Category: Pic of the week

Pick of the week 10/7/16

Went to BST to see Take That in Hyde Park on Saturday.

A long day, left early, parked in Osterly tube station (easy – do so again), went into “town” before heading to Hyde Park.

Hung out in a field with my (beautiful) wife for eight hours until the main event – and they were fab!

Don’t get the whole “festival thing” (and this was festival lite) – lots of sitting around in a field waiting (at least the weather was OK!), I think there is an element of Emperor’s new clothes about festivals, but was worth it for the main event.  Take That were brilliant (would have expected nothing less).  Would do it again, but would arrive until later in the day.

Pic of the week 26/7/16

Woke with a little anticipation on Friday morning and headed downstairs to check the referendum result, fully expecting a vote to Remain.

I was staggered, stunned and somewhat frightened to see that we’d voted to leave by 52% to 48%.

I was surprised by the result and also a little surprised by my reaction and how much doom and gloom it has filled me with since.

In the run up to the referendum I’d flipped and flopped between in and out and, if I’m honest, for some time I was an “outer”, although I think I secretly hoped that if I voted out the country would vote to remain.

About 10 days before the referendum, my thoughts crystallised and I become a convinced remainer. Although it pained me that voting to stay in the EU would give some legitimacy to the bloated and corrupt bureaucracy that is the EU, this couldn’t negate the positives of the EU (freedom of movement, the EU is about the only institution big enough and capable of taking on corporate giants like Microsoft & Google etc.) and, at the end of the day, the UK has (had?) the 5th biggest economy in the world and why would you do anything to jeopardize that?

I was quite surprised with my strength of feeling as I put my “X” in the box to Remain, having fully realised that it was the best course of action. And to discover, on Friday, we’d voted out has left me fearful for the future. Who knows how it will play out? Perhaps it will all work out for the best, perhaps the status quo will remain, but in the short (to medium) term, we’re in for one bumpy, bumpy ride. I feel quite angry towards my fellow brits who have allowed hype and fear of immigration to lead them to make the decision they have made. I really do think that most outers voted as a “two fingered salute” to the political classes without fully understanding what they have done. And the sad thing is is that it is those that voted out will proboably be those that suffer the most. They’ve been sold a pup by Farage, Johnson and Gove and we’ll end up paying the bill.

A sad day.

Pic of the week 29/5/16

It’s been a big week that has seen Sophie’s GCSEs start in earnest, with two English exams, maths and a geography exam.

She’s worked hard – as her room testifies! – so I’m sure she’ll do well. She’s been taking it comfortably in her stride, a brief respite for half term now and then back for two more weeks.  She finishes term even earlier than me this year!