Hi Everyone
This week many people across the county are involved in local elections to elect Mayors, Councellors, and Police Commisioner . Then later this year we will be having an election to vote in a new government or even the same goverment. Now I cannot remember, since I was able to vote at the age of eighteen, not having voted in the main elections although I have missed voting at a number of local elections. "Your vote is important" we are told and from the standpoint that we are able to vote and that we can vote freely for whoever we like , that is true. As the football season comes to a close, fans all over the country are being invited to vote for their player of the season. Now this is where it gets serious. In all the years of voting I have have seen a potential Parlimentary candidate twice and that was in the 1960s when they organised public meetings in our local area. We have never had a candidate of any party knock on our door to ask for our support. Now wirh social media and the obvious security issues we are voting for a photograph surrounded by the usual promises of jam tomorrow. It gets even more complicated as our present MP is very much on the right wing of his party so do I vote for that party or him, knowing that I do not agree with a number of his opinions. By comparison, I see the footballers play almost every week where I learn a lot about their capabilities and as a team player, and quite a lot about their character. As with political candidates I do not always pick the winner but it begs the question how I can really pick the best person to represent me and my neighbours in Pariament or in the local Council chamber when they are so remote and unseen.
This week our son Gareth is here enjoying his spring break from his work in the Netherlands. So far we have had just one really warm sunny day which gave us the oportunity to visit the Peak District National Park, just over half an hour from our home. We first went to quiet and little known Milldale, a very small village by the river with it's only small shop selling the best ice cream outside Italy. As we enjoyed our coffee and ice cream sitting by the river, Gareth set off to walk four or five miles to the lovely village of Ilam with its National Trust owned Ilam Hall. We eventually walked back to our car to drive to Ilam to meet up with him. I am telling you all this Rubbish as not so many years ago we had two books of Peak District circular walks. On many Saturdays during the year, we would walk with our friends the three to eight mile circular walks completing almost all of the walks in the two books. The real bonus was that nearly all the walks started from a pub or there would be a pub somewhere along the route. The only problem was that if the pub was half way along the walk, a pub lunch and a drink would drain our enthusiasm for the rest of the walk. Sadly our friends are not now able to walk far and while we are more fortunate, we both find hills and rough ground a challenge. I have however found a circular walk that I can do on a regular basis - around the island unit in our Kitchen.
Sixty years ago our annual two week holiday took us on a 300 mile journey to Cornwall in the bottom corner of England. We had a plan, one day on the beach and the next day exploring the area. At the end of our two week stay we would complain bitterly that parking our car had cost us over £1 in 5p, 10p or 20p charges. In just one day on our day out in the country this week, our two stops cost us in excess of £7 in parking fees. In July we are planning a week's holiday in the Lake District National Park. This time we are going there by train with our discount railcards, and free bus passes. I would guess that the saving in petrol and car parking fees will more than offset the cost of the potential car parking fees. It's a funny old world.
Just a Thought:
If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it.
After all these years I have become an experienced trail walker. I am always trailing behind.
Brian