This is Northumberland Calling 16.6.23

The Heat in a Cold Climate edition

There was no This Northumberland Calling last week as I was down in London attending a friend’s book launch at the Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town. The novel, The Three Graces by Amanda Craig ( https://www.amazon.com/Three-Graces-Amanda-Craig-ebook/dp/B09VX6L9H1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HQYCURNV9JEM&keywords=amanda+craig+the+three+graces&qid=1686906200&sprefix=Amanada+Cra%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-1)  is a wonderfully life affirming escapist novel which enabled me to tune out the obnoxious passengers (Australian students on a gap year loudly discussing many topics of monumental disinterest) on the train journey back up North.

London and the rest of the UK has been scorching. When I was walking through Horse Guards Parade last Friday, I noticed the flags and the bleachers. Internally I thought – some will faint. The next day, during the dress rehearsal, three did.  Tomorrow is the actual Trooping of the Colours and King Charles will be on horseback. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/06/10/prince-wales-troops-horseback-heatwave-london/ or https://archive.is/dYz1k

So here goes this week –

Boris Johnson resigned before the report into Partygate was published. It found him in contempt of Parliament on five occasions. Basically if you are going to set draconian rules, you need to abide by them. Britain is the country who invented cricket after all. Two of his cronies also resigned and there will be 3 by-elections.  Given how much the country currently loathes the Conservatives, Labour should walk it but Labour have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot as they opt for ideological purity over practicality (imho) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/privileges-committee-boris-johnson-report-cd0ljwcsb or https://archive.is/sdMqY

Nicola Sturgeon was arrested on Sunday about the on going scandal with the SNP’s finances. She was released seven hours later. The current leader thinks that people who don’t support should leave the SNP. Perhaps he should read the room and let Police Scotland do its job. There again he is the only SNP First Minister not to be questioned by the police… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/06/14/humza-yousaf-warned-msps-support-nicola-sturgeon-or-quit/  or https://archive.is/T8zUN

The specifications for the new transgender children’s clinics was published on Friday. The only prescribing Puberty Blockers as part of a strictly controlled research trial made the headlines but the actual specification about the treatment was interesting – it is much more holistic and marks a real turn away from the ‘affirmation only model’. They are reminded that for most, puberty does resolve these issues. Surprising how that works.  https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Interim-service-specification-for-Specialist-Gender-Incongruence-Services-for-Children-and-Young-People.pdf

Monday showed that Parliament can debate the need for clarity in the Equality Act regarding sex and gender without the world imploding and that it is a proper subject for debate in a democracy. Kristy Blackman, from the SNP inadvertently caused much mirth when the proud mother of two proclaimed that her chromosomes were probably XY and that she had seen her genitals. Initially she tried to say that wasn’t what she said but had to conceded the point once Hansard published the official record of the debate. Her fellow party member Joanna Cherry who supports women’s right to single sex spaces etc buried her face in her hands. Cherry has since received death threats. You can read the full debate as some good points were made. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-06-12/debates/F74BD8CC-4807-46F4-AA51-5402B7CFE8F9/LegislativeDefinitionOfSex

Because until recently I didn’t know what Ketman was and how it related to a  Spiral of Silence. Basically it is pretending to conform outwardly with a stance but privately not believing it. This article on Gender Ketman explains more: https://thecritic.co.uk/gender-ketman/

This substack essay explains why so many in children’s publishing are being silent. They do know about safeguarding etc. They simply choose not to speak for a variety of reasons:

On the Silence of Children's Authors

Just Stop Opera decided to disrupt Glyndebourne by throwing confetti bombs at the afternoon performance. Glyndebourne prides itself on its sustainability so it was a bit of an own goal by Just Stop Oil unless they simply wanted to make headlines. Braverman has brought in changes to policing protests as the slow marches are annoying ordinary citizens and now the police can take into account the totality of the disruption. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/15/just-stop-oil-protesters-halt-opera-glyndebourne/ or https://archive.is/YqErE

The Queen’s son Tom Parker Bowles has championed raw milk which brought to mind the FP article on the subject from a few months back. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/raw-milk-tom-parker-bowles-creamy-taste-food-poisoning/ or https://archive.is/rhX34

And finally  Sharron Davies who has been a huge force in raising the awareness of the threats to women’s sports has a book on the subject out next Thursday Unfair Play the Battle for Women’s Sport (https://www.amazon.com/Unfair-Play-Battle-Womens-Sport-ebook/dp/B0BD6FQSN2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CKILD11RGFAG&keywords=Sharron+Davies&qid=1686906316&s=digital-text&sprefix=sharron+davies%2Cdigital-text%2C156&sr=1-1 ) and has done an interview explaining about the subject and the various attempts at cancellation she has endured because of her stance. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/15/sharron-davies-interview-trans-sports-athletes/ or https://archive.is/mnTnL

I was out earlier doing my 2^nd fox poo survey at Goatstones Farm. I didn’t hear any curlews, but the day was lovely and I did see a raven.