This rain grubby window sums up today.
The tired feeling arrived last week and has hung around, the past two days have been a pain. Add to that the journey to fix the bike, and after finally fixing it I have just found the new tyre stinking the place with rubber aroma has once again gone down. Ogh I am so happy!
I had bought two new inner tubes and both were the wrong type, they were for mountain bikes, not road ones. The tyre fits mind and now I am staring through the grubby window forgetting all about it till next week.
There has of course been a lot of talk recently re migrants/refugees depending on your stance in the news recently. I have avoided most of the reports. The sight of a child lying drowned on a beach was too much to look at and the confusing loud voices telling everyone what to do helps no-one.
Here we find Europe overflowing with people attempting to enter one or other of the nations. Many come from war zones such as Iraq and Syria, others from despotic nations like Eritrea, still others just wish to enter Europe to find a better life.
In amongst all the noise I find myself with no easy answer to all this.
Many simple answers have been heard this week, one says let them all come, the other send them all back, neither are correct. It is right to help refugees, Europe however expects them to be somewhere far away like the Middle East or Africa rather than at their doorstep. Should we keep the refugees and return the migrants who want a better life and how do you tell one from another?
The laws of various states, let alone European law does not help here especially when so many nations ignore the law while struggling to cope with thousands who arrive daily.
The UK government has been awfully quiet and rightly so. For years the Conservative Party have had their lackeys in the media offering propaganda which stresses the danger of 'swarms of migrants' coming into England (note, not UK but England as that is where the 'British' Tory vote lies) and people, even those of keen brain, have swallowed this propaganda and believe we are being replaced by a new nation of foreigners. Such lies keep the Tories in power, no wonder they say little about this problem.
Nothing was said for a while and now David Cameron who, believe it or not, is actually Prime Minister, did mutter something about taking some refugees (not migrants) and other lying words. No numbers were given. Germany is taking considerably more than we but that matters not as the lie also claims the UK is awash with Eastern Europeans taking all our jobs, living on the dole, begging on the streets, so we must not take even more from elsewhere. Hmmm, many from Poland stay a year or two and return home money in wallet, the beggars tend to be from south east Europe, Romanians mostly and for them this it must be said, is a way of life.
So what to do?
One answer would be to deal with the terrors back home. Encourage Saudia Arabia and Quatar to stop paying for the fighters in Syria and Isis in Iraq. This could be troublesome as they have oil and money both of which are important to this country, especially this government. Eritrea has a despot, he could easily be overthrown, why not? Because he has no oil, in fact they have no nothing as far as I can see so the west cares not yet thousands from there come to Europe. Nothing will be done to upset those paying for Middle Eats fights, Eritrea will be ignored like Darfur now is, remember that? Afghans and others strive to come here, those who worked as translators wish to enter the UK but this government refuses them permission even though many friends of our army have been shot! Other madmen have been allowed to remain according to their 'human rights' even if they were murderers or rapists, why not interpreters?
This is a confusing situation, no country wishes to make decisions, nobody really has a clue what to do, yet all around the cry is keep them or send them back and all the while people die or live rough.
What a situation.
During Victorian times when the police force was just beginning there was no established police station in the town. Pubs in the Braintree centre were numerous, as were 'beer shops,' not pubs but places to buy beer, several such were found in this town. With long hours of work, cold houses, possibly colder wives, many made their way to such establishments for food and drink. Down New Street, imaginatively named after it was created, stood four pubs that we know off. There was the 'Three Tuns,' 'The George' and the 'Green man.' These were known as 'Little Hell,' 'Big Hell' and 'Perdition' by the folks of the town! This indicates problems at closing time, and indeed all other times, with the gentlemen and ladies who inhabited these places. The fourth pub did not have such a nickname and I have forgotten its name, 'The Angel' perhaps?
As a result of the problems with drunks the 'cage' was erected in 1840 to cater for those whose indiscretions merited a place to sleep it off. Each parish council required to have such a 'cage' which explains so many 'Cage Streets' etc to be found in villages and towns. This one has two cells, about six feet long, each with a bed of sorts along one side, the cell may have been designed for one but I suspect had more on Saturday nights. No doubt most who entered pubs, like today, behaved themselves reasonably well (does any drunk behave reasonably?) and bigger families with many working could rent better housing and avoid the need to dwell late in such pubs. These places at least were warm, offered company, entertainment often ( Music Hall grew out of these) and cleaned the throats of men working in local foundries where dust in the air was part of the job.
The cage was still used until 1875 even though a decent police station then stood in the town. Now demolished and replaced by a 'Peel Crescent!' The police developed over the years and now their hulking great station sits behind my head, all too often we hear their sirens at just the wrong moment, and I wonder if they actually have less officers on the beat now than then! They all use cars today, George Osborne's 'austerity' has taken beat officers of the beat and allowed many crimes to flourish.
The 'Cage' has been used by the militia once the drunks were removed, to store weapons and ammunition, and has lain empty for many years preserved by the local Civic Society. Most do not even know of its existence, yet many had a relative who could tell them what the inside looked like before 1875!
4 comments:
We stand and watch from the sidelines...completely helpless as we witness these tragic events as they unfold. We weep while we wonder why and how the world has come to be in such a sorry state....
Fascinating that they are called cages in your part of the world, when they are constructed of bricks. In our part of the world they are called lock-ups. And interesting that you attribute cramped quarters as the reason why he blokes went down to the pub in years past.
I echo Lee's comment above, she states what I find hard to put into words.
Your photo of the building that locked up the drunks makes me think of all the heartbreak behind the overindulgence of alcohol. It is a real problem in this country too but now drugs is coupled with it.
Lee, It is a not uncommon occurrence down the ages, usually it does not affect us!
Carol, Cages or Lock-ups. It depends on who is talking I suppose, but cage was the official name.
Most folks in Victorian days had cramped, filthy homes throughout the land. The artisans and those who had regular work could get better housing but vast numbers went to pubs because gas lighting made them warm, there was light, heat and company. The work was often hard and unpleasant and this was a decent place for many. Reasonable homes arrived here in the late 187's but the cost was high.
Kay, There will always be refugees, the US & UK have caused many by action in the Middle East, and their friends have made it worse. This is the result. Drugs more than drink is the obvious blight, drink among middle classes is the hidden blight.
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