There is a report in today’s media about the ways in which migrants to the UK are housed after arrival. Generally, the Home Office has sought out areas in the country is which accommodation costs are least which generally means areas where the housing is cheap. So areas like Hyndburn in Lancashire, being a low cost area, is also one of the communities with a high degree of social deprivation. It is regrettable but understandable that in these areas community tensions can become very high when deprived and not well educated or employed people find a new community of migrants in their midst. So the alternative is to house migrants in mrde ‘middle-class’ areas where, of course, the community has even more social power to object and to successfully resist. One is led to the conclusion that the Home Office does search out areas in the country which are not only cheap but where the ability of the receiving community to resist is very low. Such was the case in Stoke on Trent where a lot of the cheapest housing country attracted the attention of Home Office planners. The night before last, I was engaged in pulling out the two wheelie bins to the kerbside ready for emptying early the following morning. My neighbours – a young couple – observed me examining the recently located road sign to make sure it had been re-installed correctly and were evidently anxious that all was well. I managed to reassure them and they were telling me that having bought the house, they intended to stay there for 40 years and so had been investing heavily in things like solar panels, a heat extraction and air conditioning unit and were now turning their attention to their little bit of ‘front ‘garden’ which had been landscaped and was now to be covered in some good pebbles. I mentioned that as the road sign had become a little beset by a green moss in places, I intended when I had a moment to come out with a bucket of some hot bleach and give the whole sign a good cleansing which, of course it hasn’t had for years. The TV did not seem particularly inspiring the evening before last so I engaged myself in solving (successfully) a ‘Super fiendish’ Sudoku whilst listening to ClassicFM. But at 9.00pm there was a Brian Cox program on ‘The Planets’ which I found both fascinating and absorbing. Ss well as describing the history and evolution of our planetary system, Cox could also illustrate his presentation with photographs where we had managed to land cameras successfully upon the surfaces of our immediate neighbours such as Mercury, Venus and Mars. There is going to be more of this series each week so I must look out for them. Whilst watching Sky News, I am sure that I caught part of an advert advertising a future showing (perhaps in parts) of the remake of Mozart’s biography ‘Amadeus’ in a couple of weeks time. However, an AI search does not reveal any more news that this is about to happen but I earnestly hope that it does and will look out for it, hopefully broadcast on the Sky Arts channel on Tuesdays.
In the morning, I attended my Tai Chi class which is one of my routines for the week. Afterwards, I walked with my banker friend and another class mate as far at the ‘Gifts of Love’ café which I think we all enjoy going to because it is that little bit out of the ordinary. Then, after our coffee break and we all went our separate ways I popped into the branch of my bank, one of the few still open to customers on the High Street. The branch was deserted but there were two young staff on the help desk and another colleague in the background. I had a very simple query to put to the bank, following an incident which had occurred a couple of days earlier. I have a little specialised wallet which includes all of the cards that I might need in everyday use including my bank debit card and driving licence. Now I had inadvertently put this on a window sill and when I subsequently started to look for it, it could not be found in the placewhere it ought to have been and I had about ten minutes of complete panic whilst I searched for it and eventually found it. I started to apply my mind to wondering what type of backup system could be employed had I genuinely lost my wallet of cards (which can happen to any of us on occasions) So I asked the bank staff whether they ever issued a second card associated with the usual debit card which could be kept in a safe place until a duplicate card had been reissued which might take some days. I was not surprised when the two young staff answered in the negative but then they consulted with their older, and presumably more knowledgeable colleague. I was told that upon request I could have a second card, the sole use of which was to act as an ATM card and this could be issued I addition to, and running alongside, my existing debit card. So this was like music to my ears and the bank staff ordered it and it should be with me in a few days time. Now I think the younger staff were not aware of this facility and even a AI search does not reveal that it is possible but it will exactly fit my needs as I know that I only need take my ATM card out with me when I wish to access some cash, leaving my debit card securely at home. As I was in the proximity of the charity shops, I popped into one of them and discovered something which is going to be incredibly useful to me. There are occasions when I wake up in the middle of the night after I have only been asleep for an hour or so and there is a great temptation to nibble something to help me get back to sleep again. It occurred to me that a small portion of my own home made soup with very few calories and completely salt and sugar free might be a useful beverage to have on such occasions. What I found were a couple of quite large, white beakers with the ‘Home’ branding (an thus they might originate from John Lewis or Tesco) Now these each hold practically a pint and I intend to use them exclusively for soup which I may consume as part of my nocturnal perambulations. There are good quality being Microwave and Dishwasher proof, so I can always have a couple of soups available to me in the fridge ready for a quick heating in the microwave as required.