“The Anniversary Edition” a "Post-It From London" - by Kate Ayres (London, UK)

OMG! Following on from my re-posting of 20 year-old articles from mates around the world in what was known as The Forum (a Web 1.0 version of blogging / 'social media') my mate Kate has sent in a new one for us all ... how friggin' awesome eh. And she's gonna do more, yay, The Forum returns!

Off to panto rehearsal...  oh yes I am !!!!! 😍

POST – IT FROM LONDON - November 2021 – Kate Ayres

“The Anniversary Edition”

Firstly, Happy 20th Anniversary from the “post-it” blogger!  Yes, it’s been that long since myself and Mike Riversdale sent monthly or bi-monthly missives from opposite parts of the world and to celebrate and remember these fantastic posts charting modern social history, I am writing again from the comfort of my laptop and in my PJs...  Oh how very Post Pandemic ironic !

So, let’s start the posting.  It’s all go in the UK, or namely Glasgow in Scotland, most of the world’s leaders are attending the COP26 Climate Change Summit.  It’s been controversial since it started on Halloween.  If it wasn’t for the fact that we still have a Covid pandemic in the world, probably more delegates would attend, saying that, there is some good coming out of the conference.  My only fear is that we (the citizens on Earth) have heard a lot of promises in the past re:  planting more trees, reducing greenhouse gases/methane etc, etc and then nothing happens, the major polluting countries disagree and we’re back to square one.  I never made my post-its political but we are all aware that the world is in the “last chance saloon”.  I have certainly changed how I think about recycling products, re-using and generally buying items with less packaging and plastics.  A little from all of us will go a long way...  I think the Earth needs us to act I await the definite outcomes from this two week event.  Saying that, the climate change activists continue to cocoon and divide the UK in equal measure.  For the past 8 weeks on and off “Insulate Britain” – made up seemingly of retired people, have been super-gluing themselves to some of the UKs major motorway road networks.  They have had numerous Court injunctions to stop them doing this.  The problem has meant ambulances and emergency vehicles couldn’t attend patients and this is not something UK PLC likes!  One gentleman who was unemployed, lost a job as he couldn’t get to the interview, he was in tears on the BBC TV news – sometimes you have to remember to get the public behind you, not against you and I fall into the latter camp.  Lets discuss, lobby and use proper people power and get to talk to the Government and providers of home insulation....Greta Thunberg has shown that she is sensible, committed, speaks with authority and information and people listen, I think we need to all lobby our Governments and give our children a chance.....

Now onto happier times.  Today the major retailers start their TV Christmas Advertisement Campaigns.  Hurrah I hear you cry, the annual weepy or funny adverts made to entice us to part with our much lacking cash and buying more presents that we don’t need!  M&S is using Percy Pig – in cartoon form – one of their best selling sweets in their advert, Sports Direct are using Emma Radacanu, our US Open Tennis Champion to sell their sportswear and John Lewis are going for a cross between “Frozen” and “Game of Thrones” with an Elton John Soundtrack and children...  There are prizes up for grabs for these adverts and they are usually mini epics in their own right.  I will watch them soon no doubt and give my opinions.

So, in the UK it’s nearly Bonfire Night – 5th November – or “Guy Fawkes Night” – an ancient and some say, but not me, outdated celebration of the events in Lambeth Palace in London (The Houses of Parliament) – when Guy Fawkes, Thomas Catesby and others, plotted to blow up with gunpowder the Houses of Parliament and overthrow the Government in 1605.  He was caught, tortured in the Tower of London and executed.  Now the Fireworks Displays celebrate, if that’s the right word, his execution and this year, more than others I will be back at an organised display to “oooh” and “aaah” at the fireworks and wave sparklers.   Many are calling for the banning of fireworks as their pets, animals etc don’t like them but I say NO!  We missed the New Year’s Celebrations in London last year and I think the public like to celebrate.  I agree, some manage to buy illegally and set off, without warning and unsafely, fireworks in my neighbourhood, but this will happen anyway and banning them would mean other celebrations and wedding receptions would probably lose the ability to use them in celebration and also my friends who celebrate Diwalli (a Hindu festival) and other poignant cultural events..  I say, keep the fireworks, keep your animals inside and let’s not forget life is for living and for fun and happiness.

So on that note it’s time for me to rehearse for my local drama group’s Pantomime “Jack and the Ice Queen” – written by my friend to encompass most of the characters you find in traditional pantos..  So next month I’ll update you on that....  “oh no you won’t”, “oh yes I will”!

Take care till next time.

Kate Ayres