Hooray. The Bath Christmas Market has finished and the centre of town has become eerily quiet compared to how it has been. I don't begrudge it (much), but if you lived right here you would understand.
Today I wear two jumpers and a pair of long-johns under corduroy trousers with a heavy tweed overcoat. It's about minus 1 which is not too bad. I wear that indoors to watch TV too, now that we try not to turn on the heaters.
We are not sending any cards this year, partly because I have only just found out that we missed the last post, which was put forward to allow for the delays due to strikes.
Just a couple of words about the striking. I have heard that the Royal Mail strikes are more to do with plans to force many of them take voluntary redundancy and be replaced by self employed owner-drivers like the ones we see going around in cars and white vans, packed to the roof with parcels. I did not hear that from the government.
The sad thing is that Royal Mail do not care if they lose half of their workforce - that would be very convenient for them. They can blame it on the strikers and unions. Mick Lynch didn't do himself any favours when he lost his temper with Mishal Hussein this morning. I suppose he has been fending off the same questions from neutral or right-wing media for so long now that he has had enough. Of course, his accent makes him sound like the 1970s unreformed Marxist he is reputed to be, but nobody expects union leaders to sound like Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Did the Royal Mail ask its staff to go on strike then?
ReplyDeleteI can understand Mick Lunch losing patience with them..but unfortunate as he has been talking sense.
ReplyDeleteThey just want to privatise the mail and get more money in the hands of their mates....like other services....
They have been dismantling the postal service for about 15 years or more. They knew that all those hundreds of postmasters were not guilty of fraud from the beginning, but they did not care, so long as they did not get the blame for it. That shows the sort of people they are, and what sort of people can get their hands on a cherished British institution ever since Thatcher opened it all up for grabs. They make me sick.
DeleteThe story of the Post Office is typical of our once cherished and dependable institutions.
DeleteI don't mind change or 'reform' as the government calls it, but most ordinary people have a different idea of what needs to change for the better.
DeleteFor the first time since I was a boy I’ve not written a Christmas card not one
ReplyDeleteThat says something.
DeleteBut I'm not sure what.
DeleteIt is sad when institutions like the Royal Mail go under or become totally redefined. I have to wonder what Royal Mail will look like next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen's head will not be on stamps. That is more meaningful than just symbolism.
DeleteI am so sad about the strikes and the austerity forced on this country. Yesterday the DPD van arrived at 5.30 p.m. with his parcel for my daughter. 115 calls before that and another two hours to go delivering stuff. Slave labour, is this what the Tory elite want for the post office workers? I could also be angry about the strikes, it took my daughter three hours to get home yesterday on the bus, most of it standing out in the cold. But as food banks increase and the government sits back on its heels to allow the chaos to continue. Charles Dickens we need you.
ReplyDeleteCovid helped the private couriers a lot. They are just as busy as they were during the lockdowns. Before then, Royal Mail employed temporary Christmas staff. That will not longer happen. The private companies want the profit that could go toward wages.
DeleteI have always thought that the Ealing comedy film "I'm All Right Jack" beautifully sent up the 50s/60s Union/Managment situation. Took no sides but ridiculed them both.
ReplyDeleteAmazon Prime seems to be able to deliver stuff by return of ordering. I pay £8 per month for this, which includes film streaming (which I don't use). i wonder if they could do better than the GPO?
I remember that film. Yes, it took no sides. I do not want to give more money to Amazon.
DeleteI don't like to sound all bahh humbug but I'm not keen on the Christmas markets.They are usually filled with tat !! I don't mind a glass of Gluhwein/mulled wine though ! We have been to Christmas markets in Berlin as well and they weren't much better !!!! Even though I am/was quite sporty, I wasn't keen on skiing but I really liked the apres ski !!!
ReplyDeleteI sound a right misery ..... I'm not after a few glasses of mulled wine ! XXXX
Yes, the only thing I am interested in with those markets is food and drink, but you can get all that cheaper elsewhere. I went to one in Germany, but it was a lot more authentic than our copies.
DeleteSame as Jackie: Christmas Markets I am not very much attracted too. Imagine: Berlin has 80 (!!! not a typo!!! 80!!!) Christmas Markets.
ReplyDeleteAs to the post: same here. They try to get back to times when a little shop also did the mail (now these are mostly supermarkets, as little shops die like the post offices).
Banks do the same: my bank counsellor said to me: You cannot get any money here except from the automats - we don't have counters anymore. And he is working for a huge bank!
Sorry Britta ..... didn't want to rubbish your Christmas Markets but I see you agree with me !!! I love everything else about Berlin ! XXXX
Delete80?! Our banks are going the same way, as are the small shops which sell anything useful.
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