‘The animals and plants have nobody to speak up for them except us, the human beings who share the world with them but do not own it.’ – Gerald Durrell 1972.
Gerald Durrell is one of my heroes. He was a naturalist who loved animals. He wrote about his early life on Corfu in the 1930s where he lived with his eccentric family and lived an idyllic life with all the animals he collected.
It was a life I could relate to. I spent my childhood wandering the fields, climbing trees, wading through ditches and ponds and collecting caterpillars, newts, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards and slowworms.
Gerald was passionate about conservation. He set up his Wild-life Park as a conservation project that came straight out of his love of animals. He, like me, was utterly distraught by the cruelty and mindless destruction of nature. He did what he could to conserve it.
I don’t like zoos. I don’t like wild animals being confined in unnatural environments for people to ogle at. But I was taken with this wild-life park.
Gerald Durrell was someone I would love to have met.
Gerald Durrell’s house
A photo of Gerald that reminded me of one of me when I was a similar age holding a chimp.
We spent a couple of weeks on the gorgeous island of Jersey. One of the channel islands just off the coast of France but British. Our main reason for going was to support our daughter who was representing the Netherlands in an international, European Touch Rugby tournament.
Touch Rugby is becoming big- probably because of the injuries from playing rugby. As an ex-rugby player I found it really good to watch. It was fast, tactical and required a lot of skills and speed. It seemed like a cross between Rugby League and Rugby Union sevens with some weird rules and strategies of its own.
Here’s a few photos of my daughter terrifying all those foreign teams – like England, Scotland and Wales. I know – I told her – being a traitor to your country of birth is very dubious behaviour. She always had a mind of her own!
Hester is number 8!
I have just returned from a trip to Jersey to support my daughter who was representing the Netherlands in a European Touch Rugby tournament.
It was great fun. The team did really well playing against the like of England, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Guernsey and Wales. Of course I called her a traitor and warned her that she’d have to be locked up in the tower if she returns to England.
We took the time to do a lot of walking. I’ve come back fitter, with an idea for a new book, a ton of photos and a bit more energy.
In truth the whole negative vibe around the blog, my writing career and the politics around Brexit was becoming too depressing. I needed a break. Too much nastiness and unpleasantness. Too much failure.
I have a new way forward. There are many good things happening in the near future. I have new ventures and I shall reveal all as I go along. Optimism, hope, passion and honesty are the words of the mantra.
Life is sweet – live it to the full. Life is change. There are big changes ahead.
Much will be published shortly – once I’ve settled back in and caught up!!
Hello again to all my followers!! Peace and love – Opher
Despite the madness in the Tory Party Labour are trailing in the polls. Yet never have we needed them more desperately. After years of Tory austerity and their war against public services and the poor it is time Labour took over and set an agenda for fairness and equality. But right at the moment we most need them they are busy tearing themselves to bits yet again. We have had the Foot controversy and the Blair/Brown divisions. We have had the terrible division that led to the ridiculous Lib/Dem fiasco that allowed the years of Thatcher devastation. What we desperately need is for Labour to put aside its senseless squabbles, bury the hatchet metaphorically instead of battering away at each other with it, and agree on a compromise agenda that will put the country first and the Nasty Party as the real enemy.
The Tory Party sorted its leadership crisis with ruthless efficiency. Labour need to do the same.
Right now the grassroots are at odds with their own parliamentary party. The Trade Unions are also at war with the MPs. The leadership is beleaguered and does not have a viable shadow cabinet. The media are loving it and stirring the pot with delight. The electorate watch on in disbelief and don’t see an electable party.
Angela Eagle is not a viable candidate.
Is Corbyn capable of leading and forming a viable cabinet?
Let us get the leadership election sorted quickly, all gather around the winner and take the battle to the real foe!
This is a mess of our own doing. The worst that can happen would be another split which lets the tyrannous Tories off the hook as it did in the Thatcher years.
In this crisis the country surely has to come first?
Once the dust of battle has settled, the blood clotted and wounds are stitched, we need a new General Election.
We have a new Prime Minister.
We have a new Government.
We have a new political agenda.
We are at a crucial moment in history.
The decisions made now will affect the country for generations to come.
This government is not the one elected by the British people.
There is no mandate from the people.
There is no legitimacy to this government.
We need a General Election!!!
