This is Northumberland Calling 29.9.23

The Sycamore Gap becomes a stump edition

Hello America! This is Northumberland calling.

Wednesday evening Storm Agnes blew in and some idjit seized the opportunity to take a large chainsaw to the North East of England’s most iconic tree – the Sycamore at Sycamore Gap, a tree which quietly grew since the 1800s. A sixteen year old has been arrested amid the widespread revulsion at the action. As my youngest son said, that tree was an important landmark on his map of his childhood. We live a few miles from the Wall and often drove past. The National Trust is looking at way of replacing the tree but this was eco-vandalism on a massive scale. The laws are currently on the statue book for massive fines and significant jail time. I do hope the perpetrator gets a punishment which deters others as the tree in a very real way belonged to all. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/28/hadrians-wall-sycamore-gap-felled-northumberland/  or https://archive.is/hnzLq

What is multiculturalism? Another word whose meaning shifts and alters depending on who is speaking. Even the politicians can’t agree. Following in the footsteps of Angela Merkel, David Cameron and Nicholas Sarkozy, Suella Braverman declared multiculturalism had failed at Heritage Centre event. There was significant pushback with some wanting to hold Braverman to higher standard on account of her heritage. Journalist like Kenan Malik pointed out  on twitter that this view was a form of racism.

 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/26/suella-braverman-gets-to-the-heart-of-the-matter/ or https://archive.is/B3SYP

I suspect Braverman was talking about the multiculturalism as a salad bowl where there is only a light dressing of national cohesion and different groups live in enclaves. There is some suspicion that that approach led to the unrest in France earlier this year.  Equally melting pot or forced assimilation in order to forge a steel-like national identity has been shown to fail. Think the Indian Schools or indeed the Uyghurs in China.  The sort of multiculturalism which most people think about is more like a stew with a rich base of liberal ideals but many other diverse components -- one where people are allowed to contribute, while keeping their own cultural identity  and eventually become integral to the mix. I personally think multiculturalism as a stew works. I am not so sure about the other two types.  But like most things in life, I suspect there is no perfect solution as we are all flawed.

In a triumph for common sense and the law, the Army has decided that the doctor who was forced to resigned after being investigated for private FB posts. A victory for the Free Speech Union. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12552835/Cleared-hero-Army-doctor-disciplined-men-women.html

A belief in colour-blindness and other teachings of MLK Jr does not make you a racist. Another victory for the Free Speech Union – opposition to critical race theory is now a protected belief in the UK and thus ACAS has had to apologise to an employee for calling them racist etc after he posted his belief in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr and others. The employer should not have taken the complaints about his postings  seriously. I suspect this will cost them. Like the Forestator case, this is a significant victory for common sense. It is also going to cause real problems for the UK DEI sector as they have been used to thinking that the Equality Act was a sword, and not a shield and have been actively stating that it is the minimum companies should be doing. At the moment, that stance is starting to cost companies significant amounts of money.  https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/law-protects-opposition-to-critical-race-theory-judge-rules-rmrj2qnzt  or https://archive.is/Nb7yg

It must be hard to have been one of the great English stage actors of the late 20^th and early 21^st century but to be principally known for having played Dumbledore in the later Harry Potter films. Sir Michael Gambon died yesterday. He had a gloriously complicate private life and was a superb actor. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/09/28/sir-michael-gambon-actor-dumbledore-harry-potter-detective/ or https://archive.is/KMlpe

Finally, Paddy really enjoyed his swimming lessons. He can now paddle which is brilliant. I have started watching The Dog Academy which was on Channel 4 (a second season is up and coming) as the man who owns the dog swimming pool appears on it. I must say that I did like Libby, the swimming instructor. She had a wonderfully positive attitude and was very good at reading Paddy

Paddy paddling with his swimming instructor

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