The Social Democratic Party – a campaign group or a political force?

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) appears to be enjoying a little bit of a resurgence.  William Clouston, its leader, has been invited on GBNews programmes, and, according to Twitter, the Party is attracting new members.  Furthermore, the SDP’s last annual conference in London had some high profile speakers among whom were David Starkey, Claire Fox, Patrick O’Flynn and Rod Little.

I would describe the Party as socially conservative, centre left on economics, and patriotic, with a right wing approach to immigration.  It’s the closest thing there is to a British Gaullist Party and its policies are those which I can support, especially that which proposes an English Parliament sitting somewhere other than London.  This last policy convinced me to become a member rather than just a sympathiser.

However, having responded to various emails I received from the SDP’s regional and county officials/co-ordinators asking for candidates in local elections I have not received an acknowledgement, let alone a reply, which is somewhat disappointing. I write this in sorrow rather than in anger.

After such an apparently unenthusiastic response one has to wonder if the Social Democratic Party is serious about re-establishing itself as an electoral force; or does it intend to be of influence as a campaign group with the impressive and personable William Clouston as its public face? 

Time will tell, but I wish them well!

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin in the South Somerset village of Whitelackington.

A mile or so east of Ilminster in South Somerset is the village of Whitelackington, its Church of St. Mary the Virgin being separated from the village by the Old London Road and nestles, alongside the Manor House, on rising ground to the south.

Both the church and manor house are built of Hamstone.  St. Mary’s is in the Perpendicular style with windows suggesting its origins date from the early fourteenth century.  The manor house is gabled and probably built in the sixteenth or seventeenth century.

I took the photo below from the eastern slopes of Beacon Hill on the northern fringe of Ilminster.  At this time of year the winter sunshine was able to shine through the branches of leafless trees and highlight the wonderful golden tones of the Hamstone buildings.

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, and the adjacent Manor House, in the South Somerset village of Whitelackington.

January skyscapes over South Somerset.

January has been a rather misty, murky month. Here are some skyscapes. The first photo is of the first sunset of 2022, and the second is the last of this month.

The third photo is a picturesque afternoon sky - spot the contrail!

Theodore Roosevelt in praise of the English blackbird.

We are in the bleak mid-winter, but on my daily wanderings along the byways and hedgerows of this corner of South Somerset I have noticed a goodly number of blackbirds.  They are obviously not singing yet, but the warmer months should see them break into their wonderful song.

I was reminded of Theodore Roosevelt’s delightful tribute to the English blackbird in his autobiography.  I quote from it below.

In 1910 the former American president, having spent several weeks in England, was due to sail home from Southampton on June 10.  Being a lover of birds and birdsong he managed to arrange a day of birdwatching in Hampshire the day before his departure.

Roosevelt travelled by train to Basingstoke accompanied by his friend Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary.  With Sir Edward acting as guide the two avid ornithologists drove to the valley of the River Itchen to view the birdlife of the area and listen to its birdsong.

Having walked for several hours in the area Roosevelt described the valley as follows: “It is very beautiful in every way, with a rich, civilised, fertile beauty – the rapid brook twisting among its reed beds, the rich green of trees and grass, the stately woods, the gardens and fields, the exceedingly picturesque cottages, the great handsome houses standing in their parks.  Birds were plentiful; I know but few places in America where one would see such an abundance of individuals . . . “.

The two men then drove to the New Forest where they had tea at an inn before tramping on through the forest to Brockenhurst.

Roosevelt wrote of his tramp: “The New Forest is a wild, uninhabited stretch of heath and woodland, many of the trees are gnarled and aged, and its very wildness, the lack of cultivation, the ruggedness, made it strongly attractive in my eyes, and suggested my own country”.

Roosevelt and Sir Edward reached Brockenhurst at nightfall and spent the night at an inn which was in Roosevelt’s words: “. . . as comfortable as possible, and the bath and supper very enjoyable after our tramp; and altogether I passed no pleasanter twenty-four hours during my entire European trip”.

The bird which impressed Roosevelt most during his walking tour was the blackbird.  “I did not know what beautiful singers they were”, he writes. He goes on to say: “I knew he was a singer, but I had no idea how fine a singer he was”.  Roosevelt concludes: “. . . it is far easier to recognise him as the master singer that he is.  It is a fine thing for England to have such an asset of the countryside, a bird so common, so much in evidence, so fearless, and such a beautiful singer”.

Herne Hill near Ilminster in South Somerset on a misty mid-day.

This photo is of Herne Hill on the southern fringe of Ilminster in South Somerset. It had been a very foggy morning and Herne Hill kept disappearing and reappearing all morning.  I took the photo just after mid-day on 14 January.

Herne Hill on the southern fringe of Ilminster in South Somerset.

December skyscapes in South Somerset.

The last couple of weeks have been mostly damp and dismal and the year ends with another misty and murky afternoon in South Somerset, here are a some pleasing skyscapes from earlier in the month.

Some rare afternoon blue sky on December 2.

Contrails in the evening sunset on December 2.

Afternoon sky on December 6 with Storm Barra due the next day.

Late afternoon sky over the Blackdown Hills on December 6.  Storm Barra due the next day. 

Starlings at Snowden Hill, west of Chard, in South Somerset.

No leaves on the trees at Snowden Hill on the A30 west of Chard in South Somerset, but lots of starlings.

I took this photo while on an expedition to the farm shop nearby.

The bare branches make an interesting pattern against a very dull, early afternoon, greyish blue sky.

Starlings in the trees at Snowdon Hill, near Chard, South Somerset.