And finally…

We now learn that the leader of the House of Commons, a slow-witted idiot called Andrea Leadsom, has tabled the Adjournment (Summer) motion to start the Commons recess four days earlier than anticipated. You know why? Because the government can’t govern. There’s more.

The Conservatives are desperately protecting Theresa May from potential rebellion, leadership challenges and have concluded the only way to deal with it is to award MPs four extra days holiday. The absolute state of this country.

Still reeling from Donald Trump’s chaotic visit, the government benches resembled a civil war tonight, with less than honourable members hurling abuse and insults at each other. Everyone has lost the plot.

It’s a combination of a few things. The scumbag lying politicians who sold Brexit as a simple, straightforward exercise which would instantly make us better off and save the NHS have been found out. And they’ve mostly buggered off. Having set fire to the country, Farage, Johnson and Davis have done a bunk and left it to other inadequates to try to sort out and they can’t. The truth is that the heroes of Brexit had no plan and have no plan beyond a hard Brexit and hope for the best. Then there is Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

My thoughts today surrounded what exactly it is that Putin has on Trump. Nothing else can explain Trump’s fawning, gushing treasonous words and actions. And why are they in it together? Well, they are both far right nationalists for one thing, just like Farage and co at home. And nationalists will oppose NATO and they will oppose the EU. They will oppose anything that they feel threatens their preferred journey towards nationalism. That is why Putin hates the EU, that’s why Trump hates it. And that’s why the hard Tory right lines up behind Trump.

I now firmly believe that something very horrible is happening with our politics, something we cannot control. In Britain, we are increasingly weak and divided as power drains away from our country. Our leaders – and I include all major parties in this – are out of their depth, devoid of vision. We are drifting to who knows where?

Something very horrible is happening and our leaders decide the only way to deal with it is to have a longer holiday. With May, she once again hopes and prays that she can govern by constantly kicking everything into the long grass. She could never get away with this forever.

I wish somehow we could united this country and also the world because I fear things are now about to get much worse before they get better. It isn’t just Brexit, or the Crimea. It’s Trump declaring war on Iran I worry about. It’s Putin poisoning British citizens on British soil. It’s fascists like Steve Bannon agitating in Europe to try to fill the European parliament with his fellow travellers. All this happening when millions are on poverty wages doing dead end jobs, getting poorer and poorer while the rich just do that they do and get even richer.

Today was the worst of days. In the weeks and months ahead, we may look upon days like this as the good old days. We’re in a lot of trouble. Remainer, leaver; you know that to be true.

Well, that’s it: I’m doing it.

They say everyone has a book in them. I’m not sure about that but I have been persuaded, not that it takes much persuading, to visit to Corfu in the middle of winter and tell a different story about my favourite island. Continue Reading

Three days of driving across Corfu has certainly taken its toll.

We took out our white Peugeot ‘something’ (I am not good on the detail of these matters) and have since travelled through great swathes of the island. Ermones, Glyfada, Doukades, Agni, San Spirodon, Kanoni and of course Corfu Town.

It was mostly a lot of fun, apart from driving on the wrong side of the road and avoiding pot holes the size of craters. Oh and avoiding the local drivers for whom the right side of the road is all of it. Continue Reading

A lovely, if tiring, walk to the Akrotiri Bar last night to enjoy a beer and bite to eat and of course Nikos Goudelis never lets you down.

A late beer and an impromptu silent fireworks display to the north lit up the skies. By the early hours, it was nothing like silent as the heavens opened in a series of flashes and explosions. But there is little evidence of the storm this morning (apart from on the sun bed which gave me a very wet bum as I unknowingly sat on it).

It feels much hotter today but the weather sites say it isn’t – a steady 27/28c – with barely a cloud in the sky and only a gentle warm breeze.

This is a very simple holiday really. Not a great deal in the way of culture which suits me down to the ground as I am far from being a culture vulture.

We have made tentative plans for the weekend to hire a car and tour the island. Visits to Corfu Town, Kanoni, drop the boys off at Aqualand and just drive off some place together for a few hours and of course the small resort of Agni with the wonderful Nikolas Taverna.

Although we are only about 1000 miles from home, we might as well be a million miles from home. I am, of course, more than slightly aware of the world’s problems but it’s quite easy to shut them out completely.

I couldn’t live here in Corfu, despite it’s sheer beauty and its unique ability to de-stress me, because the life of the tourist is slightly unreal. The day to day drudgery of work, something I have not endured for a few months now, doesn’t appeal and I’d rather be here, but not for always.

I’m finishing off my first holiday read today, Graham Nash’s ‘Wild Tales’, an astonishing tale of excess and genius with tragedy thrown in. And reading is something I really should do more of.

Anyway, lunchtime now and then more pool time. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.

I have a very wise friend. His name is John. One of the wisest things he ever said to me was that the day you go on holiday is the best day of the year. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but he was, and remains, right. Continue Reading