Great week (weather-wise, at least). Summer seems to have arrived at last – some really nice, sunny days with a gentle breeze and significantly improved temperatures. I’ve turned the central heating off (again) and, hopefully, it will stay “off” for more than a few days this time.
We had lots of fun over the weekend. On Friday evening we went off to Nick & Lucy’s for a quick bite to eat in advance of Annabelle’s performance in the King’s High production of The Addams Family which was great! As her first year at King’s comes to a conclusion, it’s worth noting how proud we are of Annabelle and all she’s achieved this year. (I would be bragging if I listed all she has done this year and that would be unseemly, so just let me say she has rocked it!) and Friday’s performance was just more evidence. The show was great fun and the kids clearly enjoyed themselves. Thankfully, that’s the end of the fourteen-hour days (for the time being)!
And then, later today, we are off to Northampton to see Jessie “star” in her end of term performance with her (Saturday) Style Stars troop. Not sure where these kids get their singing, dancing and acting talents from but it sure is fun to watch them perform flawlessly with no qualms or nerves.
I had a great Father’s Day and hope the rest of you had a similarly enjoyable day. Two cards in particular which I enjoyed:
Nick gave me the card suggesting that he turned out perfectly (but added a note inside saying, “I don’t know what you were thinking with the other two.”) Jessie, Adam & Ava and Juju gave me the other. All I can say is that, while I might appear to be sleeping (and the occasional snore would lend credence to that perception) I am, in fact, merely resting my eyes.
Thankfully, the election campaign is nearly over – only another week and a bit to go. And for our “poor”, bedraggled Prime Minister it can’t be over soon enough. After all the gaffes and mishaps so far, this week’s nightmare, a number of people including two prospective Conservative candidates, one of the Campaign Directors for the Conservative Party and a police officer responsible for the Prime Minister’s security are being investigated by the Gambling Commission for having placed bets on an “early” election just days and hours before the announcement was made. The police officer has been arrested and the Campaign Director has taken a “leave of absence” from the campaign – no word yet on the consequences for the two Conservative candidates involved. No doubt, as the PM promised, anyone who benefitted from insider information on the date of the election, will face the full power of the law – up to two years in prison and a fine.
Winning a bet may be the best it’s going to get for Rishi Sunak and his team
John Crace, The Guardian
I ran across an article in the Guardian on Friday which confirmed what I have often thought about the Tories’ “Help to Buy” scheme to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder. It’s reckoned pretty much universally to have been a dreadfully stupid idea.
it has only served to help the already well-off, increase house prices further, and pump public subsidies straight into the pockets of the party’s favourite donor house builders. Sunak’s promise to reboot the failed policy reveals a party that has not just run out of ideas, but which is determined to continue the damage it has already done.
Oliver Wainwrite, The Guardian
You could not make this stuff up!
And finally, a headline which made me think, “Duh!”
UK ‘morally incoherent’ for sending arms to Israel and aid to Gaza, says Oxfam chief
Meanwhile, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And be gentle to wasps and bees.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg