The Musings of a Dik-dik

Find out what it means to me. Today marks the 75th anniversary of VE day. A hugely significant point in British history, nay, in European history. Having a bank holiday is meant to have significance. This is certainly one of those days. However, I find myself asking "did the British public deserve to have their usual May Day bank holiday effectively cancelled in place of a bank holiday to mark VE day?" In short, my answer is "no". Any examples of international comparison here will draw on French customs, because I've experienced it and I also teach about it, so have a bit more awareness than I do of other countries across the globe. I've found this website to be quite useful in refreshing my memory of the history of some events on the annual calendar, particularly the traditional May Day festivities in the UK, and also showing at a glance which other countries also observe each holiday. Having lived in France and experienced the month of bank h...

Money makes the world go round In spite of the speed at which the situation with Covid-19 has developed and the way in which the difficulties are being reported through the media, I have been particularly reassured by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcements regarding support for businesses and employees, and hope that further announcements can be made for the self employed and sole traders that make up a significant chunk of our trading economy. His clarity in response to questions is quite refreshing (compared to my perception of the way in which some of his cabinet colleagues are coping with journalistic interrogation) and he speaks with a conviction unparalleled by other senior ministers in this crisis so far.  I am, however, somewhat pessimistic about any future financial aid the government may provide to the transport and/or tourism industries. Currently, their pricing strategies are indicative of daylight robbery at worst, and are discriminatory at best. As a ...

… the UK is on lockdown. We all sat last night at 8.30pm to hear the ministerial address from the prime minister. We all knew what he was going to announce, especially after the daily press briefing had been ominously cancelled. We knew it was coming after the pictures over the weekend of people flocking to open spaces and not using their sense to turn around and go back home because there were already too many people there. So many now are in shock at the sudden removal of our general freedom. So many are now wondering how their marriage will survive. So many are wondering if they will survive. It's easy enough for us to blame those who flocked to the countryside and the seaside at the weekend but I've come to realise there's more to it than that. This time last week, there were screams for schools to be closed because they were breeding grounds for the virus and contradicted the advice surrounding mass gatherings. And people flocked to the parks and beaches at the w...