800 Words UK (2024)

21/06/2022

We are all going through a lot of turmoil right now. We are coming out of nearly two and a half years of being locked down and restricted because of the global pandemic and now we must deal with increases in the cost of living due to inflation which is affecting so many.

This has been caused partly by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia which has created an enormous price hike in the cost of energy in terms of oil and gas production, primarily because the world previously came to rely on Russia as a major provider of both commodities.

11% of the world’s oil was produced by Russia before the war began in February earlier this year and it was the third largest exporter.

In terms of natural gas, Russia was the world’s second largest producer with over 24% of the world’s supply coming from them alone. No wonder that the price of energy has increased so much since February as countries have looked to move to other suppliers.

On top of that, companies which suffered during lockdown have increased their prices as the world opens up and people are beginning to spend again. However, this is coming to a grinding halt as many of the world’s population now find themselves with less in their pockets.

For so many, the financial struggle is real and it is becoming impossible to make ends meet. Incomes for ordinary people have stagnated while prices are increasing at breakneck speed. Whilst most economists forecast that the rate of inflation will come back down, it is already causing unbearable pain to some of the poorest in every nation.

The irony of the situation is not lost on decent folk when the richest people on the planet seem to have made billions from the effects of the pandemic and it feels that they are also exploiting the energy crisis to line their own pockets. Corporate profits have been soaring.

While the richest 10% of adults in the world own 85% of global household wealth, the bottom half collectively owns barely 1%. Even more strikingly, the average person in the top 10% owns nearly 3,000 times the wealth of the average person in the bottom 10%.

During my lifetime, the division between rich and poor has become wider and greater. The expression that money goes to money has never been truer than now and those who are poor find it almost impossible to create wealth whatever they do.

This situation is exacerbated insofar as low-income countries’ share of global wealth has changed little from 1995 to 2022, their total remaining below 1% of the world’s wealth, despite having around 8% of the world’s population.

Worse still, over one-third of low-income countries saw declining wealth per head. Countries with declining wealth tend also to degrade their base of renewable natural assets. For low-income countries, appropriately managing renewable natural capital, which accounts for a quarter of their wealth, is crucial.

“How does this affect us?” Well, the planet is suffering as the richer nations use so much in the way of these renewable natural assets produced by poorer nations. It often seems that the wealthy have little concern for the destiny of so called third world countries.

There is little doubt that the rich are getting richer at the expense of the poor globally. Moreover, it is no wonder that the planet is suffering from increasing climate change if the most powerful have the resources to be able to continually turn their back on the poorest people in the world.

There is scant regard to those poorer nations which are suffering from worsening flooding or soaring temperatures or where the rain forests are being destroyed around the world to feed the needs of an increasing world population.

Energy companies are making big profits during the current energy crisis in the same way that health companies made record profits during the pandemic. As the financial crisis deepens, no doubt bankers and financial institutions will find ways to exploit the situation to line their pockets.

The biggest problem is how corporations are structured with shareholders and investors being prioritised over their customers, i.e. ordinary people. Many of us seem to believe that the stock markets represent the economy of a nation, but these markets only represent the wealth of investors, and this is arguably completely at odds with the needs of their customers.

Perhaps now is the time for billionaires to take responsibility for the actions of their peers and share some of their wealth to reduce poverty around the world.

This would certainly help to alleviate some of the challenges faced by poorer nations which in turn just could reduce some of their problems at home. Otherwise, a series of wealth taxes may need to be introduced soon.

21/05/2022

When I look back in time, I realise that my grandmother, my father’s mother, was a remarkable woman.

My nan was born in the 1890s during the reign of Queen Victoria and was brought up in Switzerland. She went to university in Paris and married a Romanian, my grandfather. She lived happily in France during the 1920s and 1930s but when my grandfather died in the early 1930s, she left France with my father at the young age of seven to come to England to escape the rise of right-wing fascism and the almost certain arrival of another war in Europe.

Over the years, I came to realise that, with her Swiss background, Nan was able to converse effortlessly in French, German and Italian as well as English. She did her best to teach me and my brother as much as she could, but young children never pay as much attention as they should to their elders.

I was lucky that she was in my life for over 30 years until she died at the age of 93 at my dad’s home in London. She taught our family much more than just European languages, but also so much about the people, landscapes, culture and food of western Europeans.

There are other examples of positive influences in my life. For instance, my father was a wine lover and was also very knowledgeable about art. The headmistress at my primary school taught us pupils a lot about European classical music. All these early teachings have stayed with me all my life and have provided so much enjoyment over so many years.

One of the big lessons I have learned is that listening to others is an enormous benefit to our future wellbeing. I can never understand the view that there is nothing to learn from others in the world.

I am lucky enough to have travelled to many regions of the world over the years and have seen first hand how other nations are set up and how they operate. It is quite a shock to hear people say how much they dislike those of other nations, when they have not travelled to the region they are being critical of.

Over the years, I have found that most other people overseas are, broadly speaking, the same. Most citizens on Earth work hard to feed and clothe their families. Similarly, there are rich and poor people everywhere and the same challenges exist all over the world. It’s just a question of degree.

Sadly, it is rare to find any super rich person sharing their wealth with those less fortunate. The irony is that some of the happiest people in the world are also some of the poorest. Money does not always equate to happiness and a beautiful location plus good weather together with decent health are truly helpful to wellbeing.

I have also learned since my grandmother died that having the ability to communicate in another language is immensely helpful in so many ways. Firstly, verbal communication is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. Just being able to speak a few words goes a long way, because if we try, it is always well appreciated, even if we make mistakes.

There is no shame in getting some words wrong or having a bad accent, the fact that we try our best will always get a warm reception. In fact, making mistakes is part of the fun and often the cause of great laughter which can sometimes lead to new friendships.

Many other nations teach English as their second language, because it is taught across the world and helps these other countries’ citizens to liaise and work with English speakers everywhere.

A great number of Europeans are multilingual and, as a result, are very successful communicators.

At the other end of the spectrum, the vast majority of English speakers do not speak any other language. When you consider that 80% of the planet do not usually speak English, then surely some thought should be given by English speakers to learn a second language, particularly where a country has a high percentage of other languages, for example the USA or Britain.

Speaking other languages leads to so much more in terms of exploring other cultures and clear communication is so important to avoid misunderstandings and possible conflicts.

I will leave the final words on the subject to the late Neil Peart, lyricist extraordinaire from the song “Territories”

“ …… The whole wide world is
An endless universe
Yet we keep looking through
The eyeglass in reverse
Don't feed the people
But we feed the machines
Can't really feel
What international means
In different circles, we keep holding our ground
In different circles, we keep spinning round and round and round…..”

18/04/2022

I recently visited an old friend of mine who I have known for over 30 years. He had just had his 90th birthday, but because of the pandemic he could not really have a big celebration or invite hordes of friends to his cottage as this may have been dangerous for him at his age.

His wife died a few years ago after one of the most successful marriages I have known, and it hit him very hard. Even though his daughter and grandchildren are close by, there is no substitute for your life partner in those late, dark, quiet winter evenings when you need someone to talk to.

When I arrived at the cottage a few weeks ago for a get together, he gave me the biggest hug and was so grateful to see me after a couple of years of Covid. It struck me many times during the visit that he was showing obvious signs of being very lonely and not feeling like the man we all know and love dearly.

Loneliness is one of today’s invisible illnesses. It has few outward signs and humans are notoriously good at covering their sadness. We all feel lonely from time to time and the feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone's experience of it is likely to be different.

Some of us learn to live with being alone very successfully, whilst others suffer badly from their isolation. Loneliness is seldom the same as being alone. There are many of us who may have lots of social contact or be in a relationship or part of a family, and still feel lonely – especially if we don't feel understood or cared for by the people around us.

Quite a few friends have said that they often feel lonely in a crowd of people but often feel peaceful and content when alone. I find this to be true in my case when I visit a social gathering for the first time and do not know anybody. For me, it is often difficult to start conversations and I usually feel a bit awkward.

Ironically, old friends can occasionally take us for granted or expect too much from us. This can leave us disappointed and frustrated leading to a possible breakdown in friendships and loneliness. The recent years have not helped in any way with being cut off from meaningful social contact in so many cases.

So, what are the tips to manage the feelings of loneliness from the professionals? Many of these points sound so obvious but knowing and doing are two completely different things.

• Do not expect to shake off that lonely feeling easily – it can and will take time, so take it slowly

• Try to get out and make new connections. If it is easier to stay inside, try to expand your friendships online or consider joining an educational class

• If there is a major interest like music, theatre, museums or animals, perhaps try to join a peer group and share thoughts and ideas with like-minded people

• If travel is affordable, try to discover groups of travellers with common likes. Those with more money often find cruising can be a great way to meet new friends.

• Be open to new ideas and hobbies

• Concentrate on staying healthy and perhaps adopt a lifestyle which lends itself to being outside more often. We rarely feel lonely when in nature and feel more connected when walking alone through a wood or by a river.

• Let’s not compare ourselves to others who are wealthier or supposedly more successful. There is no point in pushing ourselves to keep up with the world when we are not ready to be competitive and it just does not feel right.

Lists and ideas like those above can be helpful to some, but different things work for different people at different times and there is no magic formula to counter loneliness.

Sometimes, simply knowing other people who feel the same way as us can be incredibly helpful and therapeutic. And there are forums, classes and groups of people who are experiencing the same ordeal, and these are always available for those who want to participate.

However, one of the big symptoms of loneliness is a lack of confidence and it can be difficult to interreact with others if we don’t feel like it. Many people have found that social media has been very helpful in finding new friends online.

Finding others with similar interests and opening a discussion with them is a good way of slowly getting a conversation going with somebody with a familiar mindset in an area where we are comfortable.

But it is a slow process with patience and, most of all, bravery required. But remember, some of us may be lonely, but we are never truly alone.

20/03/2022

As some of you may know, we have a small house in France. It is in a little village in the vineyards of Burgundy with about 160 residents on a good day. Usually, it is a very peaceful place to be away from the hustle, bustle and stresses of 21st century living.

However, every now and then, in even the most tranquil of locations the peace can be shattered by a reminder of reality. This was the case a few nights ago when, at around midnight, I noticed that our electricity supply had been cut off and when I investigated the reasons why, I was rudely shocked to see flashing blue lights through the windows of the house.

When I looked out of the window, I saw that the tiny street outside of the house was blocked by several fire engines which were tackling a blaze in the house almost opposite. Flames were coming from the roof and two of the fire crew were perched at the top of a 75-foot ladder spraying gallons of water onto the affected area.

The man who was a tenant in the house was out at the time, but a neighbour thankfully called the emergency services to deal with the crisis.

It took the team from the fire service over five hours to announce the all clear and restore electricity to the village. The following morning the top half of the house was a wreck and heaven only knows how much damage has been done inside the lower half. But at least the occupant is safe along with most of his possessions which were removed to an adjacent empty barn.

The reality struck home to me that there are thousands of people around the world who are experiencing the nightmare of their homes being destroyed with little hope of their properties being repaired any time soon and being left to burn without any hope of the emergency services being around to help.

In addition, ordinary civilians are being attacked by well-armed forces, many of whom are wearing protective clothing, in armoured vehicles or worse still firing missiles from miles away in an indiscriminate manner.

Now, I am not seeking to make a political point here, just a human one. It seems that politicians have always been the ones making decisions regarding conflict when they are not the ones having to carry out the relevant destructive actions.

The effect on ordinary people is devastating and the human cost is catastrophic. My mother lived in South London during the Blitz and told me horrific stories from her childhood which affected her wellbeing for the rest of her life. The same can now be said of many young children who will bear similar mental scars for their remaining days here on Earth.

Politicians never have the support of all of the people and in a dictatorship, the government thrives by imposing fear on the population. In so many cases, peaceful demonstrations are illegal and anybody who disagrees with government policy are incarcerated or worse.

For anybody who supports free speech and lives in a democracy, the approval of a leader, president or prime minister with unlimited powers is not acceptable, especially where one of their powers is to remain in power indefinitely. For ordinary decent people, it is the open attack on basic freedoms which leads so many of us to live in fear.

The world is relatively peaceful and most nations are progressing towards a modern, harmonious future. There will always be localised disputes, but the problem with Ukraine is that the actions of one dictatorship could spiral into global conflict.

Bullying is a complex issue that crosses age, ethnicity, and national boundaries. It seems that the more powerful that somebody is, the bigger the bully they are. When a dictator feels all powerful and virtually invincible, it can lead to the situation like the one we currently have in Ukraine.

It is not easy to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes and we can only imagine the sheer terror of being attacked by a vastly superior force, having to leave our home and possessions behind and having nowhere to go to. The thought is having to flee to a foreign border hundreds of miles away just to stay alive must be terrifying and disheartening, even if this situation is only temporary.

I hope our neighbour finds somewhere to stay and reorganise his life whilst his house is being repaired. I am sure that there are over 2.5 million distressed Ukrainians who would change places with him in a heartbeat.

Many of us believe that we should support those who seek refuge from global atrocities and that we should try to help those who flee the many conflicts around the world. These people deserve our support.

19/02/2022

I was watching a programme on TV recently about the people of Hong Kong. The overall impression I was left with is that everyone in Hong Kong is conditioned or programmed to rush everywhere, almost as though they will miss out on something wonderful if they don’t arrive at their destination quickly enough.

I remember when I first started work back in the 1970s, I was one of the thousands who walked across London Bridge every Monday to Friday looking as miserable as sin. It seemed as though any joy had been sucked out of everyone as they trudged to work.

I remember a close friend discussing the reasons for changing jobs. The boss asked “why do you want to leave?” and the reply was “because I am being offered more money”. He said “what about loyalty?” to which the response was “the reason most of us work is because we need money to live and a salary could be described as legalised bribery”.

Very few jobs we do are vocational, they are normally something we have to do to survive. Which makes those who perform important services in the community so praiseworthy. In a society where the example often set by our leaders is selfish and ruthless, it seems that decent people are the exception, not the rule.

But whatever our role in society, it is perhaps time to slow down and take stock. There is no shame in taking time out for yourself to refresh the batteries and get things in perspective. What is the point of rushing around?

We recently moved to a quieter, more rural location and the local area is certainly one which encourages slowing down. Of course, there are those who insist on rushing around, but these people are fewer in the countryside.

I have resided in built up towns or cities all my life and I admit that it has taken me a while to adjust to a slower pace of life and, for the life of me, I don’t understand what took me so long to work this one out.

The less developed world seems to be moving in the opposite direction and the most populated cities of the world are almost all outside of the West. Certainly, in developing nations, the population are deserting the countryside to move into the big cities to find work and support their families.

But, as I have said above, in the developed world, many older people are settling for a lower level of income, but a better overall lifestyle and a slower pace of life.

Most of us appreciate the need to work hard and earn as much as we can when we need to look after our families and gain the respect of our colleagues and peers. Most of us are ambitious and want to enhance our reputations as a valuable member of society.
Decent people are now questioning the need to be ruthless and uncaring as we scale the career ladder. There are those who will do anything for money, will bend rules and act in a dishonest way. Also, it often feels as though the more successful people become, the less honest they are.

Even worse, it seems as though these people are worshipped and rise to the top virtually unchallenged. They usually rule by fear and their followers tend to be bullies and sycophants.

Maybe now is the time to turn away from the “win at all costs” approach and favour lifestyle over wealth. Certainly, trying to compete with morally bankrupt individuals is a thankless task which can be eliminated by opting out of a rat race where the rules are skewed towards those with a selfish agenda.

Perhaps it is right to slow things down and enjoy nature and there is plenty on offer and a beautiful world out there to explore. Let’s leave the final words this month to the wonderful children's author, Jo Loring-Fisher. This poem is inspired by principles of mindfulness and invites children around the world to experience the wonders of nature and home.

“Taking time to listen to a bird's song on the breeze, taking time to gather up the blossom dancing free,

Taking time to snuggle in my dog’s soft velvet fur, taking time to feel the beat of my cat’s rhythmic purr,

Taking time to watch with awe a spider builds her home, taking time to contemplate the journey as we roam,

Taking time to wonder at the vast astounding sky, taking time to gaze upon the flock the houses by,

Taking time to find myself in eyes that are so kind, taking time to marvel at a snowflake soft and fine,

Taking time to imagine the deep sounds of the sea, taking time to cherish you . . . and cherish me”.

21/01/2022

One of the most difficult things to come to terms with as we get older is loss.

Permanent loss changes our lives because it is irrevocable and that makes us feel impotent. We would all love to be able to turn the clock back to an earlier time when we were younger, fit, healthy and surrounded by parents, grandparents, deceased friends, relatives and childhood pets.

Coping with the loss of someone or something you love is one of life’s biggest challenges. We may associate grieving with the death of someone we love—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but other losses can cause grief, including:

• Relationship breakup
• Loss of health
• Job loss
• Loss of financial stability
• A terminated pregnancy
• Retirement
• Death of a pet
• Loss of a cherished dream
• A loved one’s serious illness
• Loss of a friendship
• Loss of a limb or sight, hearing, etc
• Losing or moving the family home

The military, police and security forces experience some of these losses a lot earlier than most and need our consideration and understanding in this regard.

Whatever our loss, it’s personal to us, so we should not feel ashamed about how we feel or believe that it’s somehow only appropriate to grieve for certain things. If the person, animal, relationship, or situation was significant to us, it’s normal to grieve the loss we’re experiencing. Whatever the cause of our grief, though, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can ease our sadness and help us come to terms with our loss, find new meaning and eventually move on with our lives.

Grieving is a highly individual experience; there’s no right or wrong way to grieve. How we grieve depends on many factors, including our personality and our coping mechanism, our life experience, our faith, and how significant the loss was.

Inevitably, the process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried and there is no normal timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever our grief experiences, it’s important to be patient with ourselves and allow the process to naturally unfold.

The grieving process can be a roller coaster, full of ups and downs, highs and lows, and the ride is usually rougher in the beginning and the lows may be deeper and longer.

In theory, the difficult periods should become less intense and shorter as time goes by, but it takes time to work through a loss. Sometimes, years after a loss, especially at special events such as a family wedding or the birth of a child, we may still experience a strong sense of grief.

Be prepared for the following symptoms: -

• Shock and disbelief – feeling numb is common
• Intense sadness – emptiness, despair, instability
• Guilt – about past words, actions or feelings
• Fear – about the future
• Anger – with ourselves or someone else

We often think of grief as a strictly emotional process, but grief often involves physical problems, including fatigue, nausea, reduced immunity, weight change, physical pains and insomnia.
The pain of grief can make us want to withdraw from others and retreat into our shell. But having the support of other people is vital to healing from loss. Even if we’re not comfortable talking about our feelings under normal circumstances, it’s important to express them when we’re grieving.

While sharing our loss can make the burden of grief easier to carry, that doesn’t mean that every time we interact with friends and family, we need to talk about it. Comfort can also come from just being around others who care about us. The key is not to isolate ourselves.

Don’t be afraid to turn to family members for support. Also, accept that many people feel very uncomfortable with grief and tend to shun those who are suffering. Do not be ashamed to draw comfort from your faith because those involved in this area can provide solace and strength.

Many consider therapy or professional counselling as a weak option when grieving is natural and certainly not a weakness. Similarly, even though it takes a lot of courage to attend, support groups can be invaluable and those who have experienced similar loss can be incredibly helpful.

Finally, we must remember to take care of ourselves during these difficult times because if we fall into decline, we could become a burden unintentionally. It will be hard, but we should try to face up to our feelings, perhaps expressing them in a creative way through art or music and maintain as normal a way of life as possible continuing old hobbies and pastimes.

Sure, loss is part of life but most of us want to help each other get through the pain.

20/12/2021

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” — Saint Augustine

One of the biggest downsides of the pandemic has been the many confusing restrictions on travel across the planet. For those of us who love to explore, our lives have effectively been on hold for nearly two years.

Why do some of us enjoy our travels so much? Well, for me, my wanderlust began when I was just a boy. My family were not always blessed with money in those days for trips and so travel was a novelty and long-distance journeys were something that only rich people did.

The biggest change in my younger years was the introduction of affordable fares and vacations. Obviously, the more people that travelled, the less expensive fares became due to economies of scale.

I blame my late father for my own addiction to travel. As a young boy, my dad took my brother and me out of the UK for the first time before we reached our teens.

Imagine the excitement of taking a taxi to Victoria railway station in London with our old suitcases and taking the train to Folkestone Harbour for the ferry to Boulogne in northern France, 26 nautical miles across the English Channel.

I distinctly remember the intoxicating smell of French ci******es as we proceeded down the gangplank into the port. It was a smell I have never forgotten even though I am not a smoker. The aroma was so evocative and similar to that of a good cigar.

In those days, my dad was never one for flying, so we took the train overnight from Boulogne across France to Lugano in Switzerland for my very first experience of Europe. There is something incredibly exciting about a train trip where you drift off to sleep in northern France and wake up in the Swiss mountains.

I have discovered since just what a wonderful place Lugano is. It is located in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland in the canton of Ticino. A fair description is that this area is as relaxing and laid back as Italy but is also typically Swiss.

I have always been a big fan of trains and Switzerland is very much a big train set. I love their philosophy of connectivity (the Taktfahrplan) where all modes of transport operate to a fixed timetable and connect with each other, thus enabling the traveller to traverse the whole country without using a car.

I completely fell in love with mountains and lakes, cable cars, funiculars and paddle steamers, trolley buses and of course Swiss trains which are always so punctual.

Additionally, when you then consider that the climate in this region is very Italian and warm summers are typical, then you can see why so many love to vacation in this part of the world.

Since those early days, I have travelled extensively at every available opportunity, subject to financial considerations. The world really is there to be explored while we can do so.

However, travel these days is proving to be a massive challenge with Covid-19 and its variants causing havoc to any plans being made and constant changes of direction and lack of leadership by governments around the world just makes things worse.

Airlines, train and bus companies, hotels and venues, and the entertainment business are continually having to chop and change their schedules and / or deal with cancellations and refunds.

The tourist industry is suffering badly from the uncertainty for those of us who usually travel and put a lot of money into the sector. Of course, some of the transport, hospitality and travel companies have been financially supported by the governments in their specific parts of the world in order to retain and pay staff.

But their struggle is real, and some will not survive even though it is likely that there will be an explosion in numbers who travel if and when the pandemic recedes and we can get back to some degree of normality. After all, time has marched on and many of us now have very itchy feet.

I am sure that there are many of you, who like me, have had to make many changes of plans for almost two years now. I have experienced several difficulties in obtaining refunds and rebates from travel agents and some airlines have simply ignored my requests to return payments made for flights which they have cancelled.

But, if we want to continue exploring this wonderful planet, we are going to have to be patient and understanding. Above all, we must support those who have suffered during these difficult times when we have the freedom to travel again and this is over to avoid permanent damage to an industry so many of us depend on.

800 Words UK

21/06/2022

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18/04/2022

20/03/2022

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