A tale of two strawberries, one Scottish and one English. But which one is British?

Just like the strawberries referred to in this letter published in the Western Daily Press on July 28th 2015,  the English people have to be British all on their own. The Empire is history, the Scottish and Welsh people have their own Governments and the Northern Irish their own Assembly so all the London-centric British political establishment has left to govern is its last colony - England.

No wonder  British/Unionist politicians (Tories, Labour, UKIP and Liberal Democrats) prefer Evel and other forms of contorted constitutional manoeuvrings rather than any semblance of an English Parliament.  After all, such a parliament would see them out of a job!

Letter in the Western Daily Press, July 28th, 2015.

Political tale of two strawberry punnets.

On a recent visit to a supermarket, one of the “big four”, I came across a prominent display of fine-looking strawberries. As I approached the display it became apparent that the strawberries’ packaging was emblazoned with the Saltire and labelled “Scottish strawberries”. Closer scrutiny revealed that they were from Perthshire which, as I was on the South Devonshire coast in Seaton, struck me as rather a long way for them to travel – hardly a shining example of a supermarket supporting local produce.

In the next aisle were more strawberries, these ones labelled “British”, adorned with the Union Flag and grown in the counties of Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Surrey. However, there was no mention of them being English produce or any sign of the Cross of St George. So it seems a Scottish strawberry is Scottish and not British while an English strawberry has to be British all on its own.

Is this tale of two strawberries a metaphor for the state of Britain in general and the Union of Scotland and England in particular?

Needless to say, I bought some English strawberries from Herefordshire – and very nice they were too!

S.W.

English Democrats, Somerset


UPDATE. 27th August 2016.

It seems that TESCO have stopped labelling punnets of Scottish strawberries with the Saltire as English customers have complained that English strawberries are not labelled with the Cross of St George.  All packaging will now be emblazoned with the Union Flag.  Our neighbours in Scotland are, understandably, annoyed by this.  TESCO have managed to upset both English and Scottish consumers.

As TESCO seem happy to sell milk displayed with the English flag why cannot the company label a punnet of strawberries in the same fashion?

Label produce from Scotland with the Saltire and that from England with the Cross of St George,  Welsh and Northern Irish produce should be treated similarly.  Such a policy would, I suggest, leave TESCO with lots of happy customers in whichever part of Britain they happen to do business.

Swans, Black-headed gulls and Cormorants at Chew Valley Lake, North Somerset.

Young Swan just after take-off.

Cormorant lecturing Black-headed gulls on fishing techniques.

The  largest artificial lake in Southwest England, Chew Valley Lake is just north of the Mendip Hills and was created by the Bristol Waterworks Company to supply water for South Bristol.  Planned before the Second World war, construction was authorised in 1949, the lake was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth ll in 1956.

I can recommend the excellent restaurant, Woodford Lodge, on the western shore of the lake which is accessed from the B3114.  There is also a café and car park on the northern tip of the lake.

If you are just driving by there is a spacious lay-by on the B3114, south of Chew Stoke, from which you can view the scenery and do some bird-watching. This is where the above photos were taken.  There is another lay-by on the A368, north-east of West Harptree, which also overlooks the lake. 

As well as enjoying the wonderful views of the North Somerset countryside and the foothills of the Mendips keep an eye open for some of the 260 species of birds recorded at Chew.

Abandon the F35B Joint Strike Fighter and build more Harriers.

It seems the new F35B Joint Strike Fighter Lightning 2, on order for the Fleet Air Arm and RAF, has been outmanoeuvred by an F16.  The manufacturers of the F35 claim that when its weapons systems are fully developed and operational it will be able to engage and destroy hostile aircraft at long range without having to outfly them.  For the sake of future RAF and FAA pilots lets hope they are right.

The only active "enemies" we have at the moment are travelling around Iraq and Syria mostly in pick-up tricks armed mainly with little more than machine guns and RPGs.  Will they ever need to be engaged by a cutting edge technology 21st century stealth aircraft like the £87 million pound F35B which in any case will not be fully operational until 2023?  It would be more sensible, and cheaper, to continue using drones and ageing Tornados.  A 1960s vintage Canberra or V-bomber or even a Lancaster could operate against an enemy with no air force or air defence system.

Presumably the RAF's Typhoons and drones will carry on alone when the Tornado is retired in 2019.  As for the Fleet Air Arm, what, if anything, will be flying from the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers while it waits until 2023 for its F35Bs to reach full operational capability?

My view is reflected in this letter to the Western Daily Press published on July 10th 2015.

The time is right for rethink on Harriers

In their recent letters Greg Heathcliffe and Joe West have commented on the relative merits of the 1940s vintage Spitfire, Hurricane and Me109. However, of more immediate interest is a report in The Daily Telegraph stating that the F35B Joint Strike Fighter, still years away from operational service with the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers, can be outmanoeuvred by the F16, an aircraft which first entered US Air Force service in 1980. Evidence, it appears, that late 20th century fighters can still match the performance of their most modern counterparts.In such circumstances the British Government should abandon the hugely expensive F35B and place an order for Sea Harriers for the Fleet Air Arm and Harriers for the RAF. They are proven in combat and, as shown by the US Marine Corps’ decision to keep its remaining Harriers operational until 2025, still highly capable aircraft – and not prohibitively expensive to manufacture, maintain and operate.

Returning to 1940, I would venture the opinion that if, as Jo West states, the German fighter had been superior to both the Hurricane and Spitfire the RAF would have lost the Battle of Britain.

S.W.
Somerset

Blagdon Lake in North Somerset.

Blagdon Lake lies in a valley bordering the northern edge of the Mendip Hills.  It was created by the Bristol Waterworks Company between 1898 and 1905 when the River Yeo, which rises in the village of Compton Martin one and a half miles to the southeast, was dammed.  Originally named the Yeo Reservoir, the lake is overlooked by the village of Blagdon from which it now takes its name.

To enjoy a peaceful walk on the public footpath along the lakeshore it is best to park on the road over the dam.  There is a car park near the fire station in the village of Blagdon but, as the village is on foothills of the Mendips, it is a very testing walk back up the steep road from the lake.  The footpath on the lakeshore is level going and there are benches on which to take a rest or just sit and enjoy the view.

Blagdon Lake in the autumn, viewed from the south.

St Andrew's Church overlooks the lake.  The tower is one of the tallest in Somerset and dates from the 15th century.  The remainder of the church was rebuilt between 1907 and 1909 by Lord Winterstoke, of the Wills tobacco family, who lived nearby at Coombe Lodge on the western outskirts of Blagdon.


St. Andrew's Church, Blagdon overlooking the lake.                  
 

For a view which takes in Blagdon Lake, Village and Church turn off the A368 up the hill next to the Seymour Arms.  Proceed up the hill, the road is steep, narrow and twisting so take care, and keep a lookout for the small car park and picnic area on the left.  Once you have spent time enjoying the scenery drive on up the hill and join the B3134 for a spin on the Mendip Hills.


Police response to petrol theft ("drive-offs") from filling stations. Letter in the Western Daily Press, June 30th, 2015.

To pursue or not to pursue?  The bizarre world of British justice!  This letter was published in the Western Daily Press on June 30th.

Our judicial system needs common sense.

Devon and Cornwall Police no longer consider driving away from a petrol filling station without paying as a theft worth investigating, even though it is apparently the most reported crime in the countryside. It seems lack of funds brought about this new policy.

Meanwhile, at the other end of England in North Yorkshire, where petrol theft is still considered worthy of interest to the police, a conscientious and determined police officer gave chase when he saw a man drive off from a petrol station without paying. After a three-mile pursuit by car and on foot the officer caught the culprit who was eventually jailed for theft.

Was the officer commended for his actions? Evidently not; in a ludicrous turn of events he was put on trial for dangerous driving! Unsurprisingly, a jury quickly found him not guilty.

A dose of common sense needs to be injected into the bizarre world of British justice. Money should not be wasted on prosecuting police officers in Yorkshire when they are obviously doing what is expected of them. It would be better spent on making resources available to pursue petrol thieves in Devon and Cornwall.

S.W.

English Democrats, Somerset

Ham Hill War Memorial in South Somerset.

Ham Hill is situated west of Yeovil, overlooking the villages of Stoke-sub-Hamdon and Norton-sub-Hamdon. At the north-western end of the hill is a War Memorial commemorating 53 local servicemen, 44 of whom were lost in WW1, 8 in WW2 and 1 in Ireland in 1988. 21 were members of the Somerset Light Infantry.
From the site of the memorial views reach to the Blackdown Hills and Quantock Hills 15 miles away to the west and Exmoor 40 miles away on the horizon.  To the north are the Mendip Hills.  Both the Burton Pynsent Monument near Curry Rivel and the Hood Monument near Butleigh, in the parish of Compton Dundon, can also be seen.



Ham Hill War Memorial.

Ham Hill is also the site of an Iron Age hill fort, hardly surprising given the way it dominates the area.  Quarries on the hill have provided the local hamstone for 2000 years and two are still being worked today.  South Somerset District Council manages the area as a country park, consequently there are around 250,000 visitors a year so parking the car can be difficult.  I prefer to park in the lay-by on the southern side of the hill overlooking Norton-sub-Hamdon.  From there you can enjoy the view while watching the Buzzards, sometimes eye to eye, soaring in the thermals - and visit the ice-cream van usually parked there too.

The view to the north-east.

Fracking near historic Bath. Letter in the Western Daily Press May 2nd 2015.

Lancashire County Councillors had the good sense to reject an application to start fracking at a site on the Fylde coast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-33313084

I hope their counterparts in Somerset come to a similar conclusion if necessary.  I am entirely in agreement with the views of Jenny Knight whose letter on the subject was published in the Western Daily Press on May 2nd this year in the run up to the General Election.

Historic Bath cannot be a site for fracking.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government has been selling licences to companies interested in researching the viability of fracking in this country.

One of these licences is just 12 miles from Bath.

The possibility of any kind of “investigation” going down and under the City of Bath does not bear thinking about. But we must – or it will affect the delicate spa water system and the fabric of our historic buildings. As a candidate in the general election standing for the English Democrats in Bath I will be fighting against plans to frack anywhere but especially not near Bath.

The English Democrats Party and the Greens are opposed to fracking. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Ukip have all approved the idea of fracking in their manifestos.

The environmental impact from the extraction process and safety and health concerns about hydraulic fracking emerged in the 1980s and are still not resolved. France upholds its ban on fracking but there are French companies buying licences to explore potential sites in England.

It is time to put Bath/England first.

Jenny Knight

English Democrats Party parliamentary candidate for Bath