Thoughts From A Devonshire Farmhouse: JUNE

THOUGHTS FROM A DEVONSHIRE FARMHOUSE

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Well, that was interesting! I had a 'reproachful' response to last month's post (see comments for MAY) from 'Anonymous', I assume a now ex-reader who ticked me off for expressing my views against Trump. Apparently because I am not a U.S. citizen I am not entitled to voice my opinion about an American President. (But I thought Trump was pro-free speech?) Said disgruntled person will not now buy my books. Oh, I'm mortified! (and for those who do not understand English sarcasm - that means the exact opposite.) Said person also intended to insult me by saying my books were now going in the 'trash'. (Not an English word - we say bin or rubbish.)

How exactly (can anyone explain?) does that hurt me?

1. the person has already bought my books

2. I have already received the royalties

3. OK, person might not buy any future books

4. Person might not have bought future books anyway

5. I have a lot of US readers, judging by my Facebook followers, the majority of whom are not supporters of Mr Trump. One or two are, but we agree to disagree - and I am as scathing about the alarming trend of our UK politics regarding Trump's supporters Fake Farage, Droopy Lettuce Liz Truss, Liar Boris Johnson, Traitor Tony Blair, What's-her-name the useless leader of the Tory party, and Him from the Green party (I mean Good Grief!!!) Farage has barely been into Parliament since he was elected, hasn't voted on anything AND he has hardly even been in his Constituency so isn't doing the job he was elected to do. Frankly, his MP salary should be stopped - no other employee who didn't turn up for work would get paid would they?

6. The only person losing out here is Said Person for buying my books and trashing those copies which they paid for.

7. I've not lost anything, except maybe, one reader. Who I don't know anyway.

So go figure the logic there...

Let me just repeat, though, I am 100% entitled to say what I want on MY blog.

Aside all that, thank you to the many of you who agreed with my previous post. I have changed my mind a little though: I had felt a small smidgeon of sadness for Mr Trump as the poor old guy clearly has some form of dementia, but given that he's now single-handedly b*ggered up the entire world economy I couldn't, now, give a rat's a*se for his well-being, or present or future reputation. Frankly, the sooner he's officially relegated to the title 'Worst President Ever ' the better.

I'd be more than happy to delete you, Anonymous from my contact list etc, but I don't know who you are. The shame is, I don't suppose you're reading this. Oh well, never mind. (shrug)

Those people who blindly believe conspiracy theories, fake information, racist speech, misogynous remarks and hypocrites really bug me. Try debating with them... you'll get absolutely nowhere, or abusive responses. What's that wonderful old saying? "I disagree with what you said but agree with your right to say it."

Banksy's recent statue in London sums it all up nicely ... proudly carrying your country's flag following what you've been led to believe without checking any facts or thinking it through, leading you to blindly step off a cliff into the void.

Wake up. Remove the blindfold. You are entitled to believe what you believe - but question things - make sure you are not believing in the untruths.

It happened with Brexit when idealism shoved aside practicality (and the truth.) I wasn't entirely happy being 'in Europe' for there were several things I thought we were being hoodwinked over or made to follow because that's what Europe wanted. But I voted Remain. What was actually needed rather than Brexit was a better Government. The Tories were useless, (still are!) especially Cameron - and Liz the Lettuce Truss... And Anonymous ... if you want to have a pop at any of them - please feel free to do so.

Know who I do think are honest, truthful people who really care for their Country? These two...

I so hope that Mr Zelensky gets the next Nobel Peace Prize.

HOWEVER : I hadn't intended all the above as my topic this month. I was going to talk about dogs. We've now got four:

Toffee Apple

Eddie

Elfie

Vera (Vivi)

Or otherwise at various times they are known as Whiffy, Stinky, Smelly and Poo LOL

I am a regular listener of a long-running (75 years!)BBC radio drama, The Archers described, originally as 'The everyday story of country folk'. It's based around a fictional village (Ambridge) in a fictional Mid-English County (Borsetshire) and was intended as an easy way to get information across to farmers in the early 1950s when we still had rationing here in the UK. The show has morphed quite a bit since then - but is still centred around farming. With many of the main characters (members of the Archer family) being long-running participating actors. June Spencer 1950–2022 played Peggy Archer from that very first episode until her recent death in 2022.

Unlike many of the TV soaps that are all too often over-the-top drama (and often regarding violence and conflict) The Archers balances 'drama' with 'everyday stuff'. So we have 'life' as in a present story-line of a cantankerous elderly woman who refuses to accept her only daughter's concerns for her well-being (will not wear her alarm pendant, had the camera intended to monitor the stairs set up in the loft instead, so she could watch the bats...) another storyline of young hairdresser Chelsea converting an old horsebox into a mobile salon, the church thinking of ways to fundraise... all interspersed with the problems of mental health, especially in rural communities, the matter of who inherits the farm/s, worries of a negative report about the local school. And in the past there's been dealing with alcoholism, domestic violence, abortion, pregnancy stillbirth - and lots, lots more. I personally enjoy the annual Christmas panto organisation! I can also relate to The Bull, Ambridge's pub because the food in our pub sounds just as good, with the landlords just as welcoming.

I met one of the Archers a few years back - nice, pleasant chap, Tim Bentinck AKA David Archer. I think I said something stupid like 'I love the Archers' which he must hear all the time. He's very tall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Bentinck

But what has this to do with dogs?

Well, I am contemplating writing to the Friday evening BBC Radio 4 Archers Podcast... you see, these are Country Folk and in my village lots of us have dogs. There are a couple of dogs in the Archers - but not many.

So where are they?

And incidentally, there seems to be only two pet cats in Ambridge...

(also where are the people who need hip or knee replacements? Or who have sight problems like I do?)

Add to that, you don't often have family (or working) dogs in novels do you? I can name a couple of series that have a dog as an important character, Renny DeGroot's Cape Breton (Canada) detective series, and there are several cosy mysteries which include dogs... but not many.

I guess, to be fair, there aren't many cats either...

Goodbye until next month

lege feliciter (read happily)