Having got back from holiday in the late afternoon, I was glad to get unpacked. Unpacking a holiday or weekend suitcase is slightly less straightforward because, apart from transferring clothes back to the drawer from whence they came (the easy part), there are also the collection of bits-and-bobs that you take along with you in case they might be useful (the difficult part) These tend to be little things like a folding penknife, various plugs, adapters and batteries and even a spare toilet roll (which can be handy on days out) My son had been for his early morning keep-fit swim and then called in quite early in the morning and, as always after a holiday, there is always quite a lot to catch up on. I gave my son a day by day account of everything I had been doing for the last few days explaining how my American friend and I had had a good time in each other’s company as practically everybody else on the coach trip seemed to be married couples or friends travelling together in groups of two or three. I showed my son the two purchases I had made and I am still mightily pleased with each one of them. The first of these was the sleeveless jumper I bought in Moffatt for the price of £20 and it is interesting when I go on the web to find similar items. These tend to be either cheap, Chinese made acrylic at a price of about £15 but if British made in wool, the price rises to about £70 with nothing much in-between. However, upon doing a bit of investigation one kind of sleeveless jumper that I particularly like is sold under the aegis of Amazon. One manufacturer sells a garment which is 35% cashmere, 18% wool, 20% cotton and the remainder mixed fibres. This sounds like an interesting purchase for me some time in the future. But I am pleased with my purchase as I am with the very special Loch Fyne whisky based liqueur enhanced with chocolate and orange. This I regard as a sort of anticipatory birthday present but I suspect that I shall consume it in very small quantities such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. I have been rather ‘out’ of the political news agenda with not having access to Sky News and YouTube in the hotel’s satellite system but I gather that Donald Trump is still hurling insults at Keir Starmer for not giving him 100% backing in the Iran conflict (perhaps not knowing about the assistance he gave in British lives in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks in the USA) But the King is due to make a visit to the USA to help celebrate 250 years of their independence and Trump is full of praise for the King. He does not appreciate that he King only visits the USA with the explicit advice of the UK government but then the whole of Trump’s grasp on reality is tenuous these days.

The morning after my return, I am going quite slowly gradually  putting things back in the place where they need to be and thinking ahead to my commitments in the next day or so. The principal one is the musical demonstration of Mozart arias to the U3A group which is meeting in the afternoon so I am ensuring that my technology (iPad, power brick for the speakers) is working as it should. After I had an a very light lunch, I motored over to the house where our U3A Classical Music Appreciation group were having our monthly meeting.  The presenter of the first item was one of the choir who had recently given a performance of ‘The Armed Man’ and we had a description from the inside, as it were, of each of the thirteen pieces which make up the Mass as a whole. It is always very interesting  to get the background story and the performance seems to have had an extremely emotional effect upon the audience. Now we come to my presentation which was almost over as it began. I found that I could not get an internet connection for my iPad and my phone refused to respond as well. One of the other group members explained that the house in which were meeting was a notorious blackspot but then our host rode to the rescue and let me utilise his network for my two devices after which all was well.  I had rehearsed all of my material well and had to cut some of it a little short but it was pretty well received. One of (male) members said he found the performance  extremely emotional and it really moved him deeply which was gratifying to hear. I mentioned to my host that I had three others waiting in the wings as it were (Mozart’s instrumental pieces, some Beethoven and then some Bach) but they were just simple YouTube accesses without any videoclips to accompany them. As such, of there was a blank spot then I could fill in once everyone else had had a go as it were. Over the tea break that we have at the end of our meeting, conversation turned to other days out and it seems that most of the music group are also signed up go on the Derbyshire trip to Bakewell/Kedleston Hall in about five weeks time. I discovered from one of the other group members that there is going to a free ‘cake and coffee’ concert featuring a flute quartet this Saturday at 10.30 in St John’ Church which less than a mile away.  So I definitely wish to attend this as in the local parish church there are lots of opportunities  to mingle and to meet up with people  which is the name of the game nowadays. Bromsgrove does have an official festival in the third  week of June but as well as the concert on Saturday but there is now an organisation called ‘Bromsgrove Arts Alive’ which seems to be offering low priced events regularly throughout April, May and June so I must keep my eyes and ears open for events in which one would like to participate. There is another U3A group in which I am enrolled and this takes place imminently. This is ‘Conversational Spanish’ and I need to do a little bit of preparation for this as it has been decided that we shall have a session in which we talk about ourselves to the other group members. We need to mention two things about ourselves that are ‘true’ and one that is ‘false’ but I think that making up a story that is untrue might be slightly more difficult than the other two topics. Presumably, we have question each other rather as we would along the lines of the TV programme ‘Would I lie to you?’

Some very strange things are going on with the US-Iran conflict at the moment. According to Donald Trump, the Iranians are refusing to submit to core demands of the USA. But the American Vice President, J D Vance who was actually in charge of the US negotiating team is painting a rather different picture. US vice president JD Vance has claimed ‘a lot of progress’ was made during talks with Iran over the weekend, despite the two sides failing to agree on a resolution. Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Vance – who led the US delegation in talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad – said Washington had communicated to Tehran where it ‘could make some accommodation’ and where it would remain inflexible.  He insisted that Donald Trump was adamant that any enriched nuclear material must be removed from Iran and a mechanism put in place to verify it is not developing nuclear weapons. Vance added that Tehran ‘moved in our direction, which is why I think we would say that we had some good signs’ but he claimed ‘they did not move far enough’. His comments come amid reports of ongoing talks between the US and Iran, with Trump saying the US has been ‘called by the other side’ and insisting ‘they would like to make a deal very badly’. All of this does imply that the talks have not broken down irrevocably but that there is still quite a lot for which to play. But the Americans are claiming that their navy is, in  effect, preventing any ships from entering  the traits of Hormuz whilst the Iranians are claiming that it has the right to send any ships that break through the blockade to the bottom of the sea. But much of this is little else but political posturing. Despite Trump’s claim that the US navy is finest in the world, it would appear inconceivable that Trump would countenance sinking a Chinese ship, China being a member of the Security Council and a nuclear power in its own right. Whilst the USA may be trying to bring pressure to bear on Iran, the rest the world in general and the Gulf oil states in particular will be bringing pressure to bear upon the Americans. So a massive game of ‘chicken’ is being played out in front of us all. Returning to footballing matters, I am not a great fan of football these days but I still retain a sort of lingering affection for Leeds United who I used to see play in the early 1960’s. Leeds’ fortunes have not played out particularly well in the intervening years with spells in the 2nd Division (Championship) league but there has been a remarkable turn around  the fortunes of the club in the last couple of weeks. For a start, Leeds fought an exciting match against West Ham to win an FA Cup match on penalties and to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 45 years. And in the last day or so, Leeds have actually beaten Manchester United (deservedly so) at Old Trafford for the first time since 1981. So we have two instances where Leeds have pulled out their best results (in the FA Cup and against Manchester United) for the first time in practically 4 decades which one has to say is noteworthy. Leeds have never had great success in the FA Cup matches over the years but perhaps the year is ripe for a change in fortunes as the final is now only one more win away. But Leeds have to play Chelsea who are third in the Premier division at the moment whilst Leeds are languishing towards the bottom so a look at the form book would indicate that Chelsea should win this match quite easily. That having been said, strange things happen in semi-finals which are held on neutral grounds in any case.

Having got up at 4.30am and breakfasted early, we set off in our coach for the journey home just after 7.30am. I had not slept very well the night before but did not worry too much about this as I knew that I could always have a good doze on the coach. Once we got beyond Glasgow our first stop was in the small town of Moffatt where many of us, including myself, made for the woollens and household goods in which the local store excelled. Although I was not specifically looking for it, I was delighted to purchase a sleeveless slipover because I have had to throw away two others recently that have gone into holes. The jumper I purchased was a lovely petrol blue and I snapped it up at a good price, delighted because even John Lewis do not stock this item any more and the cost in John Lewis seems to have been about double the price I paid. My friend bought herself a woollen hat and some fruit (which she shared with me) and then we proceeded on our way until our next stop was a service station north of Manchester where the choice of food outlets was terrible with nearly every outlet selling a version of junk food and I could not help but make comparisons with the excellent food and drink available in the service stations in the Spanish road system. Eventually,  I settled on some stir-fry and noodles sort of dish but I would never normally consume rubbish like this. Our final pit stop was a service area in which we have a change of drivers and a brief toilet stop whilst the driver was encouraging us to contribute generously to his driver’s tip to which my friend and I failed to contribute once we had calculated how much we knew that our driver was making in his unofficial guiding activities  as well as other benefits to the stores to which we were delivered en masse.  Once we got to Bromsgrove, we said our goodbyes to each other and then I caught a taxi home and started to think about a minimal degree of unpacking. In our domestic news, it has been reported that yet another Albanian gang has been successfully pursued and then prosecuted by the police. As the media asked the question why so many of these crimimnl gangs originate from Albania, I sought the explanation from Wikipedia. This is what I have learned. Albanian gangs are highly prevalent in organised crime due to post-1990s structural instability that fostered crime, combined with a reputation for reliability, discipline, and direct links to South American cocaine suppliers. They dominate via tight-knit, clan-based networks that are difficult to infiltrate and utilise ‘poly-crime’ tactics, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering across Europe and the UK.

So the evening before last proved to be very entertaining in ways that could not be predicted. We had a meal of chicken breasts together with some Scottish delicacies all of which proved to be delicious. Having dined together my American friend and I drifted slowly towards the post-dinner coffee and entertainment area where we joined in a conversation with two of the members of our own coach party and therefore whom we know. The entertainment was to be provided by a huge, well kilted Scotsman which we did not think would be absolutely our cup of tea  but he really was very entertaining. He had fitted some of his own lyrics to songs with a Scottish theme such as the Sky Boat Song. But he sang these folksongs in a very slow and deliberate way which in some way captured the rhythms well of a boat being rowed upon a loch. So we enjoyed this entertainment for some time after which I was a little over-whelmed by the sound of it all and decided to make for my bed. But on my way through the cavernous hall and reception area, I came across a gentleman who I assumed was sitting on his own but was soon to be joined by his wife and we engaged in casual conversations about the things we had done so far on our respective holidays (some coach parties have the same general itineraries but in a different sequence). But as I was invited to join the couple  and our conversation turned to other matters, it transpired that they actually lived in Eastleigh of which where I lived in Hampshire (Hedge End) was actually a suburb. So we had lived within only a few miles of each other which was remarkable. They were enjoying a leisurely post-prandial drink of red wine and invited me to share it with them and chatted for probably an hour and a half altogether. I had no idea that the organising company (‘Lochs and Glens’) ran coaches from as far away as Eastleigh which must be the best part of 150 miles to the south of Bromsgrove. As the wife of a couple was a care assistant and worked in a residential home some of whose patients were suffering from dementia, I shared some of the characteristics of Meg’s final few months without being excessively morbid or filled with irrelevant details. When I got back into my room, I turned on the TV news in order to receive news about the results of the general election held in Hungary that day. I was delighted that the opposition leader Magyar (himself from the centre-right) had secured about two thirds of the seats in the 200-seat assembly and upon this news emerging, then Victor Orbán had conceded his defeat very early into the night. As Orbán had been in power for the last sixteen years, I assumed that if the election had been at all close then Orbán would have claimed it but his defeat was so enormous that the concession came early. The fact that the opposition leader secured about two thirds of the seats is highly significant because it may well be that some of the oppressive constitutional reforms introduced by Orbán to consolidate his grip on power are now capable to being rescinded  or  ameliorated. An absolutely horrendous situation has been reported from Milan airport where some 120 passengers on a EasyJet flight to, I think, Manchester were so delayed by the new border control system that the aircraft took off with only 42 passengers on board, the other 120 being left behind. Of course we are not yet in full holiday season mode just yet and one wonders whether things will settle down before the July holiday rush starts. 

In the morning, we were scheduled to visit Glasgow city centre and I think it is fair to say that we were all mightily impressed both by the traditional red sandstone ornate buildings many constructed by the Victorians  and a plethora of modern designs for many different types of institutions. There was quite a steady patter of rainfall as well as hail so I think we all were content to sit on the bus whilst the coach driver gave us a tour of some of the most iconic monuments involving both the city centre area as well as the University.  We were dropped outside Lewis in Buchanan Street and we dived through John Lewis and were pleased to avail ourselves of a high quality soup and sandwich in the cafeteria. After this. my American friend and I wandered down Buchanan Street to absorb some of the atmosphere of the traditional Glasgow building designs, after which we were pleased to get back onto the coach as it was still raining heavily. We were then transported to the ‘free’ Riverside museum of transport which has a display of practically every kind of transport available from bikes to cars, ancient and modern, to trains and trams. After we had boarded the coach again we stopped off at a picturesque little village of Luss, full of £1m houses and then popped in the village store where I was pleased to buy a copy of the <i>Sunday Times</i>. Upon getting back to the hotel, my fiend and I were both very thirsty after or travels so we popped into the bar for a quick pint of liquid refreshment before starting our packing and then having a delayed main evening meal haggis, venison and delicious ice cream). We have to get up at about 4.30 am and have our cases outside the room at about 5.45 and be ready to depart at about 6.30 the morning after quite a full and interesting holiday. My friend and I have reflected that we have had a good time in each other’s company and have had some interesting discussions and good laughs but the rest of the coach party holiday makers have seemed somewhat on the dour side. Tomorrow, we are due to stay awhile in what is said to the absolutely delightful town of Moffat which is said to have many interesting shops and some very original features and to be well worth a stop. Over the weekend, amid his feud with Pope Leo XIV, the president shared a doctored image of himself dressed as Jesus, in white robes and a red sash, putting his hand to the forehead of a sick man. He appears to have since deleted the post. During Monday’s segment of the ABC talk show, the hosts displayed the picture on the screen behind them as they addressed Trump’s recent Truth Social rant, in which he called the Pope ‘WEAK on crime’ and ‘terrible for foreign policy.’ The post has subsequently been deleted.

Last night I partook of a conventional fish-and-chips supper before the evening round of entertainment (bingo followed by a singer) which I took pains to avoid – fortunately, there are a whole series of interconnected lounges and it is not difficult to find people with whom to converse without having to participate in the entertainment provided. It is a case of fairly early to bed and early to rise because we had breakfast at 8.00am followed by a 9.00am coach departure for the day’s trips. One of the minor annoyances of life in the hotel is that the TV system is evidently satellite based and the system can access neither Sky News nor ClassicFM which are the channels to which I most frequently tune. So I make do instead with the rolling BBC news service and with Radio 3 if I require any music to assist me drift off to sleep during any periods of wakefulness during the night. One disturbing item of news is that the peace talks in Islamabad (Pakistan) between the USA and Iran have broken down and the UA Vice President, J D Vance has returned to the USA. The breaking point appears to be the insistence that Iran would cease any developments that might lead to a nuclear weapon and, of course, the Straits of Hormuz is still a massive bone of contention. Talks lasted well over twenty one hours whilst the Donald Trump stated view is that any failure to reach an agreement is automatically a ‘victory’ for the US. So it is unclear whether hostilities will recommence and, in any case, the Israelis had not been a participant in the talks and their bombardment of Lebanon seems to have continued apace. To complete the air of gloom a ceasefire had been negotiated in Ukraine to cover the Orthodox celebration of Easter but this ceasefire appears to have broken down almost from the start. Meanwhile, a fascinating election is taking place in Hungary where it looks as the hard right president, Victor Orban, may be facing defeat. But the Americas in general and J D Vance n particular have been actively compaigning on the behalf of Orban and what may be described as his Christian nationalism. Whilst to appears that the Opposition are ahead in Hungary, it is almost certain that the ruling party together with the assistance of the Americans will try to overturn the result and to claim a fraudulent victory. The results  of this may become apparent in some sixteen hours time but I would be amazed if Orban would relinquish power without the dirtiest of fights. Orban has had constant run-ins with the EU and I am sure that Brussels would love to see his departure but we shall have to see what happens when the election results are announced. At the moment, the whole of the world seems to be in the grip of right wing leaders both across Europe, the USA, Russia, India and China and one has to fear for the future of ‘normal’ social democratic politics. I think that part of the problem is that the right always seeks apparently simple solutions to complex problems of immigration and the economy. Centrist and left leaning parties are more aware of the complexities of modern life and therefore their policies might appear to be more nuanced and balanced which comes out as unclear in the minds of the various electorates.

So we boarded our coach at 9.00am and made for Inverary which is the ancestral home town of the Dukes of Argyll (who apparently still retains much political influence over the town). On the way, we made a pit stop where we enjoyed a quick coffee and actually managed to pick up a copy of the ‘Sunday Times’ for which I have a voucher. Unfortunately, and even later in the morning, it was still pretty cold and miserable but my American friend and I stumbled across a sort of coffee outlet which was actually in the ground floor of a local hotel. As we were both feeling a little cold and rain soaked, we asked for a soup of the day and were served with a really excellent leek and potato soup the kind where you can still see chunks of vegetables floating about) We then asked if they had any apple pie and were served with an excellent apple and blackcurrant pie in a delicious pastry complemented with ice cream. We both felt that we had stumbled across some really high quality food that we had been served. Then we sought out a specialist whisky shop selling a whole range of whiskies and, upon the  recommendation of the coach driver, purchased a really excellent whisky based liqueur laced with chocolate and orange. Naturally, we sampled this inside the shop and had no hesitation in purchasing a bottle, particularly as by signing into their newsletter, we received a 10% discount on our first order. Then feeling quite mellow by this stage, we made for Loch Lomond where we were booked onto a cruise on Loch Lomond. This turned out to out to be more interesting than we thought it was going to be as we were played the ballad of ‘By the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond’ and told the full history that lay behind the ballad that dates back to the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 i.e. 280 years ago. I had rather hoped to see the village of Balmaha and the island of Inchcailloch, the largest island in the loch, upon which I used to camp as a boy but it looked as through the boat trip ended in a different part of the loch, even though the trip was the best part of an hour in duration. And so we returned home having had some good experiences during  the day and looking forward, as always, to our evening meal. Tomorrow we have the prospect of viewing some of the iconic features of Glasgow as well as a guided tour of the city. In the late afternoon, the news has emerged that in response to the failure of the Iran peace talks, the United States is going to blockade the whole (both ends?) of the Straits of Hormuz so the horrendous impact upon oil prices and the multiple economies across the globe can only guessed at.

What an incredibly good first day of the holiday.  My family deposited me and heavy suitcase in the bus station at Bromsgrove and the coach turned up some ten minutes late. I was joined by my North American friend and then we set off, calling to a service station where we had a change of driver and an early morning cup of coffee. Then we experienced a very amusing and well-informed coach driver who stopped us at a service station well into the journey where my friend and I had an all-day breakfast. We happened to be sitting at a counter where there was a motor cyclist sitting opposite to us with the words ‘Shoei’ on his helmet. I explained to him that this was the name of a small Japanese college-within-a-college at the University  of Winchester (which he dd not know) but it transpired that his own son had been a student at the University after my time there. So we had a most entertaining encounter there and so we continued on our journey with a lot of story telling and jokes told en route. The coach driver added some witty jokes and comments on his own and entertained us with a list of the achievements of the outstanding Scots scientists and engineers who lived on the outskirts of Dumbarton which we circumnavigated before we arrived at out hotel on the shores of Loch Long. The hotel was spacious, modern and very well equipped and we were amazed by the quality of the accommodation which  we had been allocated. I was particularly pleased to have a double bed in which to luxuriate before we dined at 6.30.  I got unpacked and my lap top up and running in no time at all although the hot spot signal from my iPhone is much better than the hotel’s own network. My friend and I chatted with many of the young waitressing staff and I gave one of mine (a student who hoped to visit Italy and learn some Italian which was part of her family background) the link to my Mozart website filled with Italian arias which she said she would access and report back to me today. We had a rather run of the mill type meal but I had a salad starter and a mackerel main course and it sufficed. But my friend and I indulged in a bottle of rioja of which we drunk one half the rest being the medicine for this evening. We had some interesting conversations with other (elderly) guests but then turned in to have an early night as most of is had been up since 5.30 in the morning and had not slept very well the night before the journey. Breakfast is at 9.30 and I am up bright and early so after starting this blog I might go down and have a morning constitutional walk filling my lungs full of good, pure Scottish mountain air!

We set off at 10.30 for Dunoon, a small Scottish town but the weather actually turned cold and blustery when we arrived there. So most of us walked along the High Street gazing in the occasional shop window and eventually made our way into a bakery that sold coffee which was crowded out. After this, we made our way back onto the coach and motored by the side of the Holy Loch, he home of the famous submarine base. Eventually, after another drive through the mountains we arrived at Benmore Botanical Gardens, famous amongst other things for some redwood trees. But there was still a rally icy blast and I was especially pleased to have the benefit  of my nice woollen UMIST university scarf to give me some relief against the icy blasts. Eventually, some of us sought out the relief of the tea rooms and a warming cup of tea and I chatted a lot with a couple of ladies who had net whilst their husbands were having dialysis and died about eight years ago. Some warming sun came out the minute before we were due to depart and so I  remarked to others that we had arrived about two hours too early. Then we had a long drive back through some snow covered mountains and ‘lengthy’ lochs before arriving back in the hotel in the late afternoon. The next day promises a trip to Inveraray which is a town in Argyll and Bute. Located on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, Inveraray is a former royal burgh and known affectionately as ‘The Capital of Argyll.’ It is the traditional county town of Argyll, and the ancestral seat to the Duke of Argyll. Loch Fyne is best known to people in England as the chain of restaurants in which they originally sold mussels and branched out to other seafood.In the past, I have eaten with the ‘Old Fogies’ at the Loch Fyne restaurant in Winchester. Although we had a good breakfast before we departed this morning, I am quite look forward to a good evening meal as today has been one of those ‘coffee and biscuits’ type days to keep us going. After a quick text to my son, he alerted me to the fact that is the Women’s Six Nations competition so I am tuned into watching Wales v. Scotland whilst resting after the day out and getting myself in the mood for dinner. Every holiday has its own particular characteristics and this one is marked for me by the fact that of or party of about 20, many have done the trip before and when the coach arrives at a destination, many make tracks for destinations with which they are familiar. So as a lone traveller, I find myself tagging onto the coat-tails of other holidaymakers so that I know where to go. Benmore Gardens in particular was one of those attractions where you are presented with a map and then people disappear in all directions (usually on groups of two or three). Although we are being left to do our thing in Glasgow when we come to visit it, the coach driver has decided he will do a little ‘off-piste’ with us and give us a guided tour of what he considers to be the most iconic sights of Glasgow for a small additional charge per head (to which I think we all readily agreed) If only for nostalgic reasons, I am quite looking forward to the sail on Loch Lomond as I used to camp on an island off the little village of Balmaha a third of the way up Loch Lomond  when a music teacher/scoutmaster organised summer camps for us when I was about 15.

The mood in the Middle East has turned from a cautious optimism to one of fear and dread as to what is unfolding. Whatever the peace plan might say, the Israelis have continued with a massive bombardment of Lebanon, killing over 250 in a single day. The Iranians and Pakistanis say that the conflict in Lebanon is an explicit part of the deal but Israel and the USA deny this. We know that in historical terms, the only restraining hand on the military ambitions of Israel has been the USA but this is not now present with the Trump regime seemingly in disarray. Netanyahu has told the world that he has been dreaming of extending a fight into Lebanon against Hezbollah as a dream of his for the last twenty years and he is certainly not going to stop now, whatever the Americans might say. The Iranians for their part are saying that the conflict in Lebanon is clearly part of the ceasefire agreement and until Israel stops its attacks, then the Straits of Hormuz shall remain firmly closed. In any case, selective ships from non-combatant nations are allowed through at a fee reported to be $1 million per tanker which is a lucrative form of income for the Iranians. Meanwhile, the US is saying that they did not agree with the published 10 point peace plan but another ‘secret one’ which was a scaled down version of the 15 point plan (essentially a surrender document) presented to and rejected by the Iranians. So it seems that we are at an absolute stalemate and the Pakistani negotiators have all of their work cut out to resolve  the conflict. Although the ceasefire was supposedly agreed, it was never put into effect and the Israelis carried out a huge bombardment without any hint of restraint so it appears that the immediate future is, indeed, quite bleak. Donald Trump is now threatening more strikes against Iran if it fails to restrain Hezbollah but there is no parallel injunction against the Israelis. The American congress is said to be considering a War Powers act to authorise funding for the war but this is unlikely to change the situation. With an unrestrained Israel, one cannot see how this conflict is going to be brought to an end. It is interesting that the Trump regime is demonstrating a sort of ‘buyer’s remorse’ by indicating that they did not agree to the published peace plan (which they say is a fake copied from a Nigerian website) but another, more secret, peace plan. There is so much misinformation flying about that it must be hard for even independent analysts to make sense of an extremely confused situation.

The evening before last, I went out with the ‘Curry Club’ to have a meal with about 16 other U3A members. The meal was good without, in my view, being outstandingly good and the restaurant was packed adding considerably to the noise levels. Unfortunately, I was seated between two elderly male diners neither of whom had any conversation or had much to say for themselves but ate their meals in silence. I must remember on future occasions to try to position myself a little more adroitly to prevent this happening in the future but it not easy when established friends approach a table and sit down next to each other. When  got I got home I got together some tea and coffee supplies to take with me and I would estimate that I am at least two thirds packed, with the remainder to be finished off today.

I went down to have my Tai Chi class this morning and this proceeded satisfactorily but, unfortunately, the coffee bar I which we are accustomed to having our post-exercise drink is closed for the whole of the week so that the volunteers who staff the kitchen can have a little Easter break. I took the opportunity to go off and visit a ‘Home and Gardens’ type store but they did not have the item for which I was looking and as so often happens these days, I thought I would shrug my shoulders and see if I could do without the item in question. When I got home, I immersed myself in the political news from the Middle east which is getting murkier by the moment. What is interesting is that after Trump’s foul-mouthed outburst the other day coupled with his threat to destroy the whole of Iranian civilisation of the Straits of Hormuz were not re-opened, then more doubts are being expressed about the President’s fitness for office. The latest revelation from ex White House cardiologist under a previous presidency who is calling for an annual ‘statement of fitness for office’ to be made by a competent White House doctor but to my mind there should be a trio of doctors who perform this assessment. In any event, Trump is feeling increasingly cornered and is lashing out in desperation to those around him and I suspect that some more random sackings might be forthcoming. I had a delayed lunch in which I feasted on eggs and ham together with some potatoes and beans, more conscious of the fact that I should not leave food mouldering in the fridge whilst I am away. In the mid afternoon,  I received a surprise phone call from my daughter-in-law who was calling from the taxi on her home from the airport. She and my son were meant to be flying out of Birmingham airport on holiday. In the event, her flight and the whole holiday was cancelled but there will be an automatic refund. It means that my daughter-in-law can give me a lift down to the bus station tomorrow morning about which I am secretly relieved as I have been feeling a little tired over the last few days and the lift means that I should get to the bus station not worn out before the holiday actually starts. It looks as though some cloudy and stormy weather are in prospect for us but, during most of Friday, I shall be in a coach travelling Scotland-bound in any case. I am determined not to over-pack on this holiday so I am very strict about what is to be included within the suitcase but there are various things (such as tea and coffee making facilities) the absence of which can mar a holiday. The laptop upon which I compose this blog is going on the top of the suitcase and I can always ‘hot spot’ for a WiFi connection onto my iPhone, so I am hopeful that my blog can continue unabated for the next few days. As I now know that my daughter-in-law was due to pick me up to get to the bus station before the coach arrived to whisk me away on holiday up to Scotland, I allowed myself the slight luxury of staying up a little later than I had intended so that I could share in the audience reaction to the Iran war in ‘Question Time’.

I have just been alerted, via a ‘YouTube‘ video clip, of an extraordinary culture clash between Donald Trump’s White House (and Pentagon) and the Vatican where the Pope hails from the  USA itself. The United States, particularly in moments of conflict, has historically drawn on religious language to frame its actions. What appears to be emerging in the current context, however, is a more explicit and systematic fusion of faith and force — one that risks narrowing the space for dissenting religious voices in a Vatican counter-narrative. Pope Leo XIV’s interventions can be read as an attempt to reassert a universalist moral framework rooted in post-war norms.   His criticism of force-based diplomacy implicitly challenges not only specific military actions but also the broader erosion of principles established after the Second World War, including the prohibition on territorial aggression. Given that the Secretary of State for War, Pete Hegseth has often involved God in favour of the American military adventure the Pope has responded by saying (and I summarise) that ‘God does not accept prayers from those with blood on their hands’.

What I found completely extraordinary in this stand off between Church and State was the following report. Vice President J.D. Vance is investigating reports that senior Pentagon officials in January held a tense, allegedly threatening meeting with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s ambassador to the US. According to multiple reports, the official told the cardinal that the United States had the military power to do ‘whatever it wants’ and warned that Pope Leo ‘better take its side’. Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, a close ally of Vance, is said to have called Pierre in for the unprecedented meeting. Tensions reportedly escalated, with one US official appearing to reference the Avignon Papacy, a period in the 14th century when the French crown exerted control over the papacy. In other words, the Catholic Church was explicitly warned, with a background of military threat as the meeting was held in the Pentagon, that the Church had better legitimise the current Iranian conflict as the Pentagon had the ability to force military compliance. To say that I found this whole episode jaw-dropping is probably an under-statement. What the Pope probably had in mind, as an undoubtedly learned man, is  the following. Based on historical analysis and recently released Vatican archives, the relationship between the papacy and 1930s fascism—specifically Benito Mussolini’s regime in Italy was complex, characterised more by cooperation and calculated negotiation than outright ideological endorsement, though it frequently provided the regime with moral legitimacy. Pope Leo probably recognised this part of fairly recent Catholic history and was probably determined to learn the appropriate lessons.

The mood in the Middle East has turned from a cautious optimism to one of fear and dread as to what is unfolding. Whatever the peace plan might say, the Israelis have continued with a massive bombardment of Lebanon, killing over 250 in a single day. The Iranians and Pakistanis say that the conflict in Lebanon is an explicit part of the deal but Israel and the USA deny this. We know that in historical terms, the only restraining hand on the military ambitions of Israel has been the USA but this is not now present with the Trump regime seemingly in disarray. Netanyahu has told the world that he has been dreaming of extending a fight into Lebanon against Hezbollah for the last twenty years and he is certainly not going to stop now, whatever the Americans might say. The Iranians, for their part, are saying that the conflict in Lebanon is clearly part of the ceasefire agreement and until Israel stops its attacks, then the Straits of Hormuz shall remain firmly closed. In any case, selective ships from non-combatant nations are allowed through  at a fee reported to be $1-$2 million per tanker which is a lucrative form of income for the Iranians. Meanwhile, the US is saying tha it not did not agree with the published 10 point peace plan but another ‘secret one’ which was a scaled down version of the 15 point plan (essentially a surrender document) presented to and rejected by the Iranians. It seems that we are at an absolute stalemate and the Pakistani negotiators have all of their work cut out to resolve the conflict. Although the ceasefire was supposedly agreed, it was never put into effect and the Israelis carried out a huge bombardment without any hint of restraint so it appears that the immediate future is, indeed, quite bleak. Donald Trump is now threatening more strikes against Iran if it fails to restrain Hezbollah but there is no parallel injunction against the Israelis. The American congress is said to be considering a War Powers act to authorise funding for the war but this is unlikely to change the situation. With an unrestrained Israel, one cannot see how this conflict is going to be brought to an end. It is interesting that the Trump regime is demonstrating a sort of ‘buyer’s remorse’ by indicating that they did not agree to the published peace plan (which they say is a fake copied from a Nigerian website) but another, more secret, peace plan. There is so much misinformation flying about that it must be hard for even independent analysts to make sense of an extremely confused situation.

The evening before last, I went out with the ‘Curry Club’ to have a meal with about 16 other U3A members. The meal was good without, in my view, being outstandingly good and the restaurant was packed adding considerably to the noise levels. Unfortunately, I was seated between two elderly male diners neither of whom had any conversation or had much to say for themselves but ate their meals in silence. I must remember on future occasions to try to position myself a little more adroitly to prevent this happening in the future but it not easy when established friends approach a table and sit down next to each other. When  got I got home I got together some tea and coffee supplies to take with me and I would estimate that I am at least two thirds packed, with the remainder to be finished off today.

I went down to have my Tai Chi class this morning and this proceeded satisfactorily but, unfortunately, the coffee bar I which we are accustomed to having a post-exercise drink is closed for the whole of the week so that the volunteers who staff the kitchen can have a little Easter break. I took the opportunity to go off and visit a ‘Home and Gardens’ type store but they did not have the item for which I was looking and as so often happens these days, I thought I would shrug my shoulders and see if I could do without the item in question. When I got home, I immersed myself in the political  news from the Middle east which is getting murkier by the moment. What is interesting is that after Trump’s foul-mouthed outburst the other day coupled with his threat to destroy the whole of Iranian civilisation if the Straits of Hormuz were not re-opened,  then more doubts are being expressed about the President’s fitness for office. The latest revelation from ex White House cardiologist under a previous  presidency who is calling for an annual ‘statement of fitness for office’ to be made by a competent White House doctor but to my mind there should be a trio of doctors who perform this assessment. In any event, Trump is feeling increasingly cornered and is lashing out in desperation to those around him and I suspect that some more random sackings might be forthcoming. I had a delayed lunch in which I feasted on eggs and ham together with some potatoes and beans, more conscious of the fact that I should not leave food mouldering in the fridge whilst I am away. In the mid afternoon, I received a surprise phone call from my daughter-in-law who was calling from the taxi on her home from the airport. She and my son were meant to be flying out of Birmingham airport on holday n the afternoon. In any event, her flight and the whole holiday was cancelled but there will be an automatic refund. It means that my daughter-in-law can give me a lift down to the bus station tomorrow morning about which I am secretly relieved as I have been feeling a little tired over the last few days and the lift means that I should get to the bus station not worn out before the holiday actually starts. It looks as though some cloudy and stormy weather are I prospect for us but during most of Friday I shall be in a coach travelling Scotland-bound in any case. I am determined not to over-pack on this holiday so I am very strict about what is to be included within the suitcase but there are various things (such as tea and coffee making facilities) the absence of which can mar a holiday. The laptop upon which I compose this blog is going on the top of the suitcase and I can always ‘hot spot’ for a WiFi connection onto my iPhone, so I am hopeful that my blog can continue unabated for the next few days.

So we have awoken yesterday morning to the news that at practically the eleventh hour, a cease fire deal between the USA and Iran was put into effect giving a two week pause. The deal appears to have been brokered by Pakistan and a key element of the deal is that the Straits of Hormuz are to be immediately open to world shipping, thus relieving but not eliminating, the threat to the world’s oil supplies. For his part, Donald Trump will no doubt claim that his draconian threats to end civilisation in Iran have had the desired effect but the truth of the situation is that all sides needed some kind of resolution to the conflict and Trump, in particular, was in need of some kid of resolution even though it can be argued that a two week ceasefire merely means that the ‘can as been kicked further down the road’ Calls were growing from within the US that Trump be declared not for office via invocation of the 25th amendment and the very evident fact that Trump appeared to be claiming for the end to ‘civilisation’ in Iran was going beyond rhetoric. So we have a situation in which both sides can claim victory, Iran not least for just having resisted the might and the power pf the strongest military regime on earth (with the possible exception of China) Interestingly, the Israelis have not been part of the negotiations although  there is a plausible argument that they dragged America into this conflict in the first place. The Israelis are saying that they are going to pursue the fight against  Hezbollah in Lebanon although this conflict ought to be covered by the cease fire agreement. The USA could force its client state to stop the conflict in Lebanon but the Israelis are going to pursue their own war aims, regardless of the USA. I think the world as  a whole is just relieved that the Straits of Hormuz be reopened and the immediate conflict between Iran and the USA put on hold without worrying too much about what Israel is doing. The American liberal media podcasts are already of the view that Trump is suffering a ‘de facto’ defeat but the growing opposition to the war in general, and to Trumps announcements in particular, means that ‘middle’ America is probably relieved that a cease fire means that the boil of the Iran conflict as been lanced. It will be interesting to see what more informed opinion has to say during the course of the day. Meanwhile the day as it unfolds today will be a more domestic one. I thought that in the course of the afternoon, I may start packing my case in preparation for the holiday and this evening I am due to join 19 the members of the U3A group who are attending a very high status Indian restaurant for a ‘Curry Club’ meal which looks as though it is going to be very popular. The weather is positively spring-like at the moment and I am hopeful that the high pressure system persists for a few more days yet. The longer range forecast for Scotland is that it will be rather cloudy with isolated spots of rain possible but should brighten up later, while England and Wales will see the most sunshine.

Later in the morning, after I had tried to digest some of the political news of the morning, I took the car into town as far as the Methodist Centre. Here, I myself and some others had forgotten that in this post-Easter week, the centre was actually closed. So leaving the car parked where it was, I decided to call in at the ‘Gifts of Love’ which I normally frequent on a Friday morning but this too was closed. I did a tour of the charity shops and Poundland, buying some more leather insoles to line the inside of my new trailers. I did feel this morning as though I was wearing a completely different outfit as, in view of the fine weather, I put aside my thick leather Korean cowhide jacket and put on a summer-weight gilet which  wear in the summer. This complete with mu UMIST scarf and new looking trainers made me present a new image to the world. When I got home, I cleaned up a set of wheels which I noticed the other day in the garage and which Meg and I used to convey heavy suitcases from to and from airport carparks. I have in mind to take a slightly larger suitcase than I had originally intended but to alleviate the stain on myself to utilise the wheels to trundle my suitcase down the hill to the bus station on Friday morning. On my return the following Tuesday, I shall certainly use a taxi from the taxi ranks but getting a taxi first thing in the morning is always a little problematic in view of the near traffic jam down the Kidderminster Road. I prepared a simple lunch for myself of some cold chicken breasts, some slices of ham and an avocado and this was more than enough considering I am going out for my ‘Curry Club’ meal later in the evening. As I watching the news before lunchtime, I thought I would seize the moment and sew on a button which was missing from my shirt front. Meg used to keep all of her sewing things for decades in a big old plastic container previously used for ice cream. It actually took me longer to find a needle, thread it with white cotton and find a suitable button than the actual sewing job itself so I may put needle, thread and suitable buttons in another location as I will be doing this more regularly in the future. The possible end to the conflict in Iran is difficult  to comprehend at the moment. It looks as though America originally put forward a 15-point peace plan to Iran which was, in effect, a surrender document and which Iran immediately rejected. Iran then responded with a 10 point peace plan of its own including such things such as complete control of the Straits of Hormuz and it appears that the Trump regime have accepted most of these in essence anyway. A first sight, it appears to be an abject humiliation and climb down for Donald Trump but the full story is still yet to unfold. There are calls for the impeachment of the USA secretary of State for ‘War’, Pete Hegseth, which might gain some traction within the Congress as his complete lack of any substantial military experience rankles with many old- school Republicans with extensive family history within the Armed Services.

This week being the week after Easter, my routine is altered in various ways. My Pilates class is cancelled for this week as our instructor is away on her own holidays but two events are going to mark this week. Firstly, I have been fortunate to availed myself of a last minute cancellation so that I can now join the other 19 members of the U3A curry club to a local (Droitwich) based Indian restaurant with a very high reputation. This will take place at 6.00pm on Wednesday evening and it looks as though our party will occupy about one half of the restaurant. Until I get  there, I don’t now if there is anyone else that I will recognise but I have done a quick reconnaissance of the 20 of us who are going and have ascertained there are four couples but the rest of us equally split between males and females so this should make for an entertaining evening if we get suitable seating arrangements. I am quite pleased that it will be light when we are making our way to the restaurant because I do not particularly like fishing about for new venues in the dark. Later on in the morning, I thought I would call in at another of the supermarkets in town where there is a pharmacy so that I can et some last minute supplies before I go off on holiday. Actually, knowing the notoriety of the Scottish midges, I did consult the web and found a product which is acclaimed to be the market leader in the fight against Scottish midges. The product (‘Smidge’ which  I suppose is a contraction for [S]cottish [Midge] claims to be especially formulated in Scotland to deal with Scottish midges so on the strength of this information, I went ahead and ordered some supplies from Amazon which should  arrive before the end of the week. By the morning’s post, the brand-new University scarf in UMIST colours arrived and it is of high quality being 100% wool and measured it against my recently discovered scarf, I find that the new product is ½” wider and 1′ longer than my old scarf. This difference may well disappear as and when I subject the new scarf to the washing machine but as things stand, I have about one third more scarf in the new product. It is actually made by the official robe makers to the University of Cambridge who advertise the fact in rather an obtrusive label. My son called around at around breakfast, recently returned from visiting  his in-laws in Watford. He, to, is going off on holiday at the end of the week so we will both be away together but I explained to him how life as getting quite busty in this post Easter period as I have one U3A activity  before my own holidays and two immediately following  each other upon my return. Also I have a couple of social events to which to look forward in May so the intensity of my social life is increasing.

I got into town somewhat later than  intended as m attention was diverted some photographs in some small albums to which our domestic help draw to my attention when she was dusting a bookcase. Some were of my stay in Indonesia whilst yet others were of Meg, my son and I on top of a snowy Lake District mountain evidently some time in the 1970’s,judging by the age of my son. Some were of our friends in Spain which I must remember to take when I eventually make it over there. One of the purposes of my trip my town was to my local Poundland where eventually I located the ‘pets’ section. The reason for this is because in the past I have found that the collars sold for dogs is a strap of exactly the correct length to held together the two retaining straps of a rucksack so that they do not slip off your shoulders (which is quite a frequent occurrence if the clothing that you are wearing has a somewhat sloping angle to the shoulders) But my efforts this year were crowned with failure and the current stock was polypropylene rather than leather and an obscure design so that  couldn’t work out how you possibly get it over an animal’s head. So I abandoned this and came home to cook myself  a late lunch of potatoes, ham and egg. Meanwhile, the whole world is watching and waiting to see if how Trump attempts to carry out his latest blood-curdling threat to bomb Iran back to the ‘Some Age’. His threats clearly break every single protocol against  retribution of civilian populations about which the world conventions are completely clear. His new post says: ‘A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again’. But it later adds ‘maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?’ Trump suggests he’s negotiating with new leaders in Iran, after ‘total regime change’ there. But experts have frequently pointed out that the current war has not brought down Iran’s rulers, even though Israeli and American strikes have succeeded in killing individuals high up in the Islamic Republic, including Ali Khamenei, Iran’s previous supreme leader. That post threatened to reduce Iran’s leadership to ‘living in hell’, calling them ‘crazy bastards’. We shall see what transpires but it is quite evident that Trump has got the USA into a mess completely of its own making and is lashing out at allies, particularly Britain, who are failing to help him extricate himself. When his various  threats do not materialise and deadlines come and go with the Iranians just sitting tight for the time being, I suspect that Trump will declare total victory and then declare that his vague and contradictory war am have been fulfilled. Even some quite loyal Republicans are now starting to questions Trump’s state of mind and general health. I am currently starting to think about the things I need to take on holiday with me starting on Friday. I am inclined to under pack rather than fill a large suitcase so I am planning to take an intermediate size suitcase with me. I will also take a small rucksack with me for day-to-day things to take out on trips  and, again, I shall think hard what to put into this. I am thinking off an extremely light-weight raincoat in case of sudden downpours and a thermos flask and precious little else apart from insect repellent. I am also to pack a little notebook so that I can note down the details of each photo that I take which will make the job of cataloging the snaps easier when I return home. Of course I must not forget either to take with me my regular medications ad vitamin tablets although I suspect I shall be eating some hearty breakfasts on most of the days and only the lightest of lunches.

All kinds of disinformation are taking  place in the Iranian theatre of war as details emerge of the rescue of the second downed airman from a few days ago. What we are being told officially is that the badly injured airman crawled up a 7,000′ mountain in order to find a secure hiding place and a huge military operation was put in place to find him. The Americans did not want their airman to be captured and to be paraded on TV (quite contrary to the rules of war) and their military operation to rescue him involved dozens of aircraft. Two of the huge C130 transport planes and two helicopters were lost in mysterious circumstances – of course, the Iranians have claimed to have shot them down. But the USA military is claiming that it destroyed the two C130 transport planes themselves, presumably because  they feared that they would fall into Iranian hands. We know that many C-130 Hercules variants—particularly specialised versions like the EC-130 Compass Call and MC-130 Combat Spear—are heavily equipped with extensive communications, intelligence, and electronic warfare suites. While the base C-130 is a transport aircraft, its modular design allows it to be filled with advanced communication equipment for specialised missions. If this equipment had fallen into the hands of he Iranians, they could presumably have shared all of this with the Russians and even the Chinese and so the USA was quite contented to destroy its own aircraft completely for this not to happen. I am reminded of the saying associated with the veteran Labour party politician, Denis Healy that ‘In war, the first casualty is truth’ and possibly the full account of this daring rescue mission will never actually see the light of day. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has posed a blood curdling threat to the Iranians that he about to bomb their civilian facilities ‘back to the Stone Age’ if the Gulf of Hormuz is not re-opened within a day. But what is remarkable about the post is that it contains foul-mouthed obscenities which have never before been publicly attributed to a world leader, let alone an American one. So by releasing this foul-mouthed torrent, Trump is almost publicly admitting his own dementia. But whether Donald Trump’s increasingly foul-mouthed language indicates dementia is a subject of intense debate among critics, commentators, and some mental health experts, rather than a confirmed medical diagnosis. But calls are growing that the 25th amendment  to the US constitution be put into effect. The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1967, provides the legal framework for handling cases of presidential incapacity, death, resignation, or removal. It ensures a clear line of succession and provides mechanisms for a Vice President to assume the powers of the presidency, either temporarily or permanently, if the President cannot fulfil their duties. Meanwhile, I shall re-entering a ‘Bank Holiday’ routine where  I hope that unlike yesterday, I can actually obtain a copy of my daily newspaper. The night  before, I had successfully completed not one but two ‘super fiendish’ Sudoku so I must be getting better at these and I am anticipating that our domestic help calls around a day earlier than usual as jury service is calling her imminently.

Now it comes to confession time but one to which I am willing to own up. Since I went on the trip to Jodrell Bank some twelve days ago, my Manchester University scarf has gone missing. This I purchased some 61 years ago and is, literally, and practically, irreplaceable as Manchester University have redesigned, and thus changed, their official colours. On the day after I had missed my scarf, I counted up that  had been in eight different locations including coffee bars, coaches and dark exhibition halls. Meg when she was alive used to say to me that it was important that ‘we should possess our possessions and not let them possess us’ and so I tried not to get too upset by the loss of a precious heirloom. I did go on the web and purchased from the Manchester University shop a replacement scarf but not, evidently, in the original colours. There are one or two very specialist  outlets from which it is possible to purchase replacement scarves but their selection is very limited and arbitrary. I did manage to track down a UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) which is very similar to the Victoria University of Manchester scarf but is distinguished from it by an additional orange stripe within it so I ordered this as well because Meg and I used to visit ‘J’ floor which was the Students Union every Sunday evening for a folk singing evening. When my domestic help called around today, I was looking for my every day rucksack which had been pushed into a corner of the kitchen floor and when she emptied it of various bits of clutter, there was my scarf – in other words, not lost at all! It is hard to convey my emotions at being reunited with my supposedly long lost scarf and, needless to say, it put me in a tremendously good mood for the rest of the day. I walked down into town in my very comfortable newly acquired trainers and collected my newspaper and sat down to drink my coffee. Then I observed one of the rarest of sights. A young man purchased seven plastic containers of sushi which I know would have cost him £19.00. Then he proceeded to eat one after the other until he had consumed all seven and then he left. I mentioned this to one of the staff I know quite well and they admitted that it was a bizarre behaviour pattern but as the had observed it many times before they had given him the nickname of ‘Sushi Man’ I know some people might have some idiosyncratic behaviour traits but I had never seen anything quite like that before. When I got home, I lunched on a sort of salad which was chicken breasts, avocado and beetroot slices on a slice of seeded brown bread – all designed to keep my protein count high these days. Incidentally.my speculations about the American C130 transport planes, packed with communications equipment,  proved to be entirely correct as the Americans had indeed blown up their own aircraft as they could not take off from a ‘soft’ landing strip in which the wheels of the C130 had become embedded and hence they were destroyed lest they fall not enemy hands. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.