Author: Christopher-Dorset

Local elections in the United Kingdom have yielded interesting results. Wavey Davey’s beleaguered Conservatives did remarkably indifferently in England and Wales. Proving that Scotland is if nothing else a world onto itself Ruth Davidson led her party from the political wilderness into being the official opposition at Holyrood. The fragrant Wee Nippy, as I predicted last year, remains the leader of the devolved regional government but  without a majority. The SNP overplayed the nationalist card. Unionist Scots are growing highly adept at tactical voting and this has helped to destroy the majority that Alex Salmond, the historical, present and eternal source of all Continue reading “An Interesting Election”

I have terrible news… Long-suffering Britain has to face yet another nightmare… From Tone Bliar to Gordon Brown to David Cameron to terrible storms and floods. Now, Britain faces a crisis of even greater proportions. You may have guessed it, but I am making a return visit this summer. From the 10th to 17th August I will subject Dorset to my reign of terror. On the night of the 17th I will be secreted by the Caledonian Sleeper to Fort William before travelling south to Glasgow for a few days. Brace yourselves!

Ho hum. I finished my certification to be an English teacher today. I also have a confirmed departure date from Spain of 1 December 2016 with the destination of Stockholm. Where will I be in January? Will it be Russia? Will it be Japan? Will it be Taiwan or Indonesia? Who knows.

This post is to placate Janus.

I’ve been in Spain for over a month now. I haven’t entirely been sure what to say about it because it has made so little impression on me – and that I haven’t seen that much of it. For the first month I lived with a Spanish family in el Barrio de Salamanca, one of Madrid’s ritzier neighbourhoods. This month I am living in Usera, one of Madrid’s poorest and roughest neighbourhoods. Continue reading “It’s just not Portugal…”

Te he he. Under a new Dutch law any issue that garners at least 300,000 signatures must be put to a consultative plebiscite. Yesterday, the Dutch had the first of such votes. The matter concerned the EU-Ukraine Russia-baiting treaty. Turnout was, to be fair, relatively low — just over 32pc. The results, however, remain telling. By a margin of nearly 2-1 the Dutch, unwilling hostages of their governments’ Eurodelusions rejected the deal. Continue reading “Nee”

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the chance to speak to Spaniards of different origins and social classes concerning their views on Spain’s recent economic and social travails. Among the genteel middle class there’s an overwhelming ennui, a distinct jadedness. Spain has long been a poor country with higher-than-average unemploymen Continue reading “Iberia Frustrated”

Sweden is an exquisite country. Well, most of Sweden is an exquisite country – there are parts of it that are rather less than pleasant. I arrived in Kalmar late in the afternoon as the sun was starting to set. It’s cold; it’s very cold – and windy. Yes, yes. Of course that’s what one should expect. Kalmar is a seaside town in Scandinavia, Continue reading “Nordic Pseudo-Visions”

I was lucky. My flight to London was only half full. A half-full Airbus A380 makes for a roomy flight. Connecting at Hellrow was quick and pleasant enough, despite one airport employee; a Pakistani woman who looked like her favourite pastime was sucking lemons, having something of the vespidae about her. For once I could connect in the same terminal which was fortunate as I had a relatively short wait between flights. Passport control at Copenhagen went quickly, as did luggage delivery. I was through the Danish border with everything in less than ten minutes. I noted a change right away. All passports were stamped, European or not. Usually one must request that a European passport be s Continue reading “Scandinavian Exile”

I pop in to hospital several times each week to avail myself of their free coffee. My mum works as a theatre nurse there and their coffee is provided as a “community service”. It’s a Dutch brand – Douwe Egberts – and is more than tolerable, especially by American standards. Mostly it is an uneventful affair. I pop in, pour my Continue reading “I Have Seen Hell”

I have never really liked David Cameron. He’s too slick, too slimy. He is really little more than a British Malcolm Turnbull. I’d hesitate to walk behind him in fear of slipping on the trail of slime he emits. As much as I disliked him personally he never struck me as being stupid. Yet, that is what he has revealed himself to be – tone deaf, stupid. I knew that his “renegotiation” with the EU would not amount to much. Continue reading “The Whelk’s Sham”