Update 44

Please feel free to share/fwd this email to someone you believe it may be of interest to and they can then signup via the link below and receive future updates themselves. Similarly, if you’re reading this on the Fluff website, feel free to subscribe below. If you’d like to read through any of my previous ramblings, there’s a link below to the archive page. Should you feel the need at any point, you can unsubscribe via the link at the bottom of the email. No offence will be taken.

This last week’s domestic news has been dominated by the sorry state of our beaches and waterways, and it’s not just the Greens and the Lib Dems who’ve been actively condemning the lacklustre performance of our water companies. Members of the Conservative Party seem to be waking up to a realisation that ordinary citizens recoil at the foul waters that are replacing those that once were clear and naturally inviting. Unless this government is seen to care about the wholesale destruction of what should be one of our greatest natural assets, then even their hardiest supporters may turn away from the stench as well as from a party that refuses to take adequate action. Since privatisation in 1989 the water companies have distributed £65.9 billion in dividends to their shareholders and this in spite of the fact that most of the companies are consistently failing to meet their required levels of improvement in handling waste water. My personal hope is that Feargal Sharkey’s energetic campaigning will be taken up by other celebrities, until the government finally forces Ofwat to exert substantial pressure on the water operators. Perhaps that is starting to happen with two current measures: the new Environment Act which could give the govt powers to restrict dividends if Co‘s are failing to meet their required performance standards, plus the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan which would require the Co‘s to invest £56million over 25 years. This is an issue that should be front of mind as we move towards the local elections on May 4th. If your candidates have not yet shown themselves to be across the topic, then please ask them why not? My personal view is increasingly in favour of re-nationalisation. I think the UK is now very much an exception in allowing something as important as the provision of fresh water supplies to be in the hands of private (profiteering) interests. Neither Scotland nor Northern Ireland use the privatisation route. Sir Ed Davey has made clear that his party intend to take several seats from the Conservatives as a result of their failure to sort out the water industry properly. Here in Cheltenham both the Conservative and the Lib Dem candidates are much exercised by the quality of our local supply and their genuine concern is much appreciated by the local citizenry.

Chris Philp is a policing minister and along with Suella Braverman he has been claiming wonderful achievements for police recruitment: the previous peak was in 2010 when govt statistics reported 145,000 officers. Philp’s latest stated objective was to have 149,000 officers by now. Even if they achieve their target that will only be an increase of 4,000. That’s a long way from “an extra 20,000” as claimed by Braverman and others. Pinches of salt all round.

I never thought it would ever happen, but I have to confess that my tv news channel of choice has moved to Sky from the BBC. This is largely down to the mistaken amalgamation of BBC News with BBC World. The priority given to international as opposed to national stories is really annoying. I guess the problem started when Tony Hall agreed to absorb the cost of BBC World within the licence revenue and let the government drop its direct funding of overseas services. From my perspective, I am very happy to pay my licence fee to fund services for me and my countrymen. As far as providing a service to encourage Singaporeans (say) to think well of the UK, then that should be a direct government expense. It’s just one of several recent indicators that the BBC is genuinely losing the plot.

I’m still nervous that one morning I will wake up only to learn that Johnson is back in number 10. Apparently there are people who genuinely believe that would be the best thing for the country - most of those folk are of course normally kept locked up for their own safety.

I don’t have any medical issues to share with you. Having settled on a daily dose of 2mg of steroids, the taste problem appears to have stabilised - in a very positive way. I am almost always tired now even though I sleep right through most nights. The nurses contact me pretty much every week and I have telephone numbers that enable me to summon help or just advice any day 24/7. I remain under the watchful eyes of two Consultants as well as my own GP so I consider myself very lucky and not yet subject to any of the frustrations that occupy the news sources I study each day : the Times, the Guardian, the BBC, Sky, the Economist and Private Eye. Most of my clinician’s are surprised that I’ve survived this long and if I ask how long I might have, they tell me that as long as I feel up to it, I should get up and live as per normal until the day comes when I don’t feel like it - watch this space.

A family supper at a local hotel - clockwise from the lady in red who is Emily, Harry’s girlfriend, JJ next is Jo’s youngest, Danny (Jo’s number 2), TB, Jo, Simon, MB, Steve (Jo’s husband), Michele (Simon’s wife), Jim, George (Simon’s number 3 and number 2), Sam (Holly’s boyfriend), Holly (Jo’s eldest), Harry (Simon’s number 1). No grandfather, father or husband could ever hope for a more supportive family, using the word family in the broadest and most inclusive sense.

If you’d like to get in touch just hit reply to the email or click here in your browser.

If you’d like to visit my update archive, click here.

If you’ve been sent this email by someone else, or you’re reading this on the Fluff website and you’d like to receive these emails direct to your inbox, you can signup here. Please keep an eye on your junk folder in case they end up there.