When I awoke yesterday, it was about 6.00am but ClassicFM was playing the 2nd movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 so I luxuriated in a warm bed whilst this was played plus some Holst and other pleasant music before I actually got up at just after 7.00am to a house that seemed remarkably less cold than in the last few days. Now that I have a fully functioning central heating boiler, this is not really surprising but welcome. I suspect that we shall have one last week of ‘non-Christmas’ music before ClassicFM will start to let rip on Monday, 1st December to signal the start of the festive season. However, this theory was soon to be confounded because as I was exercising and listening to ClassicFM, the presenter announced that the Christmas music was due to commence on Tuesday, 25th as it was one month to go before Christmas Day itself. I am reminding myself that I may need to make some preparations if we are going to go ahead and have a party for some of Meg’s one time carers as we did so successfully last year. The political news this morning is dominated by the news that Majorie Taylor-Greene who was one of Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters but became, after the delay in the release of the Epstein files, one of his fiercest critics has decided to resign her seat in Congress. According to the US constitution, an election has to take place so either a special election will be called or the seat may be kept vacant until the primaries in 2026. The seat is staunchly Republican but the really interesting question is whether her seat will be filled by a MAGA (‘Make America Great Again’) candidate or whether the Republicans will choose a non-MAGA Republican. This might be an interesting indication of the current mood within the country. We also have interesting political questions starting to bubble up this week as a make-or-break and much anticipated budget is due to be delivered within the next few days. Seventeen months into office, Keir Starmer has the lowest popularity ratings of any prime minister since records began, and there is now open conversation in his party about whether he is right to lead Labour into the next general election, and he is heading into a very tempestuous budget in which he might end up breaking manifesto pledges to working people. Being abroad so much has eared him the soubriquet of ‘Never Here, Keir’ and whilst it is true that Prime Ministers can help to broker trade deals which the country badly needs, his absence when the country is facing so may problems is being noted. During the day, much of the High Street in Bromsgrove is being devoted to a ‘Christmas Fayre’ type event which means that parking space may well be at a premium. So I will probably wander down slowly and have a coffee in Waitrose before I wander along the High Street stopping ‘en route’ to buy some specialist sausages which I had promised my Droitwich friend as a special treat when I see her in the next day or so. Having thought that this month of November needed to be endured rather than enjoyed, I am pleasantly surprised by how quickly the month has flown by. Although I had been invited to a special concert to be given in Wolverhampton on Saturday, I have decided to forego this as navigating through a town and districts I do not know on a cold winter evening may be too much of a stretch for me at the moment.
Although it was a fairly cold and rainy day, I decided to walk down into town thinking the car parks would be full to bursting and the streets very busy. But in the event, the streets were fairly quiet. I looked in the cafe where I occasionally meet with some friends and not seeing them there called in the local butchers to get some high quality sausages for lunchtime tomorrow. Then I called in at Wetherspoons and saw a couple of friends I have not seen for some time whilst having one of their cut price bacon and egg breakfast butties.After lunch, I watched an episode of ‘Endeavour’ which I think I had seen about twice before but was always worth another viewing. Later in the afternoon, I treated myself to the latest episode of the David Olusoga series on ‘Empire’ and then awaited for the arrival of my friend who is going to use my house as a changing room before she goes off to a huge ball, organised by her son’s school where she was going to eat, drink and dance away the evening. Then we shall treat ourselves to a sausage brunch at some time during the following day.
Donald Trump is up to his usual negotiating tactic with the war in Ukraine. Having hatched up a plan with the Russians, he has given the Ukrainians a few days to accept it or otherwise all American support for the Ukraine would be withdrawn. But the Ukrainians and the Europeans have reacted badly to all of this and pushed back against the Trump plan. Donald Trump has said his current peace plan for Ukraine is not his final offer. Speaking outside the White House to reporters, the US president was asked if the 28-point plan was the ‘final offer’.’No, not by far We would like to get the peace, it should have happened a long time ago. The Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened. If I was president it would have never happened. We are trying to get it ended. One way or another, we have to get it ended.’ At the end of the day, the Ukrainians are not likely to concede land to Russia and a massive loss of sovereignty and will probably fight on, with the support of the Europeans and so the war will probably grind on, The Russians, though, are gradually winning the ground way having many more men and munitions to the Ukrainians who are fighting almost to the last man.
As the Christmas season is almost upon us, we are threatened with rail strikes over the Christmas period. I went scurrying to my booking forms but so far I believe that I might not be directly effected but one can never be absolutely sure because after a strike, it is possible that trains and their crews are in the ‘wrong’ places so the disruption could spread to non strike days. It looks as though ross Country Trains (the service I hope to use) is to be affected so I will have to keep my fingers crossed.