slow the velocity of money
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
How many former Soviet republics can be at war at one time?
I doubt this will be the last. It's gonna be open season now the Big Bad Bear has been shown to be no such thing.
Rumour that Iran is amassing troops on Armenia border
Unfortunately we are very close to World War breaking out
Yeah, I’m kind of resigned to it, now
The Times was tweeting earlier about all the ways it makes sense for Putin to drop some form of nuclear weapon, or to blow up the Zap plant in a major way. He needs a massive game changer, that could be it
Oh well. It’s been good hanging with all you guys, over the years
Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine
There are many problems with that statement. It sounds as though you are making all sorts of restrictive assumptions about what might happen in Ukraine, what might happen in the rest of the world, and how one country can attack another country.
See this report (TASS) of Dmitry Medvedev's response to the Ukrainian government's draft security guarantees document:
"'If these halfwits go ahead with the rampant pumping of the most dangerous types of weapons to the Kiev regime, then sooner or later the military campaign will achieve another level,' he warned.
This campaign, Medvedev stressed, will have no visible borders, while the parties’ actions will turn potentially unpredictable."
The bit that jumped out for me the most was "no visible borders", a notion that covers biowar.
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
I'm at a particular phase when I need to downsize. Lots of books have to go. A particular dilemma is about books owned for years, not read but worth reading. If I haven't read them yet will I ever?
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
That's perhaps intended to be, what, a disarming admission?
Doesn't work.
you are way too serious all the time..lighten up
Yes let's all mock the darkies, what silly billies (I believe is the idiom English) they are.
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
i tend to throw away lots of books or give them to charity shops....too many books are a nightmare when you are moving
I do now regret all the ones I've donated to libraries etc over the years in order to make space. Now I've been able to afford to make sufficient space I'd wish I'd kept hold of them, even the crap ones.
I do have the same number of Tom Knox and Hilary Mantel books. Honestly? Didn't like Wolf Hall.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
My college mate took his Nigerian girlfriend back to Wigan in the mid 80's. "Are you related to Ellery Hanley?" Was asked more than a few times. It wasn't necessarily racism. Just unfamiliarity and ignorance. There weren't any black people around in many parts of the country then. And virtually none in a non-comedy or light entertainment role represented on TV.
to be fair there were lots of muslims in northern england by then
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
I am looking forward to tomorrow evening's vigil, which will give us, during the moments of solemnity, the opportunity to reflect on the shaggability or otherwise of Beatrice and Eugenie.
Oh Good Lord, noooooo. No. No. They look like a pair of frightened stoats
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
Thats impossible. I worked out the inbreeding in Norfolk and it turns out i am personally all 900,000 inhabitants
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
I don't recall engaging in racist insults as a youth, but we definitely used gay as an insult a lot. Feels very rapid the changes there, more so than with race perhaps.
Was playing Game of Life with my 8,9 and 10 year old permanently excluded pupils. All boys. They didn't care whether they had a blue or pink "spouse" peg. When one got knocked on the floor and the kid tried to re-assemble it, it was noticed he'd changed gender by putting the pegs in the wrong place. "You've become transgender!" "Oh yeah. So I have." Nobody cared.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
I really don't remember us doing that in my schooldays,
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
How many former Soviet republics can be at war at one time?
I doubt this will be the last. It's gonna be open season now the Big Bad Bear has been shown to be no such thing.
Rumour that Iran is amassing troops on Armenia border
Unfortunately we are very close to World War breaking out
Yeah, I’m kind of resigned to it, now
The Times was tweeting earlier about all the ways it makes sense for Putin to drop some form of nuclear weapon, or to blow up the Zap plant in a major way. He needs a massive game changer, that could be it
Oh well. It’s been good hanging with all you guys, over the years
Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine
There are many problems with that statement. It sounds as though you are making all sorts of restrictive assumptions about what might happen in Ukraine, what might happen in the rest of the world, and how one country can attack another country.
See this report (TASS) of Dmitry Medvedev's response to the Ukrainian government's draft security guarantees document:
"'If these halfwits go ahead with the rampant pumping of the most dangerous types of weapons to the Kiev regime, then sooner or later the military campaign will achieve another level,' he warned.
This campaign, Medvedev stressed, will have no visible borders, while the parties’ actions will turn potentially unpredictable."
The bit that jumped out for me the most was "no visible borders", a notion that covers biowar.
And as I said if Medvedev and Putin decide to go beyond Ukraine and invade a NATO nation or launch a biological or nuclear weapon against a NATO nation then yes we would be in WW3.
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
I'm at a particular phase when I need to downsize. Lots of books have to go. A particular dilemma is about books owned for years, not read but worth reading. If I haven't read them yet will I ever?
Maybe compromise and keep half the long owned but unread pile?
When I really started trying to make inroads into the pile I encountered some of my favourite series now, but every now and then I go - gods, I just want to read Good Omens or The Martian right now. Yes, I've read them many many times and there's many unread to go, but still
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
My college mate took his Nigerian girlfriend back to Wigan in the mid 80's. "Are you related to Ellery Hanley?" Was asked more than a few times. It wasn't necessarily racism. Just unfamiliarity and ignorance. There weren't any black people around in many parts of the country then. And virtually none in a non-comedy or light entertainment role represented on TV.
to be fair there were lots of muslims in northern england by then
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
I am looking forward to tomorrow evening's vigil, which will give us, during the moments of solemnity, the opportunity to reflect on the shaggability or otherwise of Beatrice and Eugenie.
Oh Good Lord, noooooo. No. No. They look like a pair of frightened stoats
That 'pops is taking us to look at the flowers' look.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
And hills.
Norfolk has plenty of gently rolling low lying hills, its the Westernmost bit, more into Lincolnshire that is flat
Chatting to a Bajan heritage lady today, very pro monarchy.
Reckons the way the Royals have behaved towards uppity Meghan Markle is why the Black Commonwealth will skedaddle ASAP.
The fire was there, the accelerant was added.
Have you told her it's all bollocks and the real issue is the way Megan Markle has behaved to the Royal family?
That's partly true and partly not, I would say, but it's simply too important for the Royal Family. She simply has to be brought back into the fold, if they want to maintain an appeal to the Commonwealth and minorities. The monarchy is about symbolism, and it won't be able to cope with and navigate modern culture wars without this symbolism.
Her children are still 6th and 7th in line to the throne, it was her decision to sod off to California.
If really needed George can marry a BME wife in 20 or 30 years
Your psychotic sociopathy is showing there, do you not remember what happened when Charles married a wife who was what was really needed?
Yes, we got the most glamorous and charismatic figure the royal family has had so far into the firm
And we all can agree it worked out perfectly. Unless of course you think The King messed her around - that surely can’t be the case - or that she was the problem - which also can’t be the case as she was charismatic and glamorous.
Maybe it just wasn’t the right match and leave it to George to decide. Seems to work for the PoW.
For the royals it did work out perfectly, certainly in terms of the heir. Charles too has now married Camilla just not had the heir with her.
The British royals are ruthless, that is why they are still there, the Duchess of Cambridge has also brought some working class ancestry into the monarchy as well as sophistication. If some BME blood is required too to make a fully 21st century monarchy, George will be told to do the necessary
I sincerely hope not. He is a person who should be allowed the pleasures of life as much as anyone else.
The royal family has always arranged marriages for the heir to the throne, just no longer someone from the aristocracy or European royalty but someone who will appeal to the public and produce a suitable heir
It may have been that way in the past, but times move on and George has every right to find his own happiness as indeed should everyone
It was the way with Diana, to an extent it was the way with Kate who the Queen also approved of and it will also be the way with George. The marriage of the heir to the throne is the key way of ensuring the heir to the throne continues the brand to the next generation and via their first born too
Let us hope it is not as it is morally wrong and repugnant as is the rest of your paragraph
It is the way the royals have always done it whether you like it or not, arranged marriages for the heir and certainly at least a block on marriages disapproved of eg Wallace Simpson or Camilla when they might be mother of the future monarch
Because it has been done in the past is no excuse to continue the repugnant practise which you seem to condone
Tough, it will always be that way, to ensure the continuation of the line onto the next generation and to preserve the brand
And if George turns out to be gay? Or trans....?
If we had followed the Jacobean line we would currently have a gay King
What?
The heir to the Jacobite/Stuart line of succession, Duke Franz of Bavaria lives with his partner, Dr Thomas Greinwald
But if Henry VIII's will had been respected the Stuart line wouldn't even have started.
Indeed, the Earl of Jersey would now be King
Thanks. I hadn't followed the lines down to the present day.
There are some that interpret the rules as present in 1603 to delegitimise the current Earl as his father had remarried and it goes to Caroline Villiers the 9th Earls daughter from first marriage
For a line started by Henry VIII's will to be deligitimised by a remarriage would be strange.
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
My sister is aiming to read 365 books this year. She came close last year. She does admittedly include some very short books…
It's doable, you have to let yourself cheat a little! Managed it that same way in 2020, on track so far this year. Multiple short books on weekend days really helps the rate.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
I really don't remember us doing that in my schooldays,
mind you at my school drugs were sold out of the tuck shop....it was all good fun...get stoned then a bit of light racial banter...everyone took it in good heart
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
How many former Soviet republics can be at war at one time?
I doubt this will be the last. It's gonna be open season now the Big Bad Bear has been shown to be no such thing.
Rumour that Iran is amassing troops on Armenia border
Unfortunately we are very close to World War breaking out
Yeah, I’m kind of resigned to it, now
The Times was tweeting earlier about all the ways it makes sense for Putin to drop some form of nuclear weapon, or to blow up the Zap plant in a major way. He needs a massive game changer, that could be it
Oh well. It’s been good hanging with all you guys, over the years
Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine
There are many problems with that statement. It sounds as though you are making all sorts of restrictive assumptions about what might happen in Ukraine, what might happen in the rest of the world, and how one country can attack another country.
See this report (TASS) of Dmitry Medvedev's response to the Ukrainian government's draft security guarantees document:
"'If these halfwits go ahead with the rampant pumping of the most dangerous types of weapons to the Kiev regime, then sooner or later the military campaign will achieve another level,' he warned.
This campaign, Medvedev stressed, will have no visible borders, while the parties’ actions will turn potentially unpredictable."
The bit that jumped out for me the most was "no visible borders", a notion that covers biowar.
And as I said if Medvedev and Putin decide to go beyond Ukraine and invade a NATO nation or launch a biological or nuclear weapon against a NATO nation then yes we would be in WW3.
Yes I agree. But what you said was "Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine".
Chatting to a Bajan heritage lady today, very pro monarchy.
Reckons the way the Royals have behaved towards uppity Meghan Markle is why the Black Commonwealth will skedaddle ASAP.
The fire was there, the accelerant was added.
Have you told her it's all bollocks and the real issue is the way Megan Markle has behaved to the Royal family?
That's partly true and partly not, I would say, but it's simply too important for the Royal Family. She simply has to be brought back into the fold, if they want to maintain an appeal to the Commonwealth and minorities. The monarchy is about symbolism, and it won't be able to cope with and navigate modern culture wars without this symbolism.
Her children are still 6th and 7th in line to the throne, it was her decision to sod off to California.
If really needed George can marry a BME wife in 20 or 30 years
Your psychotic sociopathy is showing there, do you not remember what happened when Charles married a wife who was what was really needed?
Yes, we got the most glamorous and charismatic figure the royal family has had so far into the firm
And we all can agree it worked out perfectly. Unless of course you think The King messed her around - that surely can’t be the case - or that she was the problem - which also can’t be the case as she was charismatic and glamorous.
Maybe it just wasn’t the right match and leave it to George to decide. Seems to work for the PoW.
For the royals it did work out perfectly, certainly in terms of the heir. Charles too has now married Camilla just not had the heir with her.
The British royals are ruthless, that is why they are still there, the Duchess of Cambridge has also brought some working class ancestry into the monarchy as well as sophistication. If some BME blood is required too to make a fully 21st century monarchy, George will be told to do the necessary
I sincerely hope not. He is a person who should be allowed the pleasures of life as much as anyone else.
The royal family has always arranged marriages for the heir to the throne, just no longer someone from the aristocracy or European royalty but someone who will appeal to the public and produce a suitable heir
It may have been that way in the past, but times move on and George has every right to find his own happiness as indeed should everyone
It was the way with Diana, to an extent it was the way with Kate who the Queen also approved of and it will also be the way with George. The marriage of the heir to the throne is the key way of ensuring the heir to the throne continues the brand to the next generation and via their first born too
Let us hope it is not as it is morally wrong and repugnant as is the rest of your paragraph
It is the way the royals have always done it whether you like it or not, arranged marriages for the heir and certainly at least a block on marriages disapproved of eg Wallace Simpson or Camilla when they might be mother of the future monarch
Because it has been done in the past is no excuse to continue the repugnant practise which you seem to condone
Tough, it will always be that way, to ensure the continuation of the line onto the next generation and to preserve the brand
And if George turns out to be gay? Or trans....?
If we had followed the Jacobean line we would currently have a gay King
What?
The heir to the Jacobite/Stuart line of succession, Duke Franz of Bavaria lives with his partner, Dr Thomas Greinwald
But if Henry VIII's will had been respected the Stuart line wouldn't even have started.
Indeed, the Earl of Jersey would now be King
Thanks. I hadn't followed the lines down to the present day.
There are some that interpret the rules as present in 1603 to delegitimise the current Earl as his father had remarried and it goes to Caroline Villiers the 9th Earls daughter from first marriage
For a line started by Henry VIII's will to be deligitimised by a remarriage would be strange.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the loveliest county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Dorset and Norfolk for me.
Cornwall is my other neverwhere
my favourite counties Devon North Yorkshire Cumbria Dorset Sussex
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the most lovely county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
The Spread! Great pub
That was one of them
Also the Bowlers - the Bowling Green, the Bunch of Grapes, the Saracen’s Head, and the Imp
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
My sister is aiming to read 365 books this year. She came close last year. She does admittedly include some very short books…
It's doable, you have to let yourself cheat a little! Managed it that same way in 2020, on track so far this year. Multiple short books on weekend days really helps the rate.
Suggestion: "My Life and Hard Times" by James Thurber; 115 pages, nine quasi-autobiographical short stories.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the most lovely county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
The Spread! Great pub
That was one of them
Also the Bowlers - the Bowling Green, the Bunch of Grapes, the Saracen’s Head, and the Imp
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the loveliest county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
We’re you at the Cathedral School? Remember a visit to Hereford with a mate who was there before transferring for sixth form and we had to go and pay homage to the Spread Eagle.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Been to every county in England, Wales and Scotland. It may be that there is no place in Great Britain more than 20 miles from where I have visited.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
And hills.
Norfolk has plenty of gently rolling low lying hills, its the Westernmost bit, more into Lincolnshire that is flat
Hereforshire is hillier, more rugged but also less densely populated (and managed); Norfolk is greener and wetter (non-political sense anyway); both are places of some charm and considerable beauty.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
would still like to visit Norwich someday
It has a very impressive cathedral.
Greatest city on the planet. At a canter. I might be biased
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Been to every county in England, Wales and Scotland. It may be that there is no place in Great Britain more than 20 miles from where I have visited.
Twitching rare birds will do that.
I *think* my railway adventures have taken me to every county in England.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
I really don't remember us doing that in my schooldays,
mind you at my school drugs were sold out of the tuck shop....it was all good fun...get stoned then a bit of light racial banter...everyone took it in good heart
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the most lovely county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
The Spread! Great pub
That was one of them
Also the Bowlers - the Bowling Green, the Bunch of Grapes, the Saracen’s Head, and the Imp
Not a Belmont boy then. Theirs was the Lich.
No
Hereford High which became Aylestone comp. And is now quite shit, apparently
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
interesting tweet here that the poor in Slovenia are better off than the poor in the uk. Outside the SE of England and one or two major cities the UK is becoming quite a relatively poor country
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Been to every county in England, Wales and Scotland. It may be that there is no place in Great Britain more than 20 miles from where I have visited.
Twitching rare birds will do that.
I *think* my railway adventures have taken me to every county in England.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Might just be me, but I have a thing about Ellie: those eyes, that mouth!
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Might just be me, but I have a thing about Ellie: those eyes, that mouth!
Re; Ben Okri, I haven't followed his latest works, but looking up I saw that he's got too recent books out - "the age of magic" and "the freedom artist". I agree with you that he's a good, richly imaginative writer.
He wrote this quite nice piece about the Queen last week, which got very little exposure. I don't agree with everythng he says, but I think it's broadly good , and it's striking how he reveals more by taking such a different tone to the ultra-secular tone of the majority of modern society, but also remaining liberal and open. I haven't see a single other writer or journalist cover it in this sort of way.
"Queen Elizabeth ruled at a time when the spiritual energy of the world was moving from a male-centred universe to one desperately in need of feminine energies. After two world wars, after the toxicity of Nazism, which was male energy at its most disordered and insane, what the world truly needed, at the level of its subconscious, was a female force, a stable, balancing, presence."
Interesting that there are Okri fans on here - I thought Famished Road was one of most turgid things I had ever read, as did the friend who lent it to me. Another (bookshop-owning) friend finds his books sell to the sort of people she describews as 'shelf-decorators'.
Yes not for everyone. A bit like Mantel or, yes, Proust or even JJ himself. You've got to give yourself over completely to their world. If so much as your big toe remains outside it's all over.
And yet Mantel and Proust are fine for me (haven't read Joyce). The big modern worldbuilder for me is John Crowley. The Aegypt cycle is extremely dense and rewarding.
Are you saying that people have different tastes in literature???
I will have to give it a go never heard of him, embarrassing to say.
As for the "shelf-decorators" it begs two questions - first, are there really people who buy books just so they can have an impressive bookcase; and secondly, the more important question - what proportion of your books should you legitimately not have read and be planning to.
Re the shelf-decorators: yes, I can attest to this as a former bookseller myself. Keys are: they buy hardbacks; they won't buy more than one by any given author; prizewinners are important; the author's name needs to be very visible from a distance. I've heard people talk about who's getting 'demoted' to make room for a current big name. Mantel was v. popular because of the size of her Wolf Hall series.
What proportion of books can you have unread, but be planning to? For me it's currently running at around 5%: nearly 3000 books, of which around 150 are on the 'to be read' shelves.
Joyce: no, haven't got round to him yet. Even at around 100 books a year, there's only so much I can get through.
I use the Library Thing website to keep a track of my books. Currently just under 4000 of which I have read about 2/3rds. Like you, I try to read 100 books a year but rarely ever hit the target. Normally around 80-90. So I reckon that as long as I live a reasonably long life I still have plenty of time to finish all the books I own but have not yet read.
4000 is _very_impressive. I've known a lot of people who say they've got 'thousands of books', and when I go around... not quite so many.
I'm probably going to be around 80-90 this year, partly due to reading some chunky books - Don Quixote, Tom Jones and the like.
Have you come across the Japenese concept of 'tsundoku'? The library of books that you own, and will reads, but haven't yet. Considered a sign of an open mind.
I had heard of it but until you mentioned it could not have told you the name. I like it very much as a concept. My intent is to read every book I own. Whether I will achieve that or not I don't know but I think it a worthy aim.
I try and split my reading equally between fiction and non-fiction. And the fiction ranges from classics to the utterly commonplace airport paperbacks by people like Tom Knox.
Good system.
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
i tend to throw away lots of books or give them to charity shops....too many books are a nightmare when you are moving
I give away non-reference books when I finish them. I know that I have too much on my unread bookshelves to ever read something twice. I do have a fair sized reference section though.
@WarMonitor3 "The Kyrgyzstani Parliament has now stated that if the “Invasion” of its territory by Tajikistani Forces is not ceased by morning than a State of Martial Law will exist and a General Mobilization will be ordered within the Country."
How many former Soviet republics can be at war at one time?
I doubt this will be the last. It's gonna be open season now the Big Bad Bear has been shown to be no such thing.
Rumour that Iran is amassing troops on Armenia border
Unfortunately we are very close to World War breaking out
Yeah, I’m kind of resigned to it, now
The Times was tweeting earlier about all the ways it makes sense for Putin to drop some form of nuclear weapon, or to blow up the Zap plant in a major way. He needs a massive game changer, that could be it
Oh well. It’s been good hanging with all you guys, over the years
Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine
There are many problems with that statement. It sounds as though you are making all sorts of restrictive assumptions about what might happen in Ukraine, what might happen in the rest of the world, and how one country can attack another country.
See this report (TASS) of Dmitry Medvedev's response to the Ukrainian government's draft security guarantees document:
"'If these halfwits go ahead with the rampant pumping of the most dangerous types of weapons to the Kiev regime, then sooner or later the military campaign will achieve another level,' he warned.
This campaign, Medvedev stressed, will have no visible borders, while the parties’ actions will turn potentially unpredictable."
The bit that jumped out for me the most was "no visible borders", a notion that covers biowar.
And as I said if Medvedev and Putin decide to go beyond Ukraine and invade a NATO nation or launch a biological or nuclear weapon against a NATO nation then yes we would be in WW3.
Yes I agree. But what you said was "Unless he invades a NATO nation there won't be a world war whatever happens in Ukraine".
The fact is that any conventional war between the west and Russia wouldn't last very long. Hard for you to admit it I know. So all Russia can really do is sabre rattle about nuclear weapons. But so can others too.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
would still like to visit Norwich someday
It has a very impressive cathedral.
Greatest city on the planet. At a canter. I might be biased
Herefordshire is lovely. You are genuinely missing out
It now has a great foodie culture, you can eat really well in dozens of gastropubs. Wonderful produce. Same over the border in Shropshire - Ludlow is foodie heaven
Pevsner called Herefordshire the “least spoiled county in England” and that is still true. It’s relative remoteness and unimportance has saved it
It is up there with Devon, Suffolk and Dorset for rural beauty, the best of classic English countryside
Cornwall.Cumbria and Northumberland are also fine places, but hugely different and more rugged
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Might just be me, but I have a thing about Ellie: those eyes, that mouth!
interesting tweet here that the poor in Slovenia are better off than the poor in the uk. Outside the SE of England and one or two major cities the UK is becoming quite a relatively poor country
The median is well above, even after adjusting for higher house prices (which is real asset value) and without adjusting for the much more generous pension welfare state than in Slovenia, so why does Burn-Murdoch describe the US or UK as a "poor society" except that the FT has a political axe to grind?
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Been to every county in England, Wales and Scotland. It may be that there is no place in Great Britain more than 20 miles from where I have visited.
Twitching rare birds will do that.
I *think* my railway adventures have taken me to every county in England.
Have you done the 4 heritage lines in Norfolk?
No, but I popped over to have a look at the North Norfolk's Sheringham station when I did the National Rail network's Sheringham branch. Also alighted at Norwich, Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the loveliest county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
We’re you at the Cathedral School? Remember a visit to Hereford with a mate who was there before transferring for sixth form and we had to go and pay homage to the Spread Eagle.
I was very taken withe the chained library at Hereford cathedral. Also, the mappa mundi there has what I think may be the first iteration of the duck/rabbit optical illusion.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
And hills.
Norfolk has plenty of gently rolling low lying hills, its the Westernmost bit, more into Lincolnshire that is flat
Hereforshire is hillier, more rugged but also less densely populated (and managed); Norfolk is greener and wetter (non-political sense anyway); both are places of some charm and considerable beauty.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the loveliest county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
We’re you at the Cathedral School? Remember a visit to Hereford with a mate who was there before transferring for sixth form and we had to go and pay homage to the Spread Eagle.
Yes, Cathedral. There were 4 main schools: Cathedral, Belmont (the catholic school), Aylestone, Bishops and Whitecross. Whitecross was the rough one.
Anyone who’s not visited Herefordshire do a long weekend there next April. Stay somewhere in South Herefordshire like Orcop or Garway, visit the Black Mountains and Llantony priory, Skenfrith, Kilpeck church, the villages around the Woolhope dome, the Wye around Sellack and Hoarwithy, then head North to the black and white villages like Eardisland, Pembridge and Weobley and onwards towards the Shropshire border and Stokesay castle
And eat in the many wonderful places scattered around the county. My favourite recent find being “under the nut tree”, a barn and garden doing fire pit roasts with BYOB, run by the Aussie who used to do the puppetry of the penis show.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Might just be me, but I have a thing about Ellie: those eyes, that mouth!
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
And hills.
Norfolk has plenty of gently rolling low lying hills, its the Westernmost bit, more into Lincolnshire that is flat
Hereforshire is hillier, more rugged but also less densely populated (and managed); Norfolk is greener and wetter (non-political sense anyway); both are places of some charm and considerable beauty.
Norfolk wetter than Herefordshire? I'm shocked
It’s not. But Herefordshire isn’t particularly wet because of the rain shadow of the Black Mountains.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
would still like to visit Norwich someday
It has a very impressive cathedral.
Greatest city on the planet. At a canter. I might be biased
Herefordshire is lovely. You are genuinely missing out
It now has a great foodie culture, you can eat really well in dozens of gastropubs. Wonderful produce. Same over the border in Shropshire - Ludlow is foodie heaven
Pevsner called Herefordshire the “least spoiled county in England” and that is still true. It’s relative remoteness and unimportance has saved it
It is up there with Devon, Suffolk and Dorset for rural beauty, the best of classic English countryside
Cornwall.Cumbria and Northumberland are also fine places, but hugely different and more rugged
Oh id love to visit it, i will do at some point. I agree with the rest (not been to Cornwall though) although i'd note Suffolk suffers from having Ipswich and Felixstowe and being not Norfolk and therefore not as good, or beautiful! Ill admit the Dedham Vale is feckin lovely though
Seattle Times - Debates in WA set for U.S. Senate, House, secretary of state races
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and challenger Tiffany Smiley have been invited to two debates scheduled for late October, the Washington State Debate Coalition announced Friday.
The first event, billed as a candidate forum, will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Gonzaga University in Spokane. The second event is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Seattle University.
Smiley, a Pasco veteran’s advocate, had been pressing Murray to agree to debates for weeks, expressing frustration at a delay in getting dates set. Murray had pledged to debate but was negotiating details with organizers in recent days.
Other debates announced by the debate coalition Friday and invited candidates include:
Saturday, Oct. 15: 26th Legislative District debate. Invited to the debate are incumbent state Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, and Republican challenger, state Rep. Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor. 3 p.m. at the Norm Dicks Government Center in Bremerton.
Tuesday, Oct. 18: Secretary of State debate. Invited to this debate are incumbent Steve Hobbs and Julie Anderson, the Pierce County auditor, who is running as a nonpartisan candidate. 7 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
Tuesday, Oct. 25: 9th Congressional District debate. U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, and Republican challenger Doug Basler have been invited to the 2 p.m. event at Seattle University.
Friday, Oct. 28: 8th Congressional District debate. U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Sammamish, and Republican challenger Matt Larkin are invited to the 7 p.m. event at Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
Details about debate moderators, media panelists and how to submit questions for candidates will be announced in the coming weeks. The debates will be broadcast by multiple media outlets and will be produced by TVW, the state’s public-affairs network.
The Washington State Debate Coalition, founded in 2016, includes civic, media and educational groups across the state, led by Seattle City Club.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
only 2 counties ive never been to are Herefordshire and Norfolk
Herefordshire is the loveliest county in England.
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
We’re you at the Cathedral School? Remember a visit to Hereford with a mate who was there before transferring for sixth form and we had to go and pay homage to the Spread Eagle.
Yes, Cathedral. There were 4 main schools: Cathedral, Belmont (the catholic school), Aylestone, Bishops and Whitecross. Whitecross was the rough one.
Anyone who’s not visited Herefordshire do a long weekend there next April. Stay somewhere in South Herefordshire like Orcop or Garway, visit the Black Mountains and Llantony priory, Skenfrith, Kilpeck church, the villages around the Woolhope dome, the Wye around Sellack and Hoarwithy, then head North to the black and white villages like Eardisland, Pembridge and Weobley and onwards towards the Shropshire border and Stokesay castle
And eat in the many wonderful places scattered around the county. My favourite recent find being “under the nut tree”, a barn and garden doing fire pit roasts with BYOB, run by the Aussie who used to do the puppetry of the penis show.
An excellent list. I would add Garway church itself - a uniquely rare round Templar church, Abbey Dore, a walk in Golden Valley, a night in Craswall valley (if you can find a place to stay) one of the eeriest yet loveliest corners of the UK
Also stay in the Green Dragon in Hereford, a magnificently knackered old coaching inn, with glorious views of the cathedral
And the Forest of Dean, Ross on Wye and Symond’s Yat, or maybe a nibble at the Malverns? That’s a brilliant loooong weekend
During my recent walking tour of the Alentejano Coast is struck me how densely storied Britain is compared to much of Europe (let alone the rest of the world). You can’t walk 3 miles in rural England without stumbling over a mediaeval church or a mad old house or a Civil War battlefield or a forest full of witches or whatever. Or castles. Castles everywhere!
Nowhere is truly empty and wild, which is sad in a way, but it also makes everywhere interesting
Sorry if this has been noted already. Is the idea that royal duty is a 'lie' the best way of attracting the couple of million of Tory voters Labour needs fairly soon?
Maybe there are many believers, but I doubt if they voted Tory last time.
Anyone who doubts Labour's capacity to lose the next election needs to think again. And bet according.
I don't dispute your key premise, Labour will quite likely get an absolute spanking from Liz in 2024/5, but Clive Lewis speaks for Clive Lewis not the Labour Party.
Is the Harry & Megs hayterz situation another of those not all Xers are racists but all racists are Xers things?
i remember at my school we used to make monkey sounds when black students walked by the classroom.....it was all in good fun of course and even the black students laughed along....wasnt that long ago either
Your anecdote doesn't surprise me at all. Overt racism and defensive laughter were quite common in my youth too.
You weren’t a very nice youth, then
Racist banter and jokes were certainly normal then. I am not proud of some of the jokes I made then, but certainly wouldn't make them now.
It was the same in Hereford, for me, age 10
I remember when Hereford United played West Ham in the FA Cup - they were several divisions above us and it was all very exciting. The Hammers had a couple of black players. Black people were a total rarity in Herefordshire then, I don’t think I ever saw one before the 80s
Us Hereford fans thought it incredibly amusing to do monkey chants and hurl bananas whenever the black players touched the ball
It makes me cringe with shame just to write that
I don’t think it was pure racism. It was just another way of mocking and insulting the opposing players, with extra motifs of racism. I doubt people in Hereford thought about “race” from one day to the next. Everyone was white, that was life
i went back to Hereford a couple of years ago and was astonished to see quite a few black people, apparently happily assimilated, drinking in loud exuberant mixed race groups in the pubs I used to frequent, Not a hint of racism or even awareness of any difference
Hereford is Ellie Goulding and misery in layers. Or so I am told, herefordshire is one of only 2 counties of England ive hever been to
Imagine Norfolk but with considerably more inbreeding.
would still like to visit Norwich someday
It has a very impressive cathedral.
Greatest city on the planet. At a canter. I might be biased
Herefordshire is lovely. You are genuinely missing out
It now has a great foodie culture, you can eat really well in dozens of gastropubs. Wonderful produce. Same over the border in Shropshire - Ludlow is foodie heaven
Pevsner called Herefordshire the “least spoiled county in England” and that is still true. It’s relative remoteness and unimportance has saved it
It is up there with Devon, Suffolk and Dorset for rural beauty, the best of classic English countryside
Cornwall.Cumbria and Northumberland are also fine places, but hugely different and more rugged
Oh id love to visit it, i will do at some point. I agree with the rest (not been to Cornwall though) although i'd note Suffolk suffers from having Ipswich and Felixstowe and being not Norfolk and therefore not as good, or beautiful! Ill admit the Dedham Vale is feckin lovely though
Yes, Hereford does not have an Ipswich or a Felixtowe, or an Exeter like Devon, or a St Austell or a Camborne or a horrible old mining shithole like places in Northumberland, nor the saunas of Plymouth
There is not one single horrible town in Herefordshire. Not one. It can be poor or run down but it is always picturesque, there is no industry, there are no high rise buildings, there is no real motorway - which is what Pevsner was driving at, and he is still right
Aesthetically it is closer to a lost but lovely part of France, like, say, Lozere
Comments
I do have some classy leatherbound 'classics' for the look of things, but am working my way through them lest anyone thing they were merely for decoration. I tend to have a non-fiction on the go, varying from days to weeks depending on length and readability, as I work through the fiction. Sometimes you have to pull up a forgettable, boilerplate thriller or detective story after a heavier work.
I have managed a book a day for a year before, but it was a bit of a cheat, quite a lot of 150-200 pageturners. Even so, I'm in awe of these 3000-4000 collections. A 'mere' 1250ish.
And I go for paperbacks - takes up less space.
"Are you related to Ellery Hanley?" Was asked more than a few times. It wasn't necessarily racism. Just unfamiliarity and ignorance. There weren't any black people around in many parts of the country then.
And virtually none in a non-comedy or light entertainment role represented on TV.
See this report (TASS) of Dmitry Medvedev's response to the Ukrainian government's draft security guarantees document:
https://tass.com/world/1506961
"'If these halfwits go ahead with the rampant pumping of the most dangerous types of weapons to the Kiev regime, then sooner or later the military campaign will achieve another level,' he warned.
This campaign, Medvedev stressed, will have no visible borders, while the parties’ actions will turn potentially unpredictable."
The bit that jumped out for me the most was "no visible borders", a notion that covers biowar.
I do have the same number of Tom Knox and Hilary Mantel books. Honestly? Didn't like Wolf Hall.
They look like a pair of frightened stoats
"You've become transgender!"
"Oh yeah. So I have."
Nobody cared.
When I really started trying to make inroads into the pile I encountered some of my favourite series now, but every now and then I go - gods, I just want to read Good Omens or The Martian right now. Yes, I've read them many many times and there's many unread to go, but still
Which pubs did you frequent, Leon? I was a fan of the Barrels but my school’s official pub was the Spread Eagle.
Devon
North Yorkshire
Cumbria
Dorset
Sussex
That was one of them
Also the Bowlers - the Bowling Green, the Bunch of Grapes, the Saracen’s Head, and the Imp
Twitching rare birds will do that.
I might be biased
thart in a thpacethuit is my thinking.
Hereford High which became Aylestone comp. And is now quite shit, apparently
I had a ton of fun at Hereford 6th form College.
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1570832839318605824?s=20&t=os5o_WoW-5xg9YuP0Kao2A
It now has a great foodie culture, you can eat really well in dozens of gastropubs. Wonderful produce. Same over the border in Shropshire - Ludlow is foodie heaven
Pevsner called Herefordshire the “least spoiled county in England” and that is still true. It’s relative remoteness and unimportance has saved it
It is up there with Devon, Suffolk and Dorset for rural beauty, the best of classic English countryside
Cornwall.Cumbria and Northumberland are also fine places, but hugely different and more rugged
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-62932781
The dark underbelly of queueing life
Anyone who’s not visited Herefordshire do a long weekend there next April. Stay somewhere in South Herefordshire like Orcop or Garway, visit the Black Mountains and Llantony priory, Skenfrith, Kilpeck church, the villages around the Woolhope dome, the Wye around Sellack and Hoarwithy, then head North to the black and white villages like Eardisland, Pembridge and Weobley and onwards towards the Shropshire border and Stokesay castle
And eat in the many wonderful places scattered around the county. My favourite recent find being “under the nut tree”, a barn and garden doing fire pit roasts with BYOB, run by the Aussie who used to do the puppetry of the penis show.
I agree with the rest (not been to Cornwall though) although i'd note Suffolk suffers from having Ipswich and Felixstowe and being not Norfolk and therefore not as good, or beautiful! Ill admit the Dedham Vale is feckin lovely though
Queue Thread
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and challenger Tiffany Smiley have been invited to two debates scheduled for late October, the Washington State Debate Coalition announced Friday.
The first event, billed as a candidate forum, will take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Gonzaga University in Spokane. The second event is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Seattle University.
Smiley, a Pasco veteran’s advocate, had been pressing Murray to agree to debates for weeks, expressing frustration at a delay in getting dates set. Murray had pledged to debate but was negotiating details with organizers in recent days.
Other debates announced by the debate coalition Friday and invited candidates include:
Saturday, Oct. 15: 26th Legislative District debate. Invited to the debate are incumbent state Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, and Republican challenger, state Rep. Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor. 3 p.m. at the Norm Dicks Government Center in Bremerton.
Tuesday, Oct. 18: Secretary of State debate. Invited to this debate are incumbent Steve Hobbs and Julie Anderson, the Pierce County auditor, who is running as a nonpartisan candidate. 7 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
Tuesday, Oct. 25: 9th Congressional District debate. U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, and Republican challenger Doug Basler have been invited to the 2 p.m. event at Seattle University.
Friday, Oct. 28: 8th Congressional District debate. U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Sammamish, and Republican challenger Matt Larkin are invited to the 7 p.m. event at Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
Details about debate moderators, media panelists and how to submit questions for candidates will be announced in the coming weeks. The debates will be broadcast by multiple media outlets and will be produced by TVW, the state’s public-affairs network.
The Washington State Debate Coalition, founded in 2016, includes civic, media and educational groups across the state, led by Seattle City Club.
Also stay in the Green Dragon in Hereford, a magnificently knackered old coaching inn, with glorious views of the cathedral
And the Forest of Dean, Ross on Wye and Symond’s Yat, or maybe a nibble at the Malverns? That’s a brilliant loooong weekend
During my recent walking tour of the Alentejano Coast is struck me how densely storied Britain is compared to much of Europe (let alone the rest of the world). You can’t walk 3 miles in rural England without stumbling over a mediaeval church or a mad old house or a Civil War battlefield or a forest full of witches or whatever. Or castles. Castles everywhere!
Nowhere is truly empty and wild, which is sad in a way, but it also makes everywhere interesting
There is not one single horrible town in Herefordshire. Not one. It can be poor or run down but it is always picturesque, there is no industry, there are no high rise buildings, there is no real motorway - which is what Pevsner was driving at, and he is still right
Aesthetically it is closer to a lost but lovely part of France, like, say, Lozere