What Has Happened To Us?

I am a British woman.  I am proud, very proud to be British.  

Not for who is currently in Government from one year to the next.  At this point, they are mostly the same.  Labour is no longer a party for the working class and there is no real alternative to what they used to be.  They believe in self ID which would be disastrous for women.  The Greens think that women are "non-men" (given the subject matter of this blog post, it amused me that I found myself Googling an "acceptable" news source for this link, more later).  The Liberal Democrats, do they even really exist anymore after their Judas move on tuition fees?

I am proud to be British because of the people.  Our determination.  Our self deprecation.  Our sarcasm.  The way in which we act when everything around us is a mess, but we can still come together as a nation when it counts.  The Blitz spirit that still lives in all of us.  It is part of our make up.  Who we are.

I remember when we hosted the Olympics.  Days before there had been riots in the streets.  Yet the next day, a clean up was organised on Twitter and people turned up with their brooms.  That is us.

Then watching the Olympics, the pride we felt as a nation.  The way we got behind and cheered our own.  Lets not forget.  We came third in the world that year.  This tiny island.  With so much heart.

That is what being British is to me.  Our heart and our spirit.   Our backbone.  I refuse to apologise for it.

So I have a question.  What is happening to us?  

I have said this before, but when did we as a country agree that the left were right and the right were wrong?  That there was no in-between.  No centre.  That only an ultra left leaning perspective (far past the realms of what you previously call left wing) could be listened to and anything other was Nazism.  Evil.  Not to be listened to. Deplatformed.

Because that is what is happening.  Even businesses cannot escape it.  The speed in which they immediately backtrack and change their policies is frankly shocking.  

I remember a lady known on Twitter as flashmaggie who dared to say "Death doesn't misgender. You die as you were born".  (You can read about her experience here). That is a fact last time I checked.  Nothing controversial there.  Is is biology, pure and simple.

Yet drinks company Innocent, after one tweet from someone with the massive total of 45 followers who complained to Innocent that they were following a "clear transphobe"; took it upon themselves to issue an apology for following her, and promptly unfollowed her account.

I would add that Sussex police also investigated her for a hate crime for that tweet.  Thankfully she did not fall to the current wave of "non crime hate incidents" that have been recorded on no less than 120,000 times. 2000 of those have been children under 16 (I make no apology for the Daily Mail link, when did that become a social crime?).

This week was the launch of GB News.  The reaction to this has made me simultaneously laugh, eye roll but also; frankly despair.

Again we see companies who originally signed up for advertising on the site, quickly issuing apologies for daring to do so.  Now it seems that a single tweet can change the minds of major companies.  

We see people in faux horror, dropping their knitting (sorry to knitters for that quip) and screaming in some sort of self righteous disgust that a news channel dares to have voices and opinions that might not be automatically ultra left.  Not bowing down to the current "words are violence", I am "triggered" culture that seems to be becoming more and more prevalent.

Lets look at some of the recent headlines from them.  Child marriage is child abuse.  The pandemic has blown up the public finances.  No jab, no job?  Shocking I know.  I think I need therapy just from reading them.  I jest.

But honestly.  Is this what we have become?  Given the current state of some of the press and what is reported/misreported, I would have thought another news site with a more open way of reporting would be welcomed.

Look at all the things that are kept from us.  The fact that people have been rioting in Paris, until recently, every weekend for the past two years.  Look at the many BLM riots that have either been ignored or misreported.  Do you remember the reporter saying on live telephone that the ongoing riot behind him was in fact a peaceful protest, despite the massive fire on the background.

Now, look at this image.  I bet you think that it was from the so called "insurrection" at the White House in January.  But no, it wasn't.  This was BLM/Antifa the year before.  The press called it a demonstration.  That looks like people setting things on fire and rioting to me.  

I still hold hope that the majority of the UK has better sense than those who faint on social media at voices and opinions that differ from their own.

We are British FFS.  It is time that we remembered that.  We have backbone.  We have opinions and thoughts.  Stand up.  Remember who and what we are.

Simple Methods For Getting Out In Nature More

 

Pexels - CC0 License

Most of us are relatively tired of feeling cooped up in our homes, despite how important that has been over the last year. Of course, even if we have been, most of us have had the chance to try and get out in nature, to walk in parks, and to exercise outside to try and offset some of the societal closures we’ve all had to encounter.

That said, when the world slowly returns back to normal (or at least, as normal as it can be), it’s not hard to let the overwhelming business of our lives to take centre stage once more and make us feel a little out of sorts. For this reason, it can be a good idea to focus on getting back out in nature and maintaining more of a consistent habit in doing so.

Of course, not all of us can take an hour out of our day every single day to walk in the park, so what options do we have? Well, in this list, we have three tidbits of advice that might help. Let’s get started:

Consider A Little Carefree Fun

A little carefree fun can’t hurt, especially when than involves enjoying the outdoor space with your friends. Going on a simple bike ride to welcome a weekend morning can be a great idea, particularly if it takes you through a few scenic routes. You might even decide to engage in a fun and passive activity, like flying a kite during a sunny and social day, or sourcing a Sky Rover Knightvision at Alpha Toys and flying it around in a meditative state. Carefree fun is the best fun, and little implements like this can make your day.

Invite Your Friends Or Dates Here

Inviting your friends or even a date to your local natural reserve can be a great idea, even if that’s simply to walk lazily through the paths and talk about life and topics you want to get through. It can be tremendously freeing and a routinely bonding experience to have this private time with someone, especially when the natural backdrop is otherwise so awe-inspiring to look at. 

Spend Some Time In Creativity

There’s perhaps no better way to bust stress than to enjoy a little creativity from time to time, and that goes double in a gorgeous natural environment. Setting up your easel and paints near a local river and painting the fishermen as they try for catches in the lake over the course of an afternoon can be tremendously fulfilling to your spirit, even if you’re not experienced at painting in the least! You may decide to walk to the park to journal every other Sunday morning, or perhaps simply getting involved in a local gardening initiative can help you get out of the house and ensure you have a chance to get your hands dirty. The possibilities are endless.

With this advice, we hope you can get out in nature more and adore doing so.

Time For a Staycation

Last year my mum was due to have a milestone birthday (80 but don't tell her I told you!).

As she is a lover of all things theatre related, I decided to find accommodation through hotels.com for a room in Manchester together with tickets to see Sister Act at the Palace Theatre.  Sadly, due to the pandemic, the show was cancelled and as such, our plans.

In current climes, it is important that when you make any plans, you bear in mind current Government guidelines so that you can prepare and organise accordingly.  This was especially important when starting to arrange her birthday this year.

Looking at the Government road map going forward, restaurants are due to open with the ability to eat indoors from the 12th May, with hotels opening from the 3rd July 2021.  We are due to be out of lockdown by the 21st June and with any luck, everyone able will be vaccinated by the 31st July 2020.

Bearing in mind the above, I decided to book a staycation for my mum and I for September; with as much luxury as I can think of, whilst being mindful of the rules and what is safe to do for ourselves, and all.  

Rather than taking public transport to Manchester for our staycation, I have organised a car to transport us to and from our location.  This both adds a little luxury touch, whilst reducing our contact with others where possible.

With restaurants eager for diners to return to their establishments, we already know that proper distancing between tables will be in place and enhanced hygiene practices will be well established.  I plan to choose a few different restaurants for both lunch and dinner options for our two day trip.

With the theatre option not being available, I am looking at visiting the Manchester Museum to see the fantastic T-Rex, as well as a not to be missed visit to Chinatown.  We may decide to also utilise one of the free walking tours around Manchester which allows you to see many of the old and new architecture around the city.  Although at 81 by then, I suspect that the walk will be more of a stroll!  Again, don't tell her I said that!

For our accommodation, I have chosen to book an aparthotel which offers us both privacy and an added safety aspect rather than mingling with other guests; whilst maintaining a high quality of accommodation and a high level of cleanliness.

All of our bookings and planned trips will of course be subject to Government guidelines as well as any travel restrictions in place.  By then, both my mum and I should have had the vaccine so will also be in line with any Covid checks that are in place for any of activities and bookings.

Now is time the time to start planning your next staycation; where will you be going to for yours?

Images from Unsplash

In collaboration with Hotels.com, but all views are my own