Tuesday, 9 June 2015

A boat to hope



9 June

We went out for a ride around yesterday afternoon, and nice ride out it turned out to be. Our first stop was the local post office to pay a bill, followed by a ride up the A5 to Tamworth where we did our shopping at the Asda Superstore there for a change. We also called into Currys and bought a small cd/radio player which I had been thinking about for a few weeks now. I’m not over fussed in having a radio playing all day, especially if I’m trying to write or read. Jan however, is quite happy to have it playing quietly in the back-ground, particularly Smooth FM. When she is out I’ll have me War of the Worlds and Tubular Bells on; Jan isn’t fussed about those two.

Last weekend we didn’t have Kile here seeing he was just back from French France, so Jan had offered to have him this coming weekend. Jan called Sam and asked about him coming to us this weekend and reminded him that all kids were due for the weekend. His response was, ‘That’s why I’m going to grans this weekend.’ When Jan told me about it I laughed but then thought of something I hadn’t about for a long time. When Tom was about 4 or 5 years old we took him down into town for the first ‘Victorian Night’ and the switching on of the Christmas lights. The town was packed solid! Jan wasn’t at all happy being in such a crowed and Tom picked it up from her I think. From that day Ton was never happy in large crowds. Kile is following him in that now.

According to the news on telly, 100,000 people have arrived in Southern Europe by illegally crossing the Med. It makes me wonder about the true numbers who didn’t make it. These numbers are staggering. They leave their homes and head off and pay scammers to get them over the Mediterranean. The money these people make must be huge. Many that are questioned say they want to come here to Britain. They see us as being a wealthy country where everyone is rich. I suppose in comparison to where they come from then we are indeed rich.

What they don’t see and see are the numbers of others who have drowned trying to do the same as they are; they don’t see before they leave home is the food banks feeding so many of our own poor people, the growing number of homeless people and the squalid conditions that even more scammers let them live at huge costs. Nor do they hear about the gang masters who get them working for such low pay that would cause their employers to be taken to task if they paid UK workers the same rate. They don’t hear about the latest government crackdown on welfare payments for immigrants. They don’t hear about the numbers of people who are sent back home, even if we might thing that the figure isn’t very high.

No, they see any of that and even if they do, they think the risk is worth it. How sad that these people live such poor lives that are willing to risk all to get here.

Today’s photo … 

Some passengers on the Tube.

Today’s funny …

Q: What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?    A: Every morning you'll rise and shine!

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