31st October 2023

Within days of returning from our cruise to Canada, Sarah had set off on a Caribbean cruise with friends, and Charlotte and her family were holidaying in the Maldives. Meanwhile, back home in the UK, Storm Babet struck the north-west of the country. Fortunately, Leicestershire escaped the worst of its damaging effects, though we did have plenty of rain, much to the dismay of our canine guest, Harry, who has a strong dislike for the wet stuff.

I was particularly nervous about the 21st of October, dreading that the day might turn out to be a major rugby disappointment. Leicester Tigers were playing their second semi-final Premiership match, having already lost the first, against tough opponents, Sale. Both sides were missing a number of key players due to international duty at the World Cup, and to make matters worse, Sale had won their opening game. As it turned out, it was an excitingly close match, with Sale eventually taking the honours 24–17. A disappointing result, certainly, but the season had only just begun. More importantly, the day’s main event was still to come: the World Cup semi-final between underdogs England and tournament favourites South Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday was a busy day for the family. Sarah flew back from Miami, I took Harry to Foxton for lunch with Sean, and Sue visited the Houses of Parliament with the U3A.

Sue quietly caught the bus to London at 7.15 a.m. from outside the Market Hall in Harborough, leaving Harry and me to sleep in until 9.30 a.m. The journey to central London was surprisingly swift, just two and a half hours, including a twenty-minute break at a service station. The U3A group were given a comprehensive tour of the Palace of Westminster. Both the Commons and the Lords were particularly busy, with most MPs present for a rehearsal ahead of the State Opening of Parliament. They were fortunate to witness the new Black Rod, Sarah Clarke, dressed in full regalia, accompanied by other courtiers in traditional ceremonial gowns as they practised for the upcoming event.

After lunch on the balcony outside the MPs’ restaurant, with fine views across the Thames, the group met Harborough’s MP, Neil O’Brien, for a half-hour chat. They were then fortunate to watch from the public gallery a packed chamber in action during Prime Minister’s Questions. PMQs usually take place on a Wednesday, but have been rescheduled due to rehearsals. The group witnessed Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer engage in a lively debate over educational issues. Understandably, very strict security measures are enforced throughout Parliament, and photographs are only permitted outside the building.

I spent the day out in the wilds of Leicestershire, walking with Harry and my friend Sean, eventually ending up at Bridge 61 for a splendid and very substantial lunch.

A large Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, three sausages, mushy peas, and onion gravy, followed by bread pudding and several refreshments, food fit for a long ramble on a damp day.

We have a group calendar where family members add dates of any holidays or long weekends they’ve booked. It’s an essential source of information for seeing who is available to look after the family’s various pets (or children) while away. As Sue and I are retired, we are often away from home ourselves, but we’re usually the preferred carers for the family’s menagerie, as we have the space and inclination. Without our family calendar, planning anything involving others would be fraught with difficulty and could lead to costly mistakes. Being able to share this information is one of the many genuine advantages of the internet.

SARAH’S HOLIDAY SNAPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather in Harborough has been typical for October, cool nights with regular showers, keeping the air damp and the ground sodden for dog walks. Unusually, the trees seem rather confused; many should be displaying their autumn colours or have already lost most of their leaves, yet the woods and hedgerows remain green, with some even bearing a little blossom.

A reminder on Facebook from ten years ago had me picking grapes in readiness for making wine. I harvested this year’s rather miserable crop nearly a month ago; it has now completed fermentation and is ready for bottling.

Charlotte reported on Messenger an incident much like one Sue experienced on holiday in the Maldives. The family were sitting for lunch in the resort restaurant during a storm when a bolt of lightning struck the roof, frightening the diners and briefly setting the roof on fire.

Many years ago, Sue, Sarah, Jamie and I were on an inter-island speedboat heading to the capital, Male, when a sudden storm blew up, and our craft was struck by lightning. The motor cut out, and the passengers were understandably alarmed. Sue had been holding onto a metal guard rail, and her hair stood on end, giving her an instant Afro hairstyle. Thankfully, she was wearing rubber flip-flops!

As the month drew to a close, Harry and I began spotting pumpkins, huge artificial spider webs, and witch effigies appearing outside many homes during our thrice-daily walks. In previous years, I’ve grown pumpkins for the grandchildren to carve into lanterns, but this year I didn’t bother. I thought I’d save money by keeping some seeds from last year’s huge crop, but when the fruit finally appeared, it was clear they were hybrids and had the wrong shape and colour.

All holidays must come to an end, and on 29th October, Charlotte and her family travelled back to the UK. Although they took a speedboat from Male to their small island of Medhufushi, they didn’t trust the 2.5-hour sea crossing enough to be certain of catching their flight home, so they opted to return to Male by seaplane.

After the disappointment of last week’s rugby, the following weekend turned out far more successful, with the Tigers narrowly beating Bath 25-24, and England edging out Argentina 26-23 in the World Cup third-place playoff. Both matches had nail-biting finishes. In a controversial World Cup Final, South Africa defeated New Zealand 12-11 in an equally tense finish. On a more encouraging note, England’s loss in the semi-final to the eventual winners must be seen as a positive omen for the future.

The Rothwells made an uneventful journey home via Male, Vienna, and Heathrow, arriving late on the 29th. Tired after a 4.30 a.m. start, it was too late to pick up Harry, so the mutt enjoyed another night of doggy heaven at Willow Bank, the rest home for abandoned dogs.

The following day was Monday. Suraj had work, and Ellis and Lucas had school, so it was left to Charlotte to collect Harry. Sarah took the opportunity to meet up with her sister and travelled with Alice, Archie, and Mia to Willow Bank, arriving around 10.30 a.m. After coffee and a lengthy exchange of holiday tales, Charlotte took Harry home, leaving Sarah and her tribe to stay for a light lunch. Later, between rain showers, we visited Welland Park, where Alice enjoyed the children’s playground before we returned home to Newbold Verdon.

Rant: Is it because we have instant access to news from around the world through so many media outlets that it seems we and this planet are doomed to lurch from crisis to crisis, eventually ending in a stupid and avoidable extinction? Do we prefer to dwell on incidents that display the worst of human nature, wars, shootings, pollution, greed, and so on? Albert Einstein once said, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”

As tempting as it may be, I think it would be folly to wrap ourselves in a cosy cocoon of just ‘good news’, shunning the unpleasant and disagreeable. That would be dangerously shortsighted, removing any impetus for change and, as a consequence, limiting the progress of the human species. A balance of experience and knowledge is vital for our evolution and improvement. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” — Charles Darwin.

For better or worse, each country’s destiny is decided by those in charge, whether elected or appointed, and therein lies the problem. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” To date, the USA has suffered more than 500 mass shootings, yet the majority of its politicians still defend the right to own and carry guns.

Ukraine and Russia, Gaza and Israel are presently engaged in terrible atrocities, instigated by those seemingly hell-bent on asserting some notional right to control land and communities at the expense of innocent lives. Past grievances are no justification for taking the lives of innocents. “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana.

What of the future?
It’s likely that life exists throughout the universe and is not a rarity, but rather the norm. Most likely, it takes forms we cannot yet conceive, yet remains subject to natural influences that dictate its particular evolution. I imagine the majority never progress beyond simple forms, their development halted by some natural cataclysm beyond their control. Others are overtaken by more advanced or tenacious life forms, unable to compete in the struggle for existence. And some senselessly self-destruct by following a perilous path towards progress. Very few manage to attain a state of existence that ensures the longevity of their species.

I fear that we are currently teetering on a path of uncertainty, and sadly, the outlook is not encouraging.