How much Stile do you have?

Slab stile, St Lythan's Church, near Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan

If you use Twitter, it's very easy to be drawn into the depths of despair reading the widespread crap you find on that platform, or knowing that anything someone posts seems to draw one of two responses. Either people agree 100% with you, or people 100% disagree with you often in the most unpleasant way. Whatever the subject (and Brexit and Covid are the two prime examples) or whether blue is black and white is gold Twitter can be disheartening place to be sometimes. But then every now and then you come across some gems that you'd never have come across if you hadn't been trawling the bird. And what could be more gently entertaining than finding out about a competition to find everyone's* favourite stile?

(*everyone that voted that is!)

I first came across this because I'm an avid follower of Quintin Lake on Twitter. He's an architectural photographer who also loves walking and photographing his journeys. A couple of years ago  he walked and photographed the entire coastline of Britain on a humungous project he called The Perimeter. This was fascinating enough on its own, and he's still publishing his photo blog on this mammoth undertaking, but one by-product of this was a post he put on Twitter last year concerning the "Stile Cup" which (unsurprisingly) I'd never heard of before. That's a beauty of Twitter - you'll occasionally come across a post linking to people or things that you'd never have done so in the normal course of things, and it can open up a whole new world. And so it was here. There is a Twitter user named @LakeStiles who posts all sorts of photos of stiles and gates (bear with me, I'm a country boy at heart). This Twitter user also runs an annual "Stile Cup", where other Twitter users can send in images of interesting stiles, which are then voted on in groups of four by followers until an ultimate Stile Cup Winner is found.

Well, Quintin Lake submitted the photo below, which after a very hard fought contest, became the winner of the 2021 Stile Cup.

2021 Stile Cup Winner: Credit Quintin Lake

Having said above that it's "gently entertaining", I have to say the final run in of last year's competition (semi final and final in particular) got quite heated and tense as those who had submitted photos that made it that far used all manner of messaging to get people to vote for their photo albeit in a fun, (well I think it was fun) way.

This year I've submitted my own entry. The photo at the top of this post is a slab style stile (if you follow that) quite commonly found in these parts, this one adjacent to St Lythan's Church near Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan. I don't expect to make it past round one of the 2022 Stile Cup which kicks of next week (search #StileCup2022 on Twitter), but at least I've made an effort to enter.

If you've got an interesting photo of a stile, you've got a couple more days left to enter. Just DM @LakeStiles with your entry.

Anyway, my overall point here is that there's some great and interesting stuff on Twitter if you look hard enough (accepting that "great" and "interesting" are very subjective!). We might clamber over standard wooden stiles on our walks about the place without giving it a second thought, but there are some fascinating alternatives out there if only you open your eyes. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it beats the hell out of trawling the mess, misinformation, trolling and detritus that is Covid or Brexit Twitter.

Twitter: @Statto1927 

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/simon_hiscocks/ 

Instagram: simon_hiscocks

Goodbye 2021 (and good riddance)

2021 is in its final death knells, and frankly, I'm not too sure many people are going to miss it in the same way we didn't miss 2020, the year Covid kicked off when we all thought it would be over in a few months. That worked out didn't it? Here we are almost two years later, and still firmly in the grip of this horrible pandemic.

However, looking back at my posts from early 2020 (around March), things are better now than they were then. You won't be stopped at the supermarket till for having more than 3 bottles of wine in your trolley. Toilet rolls are in plentiful supply. We can go out and about, even to the pub or restaurant. Live sport is on the telly (England cricket aside - that's more torture than sport) although currently in Wales at least you can't attend live sport unless it's less than 50 people. You can even go abroad, although we haven't and our cancelled/postponed overseas trips count since this all began is sitting at four with a couple planned for 2022 waiting nervously in the wings. 

As we rapidly approach New Years Eve to no doubt optimistically raise a glass to a health and happy New Year as we did on 31st December 2019 and 2020, I wonder if we really, truly will be looking back this time next year and saying, thank God we're finally through this? We'll no doubt find out in due course.

So looking back at 2021, what have been the highs and lows, both personally and more generally?

Highs

• As a family we've largely managed to avoid Covid, and stay fit and healthy although my son did succumb to it in September, but thankfully as he'd already been vaccinated, it was a case of a few days feeling quite rough, but no more.
• We've all been double jabbed and (by tomorrow) we'll all have been boosted too.
• My daughter got a new job
• My son's moved out into his own place (I mean that in a good for him, not pleased he's gone sort of way!)
• We have, despite all the trials and tribulations around Covid managed a number of fabulous holidays/breaks, including North Wales, West Wales, Bournemouth and Devon
• We've walked with alpacas
• We've had a new patio built
• I've played lots of golf

Lows

• We're still in a pandemic with all that's associated with that
• My son caught Covid
• We had to postpone our Corfu holiday (again)

More generally, 

• Misinformation is rife and fuelled by the use of social media (yes including some blogs, although hopefully not this one) and has resulted in some real divisiveness in society. There's frequently no middle ground or understanding of another viewpoint. And much of this is vile, vitriolic, and frankly dangerous.
• The Government has lurched from one disaster/crisis/embarrassment/scandal/corruption allegation to another, and continues to comfortably be the worst administration for many a long year
• The NHS continues to be woefully underfunded and is slowly being torn apart by the Tory government. Kudos to those every single person who works in the NHS that are doing their level best under extraordinarily difficult circumstances
• The Brexit chickens are coming home to roost and we'll no doubt see a lot more of the crap caused by this in the coming months
• Cardiff City are still crap
• England still can't beat Australia and are very crap
• COP26 didn't seem to achieve very much

For a fuller list of 2021 events worldwide, see this Wikipedia page

So a mixed bag, but there is hope for the future, but it's always the hope that kills you.

So whatever 2022 holds for you, I hope it's better than 2021.

Happy (fingers crossed) New Year to you all.

Ineptitude on a national scale - that's the UK for you

Credit: @Coldwar_Steve
https://coldwarsteve.com

Not many people are likely to read this - I only have a couple of followers, but it's cathartic writing this down, and maybe someday, someone will look at it and think, "Blimey, the country was in the shit back then...."

The country (the UK that is) is currently in the midst of a petrol crisis. Not a shortage, though that may still come at some future point, but a problem caused by a lack of HGV drivers to deliver the stuff to petrol stations. It started with BP indicating that they'd had to close 6 of their 1,200 or so stations due to lack of deliveries, not in itself an issue at all, but in true British style, within 24 hours we have a crisis and people are panic buying, queuing for hours to put half a gallon in their car and stations are naturally therefore, running out. A vicious circle, and one not helped by how this stuff is reported in the mainstream media (MSM). Come on, a headline saying BP has to close petrol stations - even if it's maybe 1% of their total is inevitably going to get people panicking.

The one sure fire way to get people to panic, is to say "Don't panic".

This is just the latest in a long line of utter fiasco's to emerge under the current Tory government's term in office. The underlying problem appears to be Brexit (yes, that old chestnut) which caused many European drivers to either voluntarily or, due to the immigration implications go back to their own countries instead of being employed here. Apparently there may be some other issues - lack of infrastructure to support drivers in their job causing many to leave the industry, so it's probably a miss-mash of issues ultimately but Brexit is surely in there near the top.

All in all, this government's legacy is beginning to look more and more like an A-Z of how to bring a country to it's knees, and mostly on the policy strategy of saving money. It's like we've brought the Administrators as happens when a company goes bust.

The list feels endless, but some examples include:

• Brexit (overall but some if the key promises of:
• "reclaiming" £350m a week given the to EU to spend on our NHS (nope that didn't happen)
• Enabling our fishing industry to recover and thrive (nope that didn't happen either)
• Getting back control (nope - if this is control, I'd hate to think what out of control looks like)
• Immigration policy tied to with Brexit (above) and Covid (below) has resulted in massive staffing shortages in the NHS/care homes, hospitality sector, HGV  drivers (and probably many other sectors), let alone the general principle of supporting genuine immigrants fleeing oppressive governments elsewhere - for them those vulnerable people perhaps a right case of out of the frying pan.....
• Shortages of food on shelves in some areas (again placed at the door of lack of HGV drivers)
• It's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic (OK, the pandemic wasn't the Governments's fault, but it's handling most certainly is/was)with
• Unnecessary deaths
• Immeasurable strain on the NHS 
• Disjointed strategies amongst the English, Welsh, UK and NI devolved governments
• Alleged (I use that term loosley) corruption in the awarding and handling of major contracts to supply PPE and other goods/services
• More shortage crises - toilet rolls or flour anyone?
• Failure to adequately support and fund the NHS (although this probably deserves a blog post all of its own)
• An apparent desire to privatise and defund the NHS, perhaps the shining light of the UK and the envy of many (most) other countries, resulting in increased waiting times, frustrated and burnt out staff who increasingly seem to be a target for abuse
• Having to get the army in to drive ambulances
• Chopping Universal Credit and raising National Insurance - together with a general history of hitting the poorest whilst lining the pockets of the richest
• Inability to speak and/or give answers without lying (just Google Boris Johnson lying) or evasion (constantly)
• Climate change response (or lack of it)
• Support for the travel industry

I could go on, but it's too depressing.

And the problem is that despite all the above, and the sense that the country is spiralling towards implosion, there is still a significant number of people who think the Government is doing a good job. 

To be fair, the one area that they have largely succeeded in, is the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, although they appear to be incapable to reaching the (relative minority of anti-vaxers/anti-maskers) who still think that everything that's being done to protect them and the woodier population is either a conspiracy, or an infringement of their human rights or both. They're probably the same people currently queuing at petrol stations.

The end result of all this, is a country that's fast becoming the laughing stock of the world. Our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (BJ) is being seen as the bumbling oaf that he undoubtedly is, more worried about ruffling his hair before an interview than doing something about the mess him and his party have created and overseen, supported by a cast of minions loyal to him too scared to sway from the party line or speak the truth when asked a simple, straightforward question. And in all honesty, most of them (at least in the cabinet) are probably so rich that they'd never have to queue at a petrol station, or worry about bare shelves, or how they're going to pay the bills. Meanwhile we've got Foreign Secretaries brokering trade deals with Mongolia, whilst trade with our closest and mainly prosperous European cousins is increasingly becoming harder and more bureaucratic because of Brexit. I was talking with a friend yesterday who is a senior manager for a large multi-national construction company who said that materials were costing on average 40% more than pre-Brexit - and that's if you can get them.

BJ's recent trip to the USA to broker improved trade deals hasn't gone well either, with US President Joe Biden hinting that there was a bit "to work through". It suggests that the US particularly sees us as much less of a world player than we once were.

Far from the promises of bringing back control, the Tory government is rapidly stumbling from crisis to crisis, unable to plan, or foresee solutions, making policy on the hoof. They're a disaster from start to finish, but the bigger problem seems to be that both enough people realise this, and an unnerving sense that there might not be anyone else out there that could do any better.

My musing's are borne from frustration as we seem to lurch from one crisis to the next, with poor reporting and clickbait headlines stoking the fires. 

The photo at the top of this post from the brilliant Christopher Spencer (aka Coldwar Steve) who's Twitter account @Coldwar_Steve posts brutal, funny (in a tragic-comedic way) pictures of current key topics and "leading" characters sets out some of the issues at hand far better than I ever could. Go give him a follow.

I'll leave you with this (not mine).

I'm still here! Unfortunately so is Covid and Brexit

I've done it again....

My last post was on 28th October where I opined about the frustration of not being able to play golf in a local (well Wales wide) lockdown. Well a lot's happened since then.

The Wales' "firebreak" lockdown ended (yay!) and my good lady and I managed to get away for a couple of days to Pembrokeshire in West Wales for a couple of days after the firebreak ended. We had three days of glorious weather and the place almost to ourselves. As well as being away in a fabulous place with my wife, it was a release from looking at the 4 walls of the house and staying broadly within this locality for the last x months which was certainly good for the soul.

I got back on the golf course and shot my best ever score both gross (91) and Stableford points (43) and in doing so won the day's Men's Handicap competition. I won't be flying off to enjoy retirement in the sun on my £17 winnings though I'm very proud of my achievement. Breaking 90 is my next target.

Then as we approached Christmas it started to become apparent that despite all the local lockdowns and firebreaks, Covid cases were ramping up again, and despite advice that up to three families could meet up for up to 5 days over Christmas, that quickly became no meeting up (more or less) at all.

We, like most families therefore experienced a strangely quiet Christmas seeing no-one, and conducting  Zoom calls with our families rather than having them round the table tucking into turkey, and following Christmas Day we lurched into the next lockdown/firebreak/tiered restrictions (I't getting hard to remember the terminology now).

We're seeing more and more medics (genuine practising medics and healthcare professionals) stating the severity of the situation and the pressure on the NHS, especially emergency and intensive care services, with the concerns that this is likely to get much worse before it gets any better. Compounding the problem is the identification of a new variant of the Covid virus which is proving far more transmissible (though not apparently more severe) than the original. This seems to be exercising lots of people, but this is what viruses (virii?) do - they mutate all the time. That's why we need a flu jab every year (those of us old enough, or at risk enough to need one that is).

At the same time, we continue to see Covid deniers in mainstream media and unfortunately on the streets including the horrific sight of a protest outside a London Hospital on New Year's Eve with protesters chant "covid is a hoax". Honestly, this is beyond deplorable, and if I had my way we'd lock these people up, or take them one by one unmasked and un-PPE'd into a Covid pressured ITU to show them how bad things are. Sadly, whatever response is given to these people (and there are some well known and high profile people amongst them), they just won't believe anything that's said - they seem to be beyond all reason. As an aside, I think much of the media has behaved very poorly throughout the pandemic, reporting often for clicks/views than sensible and clear reporting and holding powers that be to account for their actions and decisions.

And now we are all back in some sort of national lockdown for the foreseeable future. Personally I can't see anything changing before February at the earliest. Annoyingly everything varies a bit from region to regions and UK country to UK country (I can't play golf in Wales in effectively a Tier 4 lockdown) but I could if I was in England for example. Travel (even local) is advised against unless deemed essential and all non essential retail, and hospitality (restaurants, pubs etc) remains closed - although thankfully you can still get a takeaway. Currently there's also a massive hoo-ha going on about whether schools should return this week and the risks and or impact on children getting or transmitting the virus. 

My main consolation with everything being shut is that I got a rather severe haircut just before Christmas so I'm good for a few weeks yet!

* as an aside, my earlier post about golf still stands. It's brilliant for my mental health to get out in the fresh air playing golf with a couple of mates, and the chances of transmitting or getting Covid out on the course must be negligible. Why can't we do this? Its got to be better for you than being cooped top indoors.

On the brighter side (if there is actually one), two vaccines have been approved in the UK and roll out has started. However, it's going to take months yet before we see the benefit of this as we'll need a significant number of the population vaccinated before we can start to reap the benefits of these vaccines. Even the vaccination programme has changed though - the Pfizer vaccine is a two dose 21/28 days apart protocol, but now the view is that we should vaccinate as many people as possible once and then worry about second doses. Sensible I suppose, but for those that have had one jab, this was on the basis they'd be getting second one. There is no data (that I'm aware of) about whether delaying a second jab of the Pfizer  vaccine for at least 12 weeks is acceptable, bad or not ideal but ok. I suppose we'll see.

And then there's Brexit (or Brexshit as I like to call it). We're officially out of the EU now, and whilst the "deal" we've got has been lauded in some quarters, we're still going to be a damn site worse of now, after the last four years buggering about than we ever were before it. But it's done, and we just have to live with  it. (it would be interesting to see how many of the covid deniers voted for Brexit).

So ultimately, we're still in the shit, but at least there is a (faint) light at the end of the tunnel. If we're anywhere near normal by June it'll be a miracle, but hey ho.

Anyway, I'll try not to leave it so long until my next post.

Happy New Year folks.....(I said that last year and look what happened.....)

Brexit. What a stinking mess.....

I’m not a political person. I don’t trust (most) politicians from any party. Some local councillors are ok to be fair, but even then not all of them. Politicians say what they want you to hear. They can’t give a straight answer a straight question. They tell lies (remember the  big red bus and the £350 million for the NHS?) And too many of them over the years have been shown to not have any grip on reality 

I don’t profess to understand Brexit. After three years I’m still struggling to understand what a backstop is (we used to have them when I played cricket as a kid) or what ‘no deal’ really means (for the eejits out there I know at least that it isn’t not leaving the EU as some seem to think).

What I do know is this. David Cameron in his infinite wisdom (perhaps ‘wisdom’ is the wrong word here), decided to go to the country to ask whether we should leave the EU or not. Clearly no one thought for a moment that the country would vote Leave. But vote Leave they did - by a fine margin. Whoops. Didn’t see that coming. Clearly no one (we’ll Dave anyway) had really considered what leaving would mean apart from the chance to have a nice blue passport, and as a result we’ve spent the last three years trying to work it out. 

Dave, having realised his faux pas promptly legged it, and no one has seen or heard from him since. 

So the incumbent government under the leadership of Remainer Mrs May, has ploughed on regardless. “It’s what people voted for”. “It’s what they want” is what we hear. Erm, no it isn’t. It’s what just over half voted for with no understanding of what leaving would actually mean. Anyone who did  know wasn’t admitting it. Maybe people though it was about getting bendy cucumbers or gnarly tomatoes back and not being told what to do by those nasty people in Brussels. Personally I suspect many of the people who voted Leave just did so to stick one up the Tories backside, a sort of general election by proxy if you will. Anyhow, here we are. 

Brexit is less than a month away as I write this and we’re still none the clearer on what this actually means or the impact it will have. The doom mongers would have us believe there will be shortages of food, medicines, and no people to do the jobs that no British people want to do. Foreign nationals, some who have been in the UK a long tine are genuinely fearing for their future. The Brexiteers are jumping for joy that we’ll be rid of that nasty EU who tie us into legislation and stuff like that whilst hastily shifting their business and money overseas

Businesses meanwhile generally seem pretty worried by the prospect. A friend of mine in an important job in a massive organisation has said he’s had to buy shedloads of stuff (millions of pounds worth) just in case because he’s got no clue what the impact of Brexit will actually be but fears it will raise prices dramatically. And he’s a very clever chap (much cleverer than any politician I’d argue). 

What really annoys me is that we’ve spent three years buggering about. As a country we must have spent millions if not billions on this. The time, effort and energy could have been spent on things of much greater importance. The NHS for one, but many other things besides. Roads, schools, etc. You get the idea. 

It’s hard to see a resolution with any positive outcome at this point. Our leaders (and I say that with tongue firmly in cheek) keep saying it’s the will of the people (well it was about the will of half of them three years ago when we knew nothing of the mayhem to come) and that no deal is better than a bad deal -(remember eejits, that no deal doesn’t mean no Brexit).

Well for what it’s worth I think the politicians (on all sides) have well and truly put the country in a worse place now than we were three years ago, and who knows where we’ll be in another three years time.

I’m off for a pint before the country runs out of beer.  At least I’ll have a new blue passport when the time comes to renew mine.