Two news items caught my attention yesterday morning. The first of these was a report of a recent study which showed that industrial poultry farming has led to a more than 100-fold increase in the spread of a bacteria causing food poisoning, scientists have discovered. Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhoea worldwide, resulting in 3.5 times as many upset stomach cases in the UK each year as all other monitored food borne bacteria. The huge global expansion of chicken farming over recent decades has created ideal conditions for the bacterium to spread and adopt new tactics to survive, a study by Ineos Oxford Institute researchers at the University of Oxford found. The scientists said the rapid expansion of global chicken numbers, increasing seven-fold to about 31 billion birds since the 1960s, had allowed bacteria from wild birds to circulate in the poultry population. This is quite disturbing news and is one of the reasons why I am always a little wary of chicken meat and will tend to overcook it when it comes to purchasing my regular weekly joint. The second big announcement today was the government’s plans to tackle the huge ‘Neets’ problem (young people ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’).The government is proposing that from Year 10, pupils in England will be able to combine core subjects like English and maths with technical education based on the demands of local employers. This will pair skills training with work experience places. These pathways will be introduced from September 2028. The government will prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work, and education inspectorate Ofsted will also change the way it measures performance, recognising schools that support children to develop the skills local employers need. The new pathways will be created in partnership between regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers. It marks a big shift from the Blair-era policy of wanting as many children as possible to go to university. This sounds like an excellent policy shift and some would argue is long overdue – but the benefits may take years before results will come through, mainly the prospect of a university education appear less than a glittering prize when faced with a debt in excess of £50k, great difficulty in entering the housing market and job prospects that seem to be diminishing day by day Turning to domestic matters, I started to think about my forthcoming trip to Yorkshire at the end of August to see my relatives and to have a little break at the same time. The evening before last was the date when some pension monies flowed into my account so I immediately set to work ordering rai tickets for the journey. Doing this a month before the journey proved to be highly advantageous and I was able to secure some excellent prices by using my preferred supplier of railway tickets and taking advantage of discount cards. So I am more than happy to have got these tickets purchased ad I have been sent all the QR codes so that all of the data is now held on my phone although I have taken the precaution of running off some paper copies with the QR codes in case my phone gets mislaid).At the same time, I checked my Expedia booking to make sure my hotel reservations, made last June, are still in place which indeed they are, with a reassuring receipt being provided which indicates that the hotel accommodation is paid for. I have reminded my sister that I shall be coming up to Yorkshire to help to celebrate her birthday at the end of August but will leave the purchase of a present until a day or so beforehand so that it doesn’t have to get packed.
After my customary chat with my domestic help, I made my way down to my Pilates class where there were only four of us in the session (normal for this class as it is in the middle of the day ad not convenient for many people) and then returned home to make myself a mackerel salad. After lunch and a little TV watching, I thought I would brave the websites and attempt to make a booking for a holiday in La Coruna in Northern Spain for the middle of next February and managed to make bookings for my American friend and myself at what I think is a reasonable price. It is so long since I have flown and when I did it was from London Airports rather than Birmingham and to the flight charges I would need to add on the car parking and petrol costs so it is a little difficult to work out whether I have a really good deal or not. I have avoided the really cheap airlines and chosen options that allow more than just cabin luggage on board. But I have booked the whole package via Expedia and I am delighted to have secured accommodation in my really favourite hotel in A Coruna (were the staff used to know Meg and I quite well) and which, as it by the sea, affords a wonderful walk along the promenade and a a taxi almost whenever you need one (with at least a dozen parked in the street adjacent to the hotel) So this and proximity to some of my favourite haunts (bars, restaurants etc) makes me feel very happy and I do not mind if I paid a hundred pounds or so over the odds for the pleasure that it will give. I also took out comprehensive insurance as an extra for myself and a friend and this should cover medical emergencies, hotel cancellations and so on. Hopefully, this will help to draw the teeth of the winter a little and I have arranged some dates which includes two complete weekends which is when we can see our friends (hopefully) and with some interesting trips in prospect for us both in between.
In the days after the conclusion of the World Cup, another great FIFA scandal is unfolding before our eyes. European nations are discussing boycotting the World Cup if Gianni Infantino pushes ahead with plans to sell off part of FIFA to private investors, Sky News can reveal. UEFA nations will hold an emergency meeting virtually this week to discuss their opposition to FIFA’s attempt to launch a new commercial company with external investment, a source said. It was only after UEFA went public with concerns about plans it was hearing that FIFA confirmed its president Infantino wants to launch a subsidiary worth $20bn (£15bn) and sell off more than 20% of the new FIFA Forward Enterprise by raising $4.2bn (£3.16bn). It is understood the Football Association was completely unaware of the plans before Tuesday’s rushed announcement by FIFA. FIFA did not raise the landmark strategy during meetings with football associations in New York on the eve of the World Cup final. The plans and way they have emerged provoked renewed fury within UEFA at how Infantino is running FIFA. European football’s governing body said in a statement: ‘This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously.’