Hyperbollox

It has been reported that English folks tend to enjoy understatement in comparison to an American preference for hyperbole ... mass media in both places, however, stretch the credulity of the gullible with their stories of doom and gloom ... weather in Little Britain, previously known as the Disunited Kingdom, currently swings from savage blasts of sweltering heat to torrential downpours, the message being "stay indoors and keep watching the telly, drinking beer, cheering football teams, cheering or jeering politicians, depending on your opinion, created by a combination of your pre-programmed predilections and current dramas" ... and before leaving the mistaken impression that "American" means inhabitants of the U.S.A. , indeed a lazy and misleading usage, profuse apologies to Canadians, and inhabitants of Central and South America ... meanwhile, in Stanhope, the weather has been a little warm and yesterday's thunderstorm provided a welcome respite, not least for the thirsty land ...

The village provides an outdoor heated swimming pool for exercise and cooling off, thanks to sterling voluntary effort ... a great resource for locals and holidaymakers alike ... old-timers recall a more remote, natural pool up in the hills, before the facility appeared, and since water free from chlorine and urine and location free from crowds is preferred, a walk through the woods and along a tricky trail is rewarded with water deep enough to swim in, warmed by a series of limestone pavements the stream crosses along the way ...

Meanwhile, preposterous politics persist, popping up in FB feed, since advertising is a major source of revenue for the corporate giant of social media, along with data gathering for onward sale to those entities wishing to find new ways to brainwash us ... a compelling interview with Noam Chomsky suggests the "Trump" role is a deliberate distraction from a behind the scenes plot to deconstruct the state and its regulatory functions ... in Little Britain the drama is about breaking free from the clutches of the pesky Europeans (as if L.B. was somehow not in Europe), whilst dire economic consequences are predicted ... indeed already fruit and vegetables are rotting in the ground as Eastern European pickers, finding the hospitality strained, seek friendlier countries ... the jobs opened up to native Britons mostly declined ... all leading to the strong possibility that the process will lead nowhere, Brits will continue to enjoy freedom of movement in the rest of Europe, whilst behind the scenes deconstruction of the state has passed less noticed ... let's see!

In the relative reality of local life, wild raspberries are picked, elderberries and blackberries ripen, mushrooms await their turn, community projects develop, friendly folks stop for conversation, and a kinder world evolves ... and whether or not the little cottage in Stanhope can be called a retreat or just a shelter to be sometimes shared, it is surely the Place to Be just now ...