It’s not often that you will hear me even mention Radio 4 unless it’s in connection with “The Archers “ But, whilst I stay loyal to Chris Evans and Virgin Radio in the morning my wife always listens to Radio 4 and very occasionally ( very,very occasionally ) I find something of interest there as well. I mean I have been known to listen to “ Desert Island Discs” if the subject is somebody I know or at odd times a comedy show ( I used to like “ Old Nick “ the thirty minute sit-com about The Devil as I empathized with him ) but that’s about it.
And then this morning, on a programme, I now know to be called “ Life Scientific “ there was an academic whose specialist subject was the psychology of crowds. Interesting guy. He’d left school at 18 with no qualifications and gone to work in his dad’s pub. Then he’d gone to Italy in 1990 and seen the behaviour of the football fans and ended up getting a Masters degree in the subject. I am thinking it’s probably not a vocational field that’s too over-crowded!
He was saying that people don’t necessarily enter a demonstration crowd with the intention of fighting the police, but then the police try to contain them and psychologically become the enemy. I was wondering if the psychology could be applied to the crowds almost fighting to get into the stores that opened on Monday. Although I think the Peruvians have a better idea. There are a bunch of groups of peasants who cut their teeth on fighting Maoist rebel groups. Peru is close behind Brazil ( who moved from bronze to silver position in the Big V table by overtaking us ) These self-elected peasant militia groups usually supplant the police in dealing with sundry cases on marital infidelity ( think the police are more involved in that than responsible for policing ) thefts of chickens, or corrupt mayors and judges. They’ve now turned their attention to quarantine breakers and are administering justice in the shape of a lashes with a bull-whip. Unbelievably, they aren’t breaking any Peruvian laws ( just maybe a few bones in the process ) but they would sure as hell sort out the non-social distancing throngs outside Matalan and Primark ( or pulling down statues for that matter )
Meanwhile, somebody who is to be lauded is Marcus Rashford, the England and Manchester United player. I’ve said a few harsh things about selfish and irresponsible footballers over the past few months, but Marcus is above all criticism. He was signed by United a year early as his mother couldn’t afford to buy him lunches and needs the succor the club offered. He’s never forgotten that or his roots and has donated and raised millions to ensure deprived children in his home town have been fed and cared for during the Big V. Now he is quite rightly up in arms about the Government’s scandalous plan to take away luncheon vouchers from children in the school holidays ( which holidays seem to have got longer and longer of course ) Let’s all give him the support he needs and deserves even if that support can’t extend to Manchester United ( though I don’t feel quite so strongly about them now Ferguson has left… I told you how he feels about me in an earlier blog.
I do remember crying as a kid when I heard of the Munich Crash. I’d seen that great team play in their last match before they flew off to Europe. Manu 5-Arsenal 4 A Tommy Taylor hat-trick. My dad advertised the Carlton Essex Road cinema outside his barber’s shop which meant we got 2 free tickets every week. His shop closed on a Thursday afternoon and he’d meet me from school and off we would go to the pictures.
On that fateful afternoon we went to see “ Davy “ starring Harry Secombe. How’s that for a good memory. As we got off the old 641 trolley bus at Manor House station where we lived we bought an evening paper and saw that the crash was the headline. Tommy Taylor was killed outright as were David Pegg, Billy Whelan , Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman and Mark Jones. One of my heroes, Duncan Edwards survived the crash for 18 days and then succumbed. Again I remember listening to Children’s Favourites on a Saturday morning ( they always played the same songs, if you recall ) and hearing he had died. And I cried again. But young Marcus Rashford has brought the dignity back into football and the fact it resumes tomorrow night should be a tribute to his noble efforts. Let’s hope no crowds gather outside stadiums that require Peruvians with bull-whips to control them.
I forgot to mention yesterday that we did finally make it to the park on Saturday morning. We thought it was very early, but then so did a lot of other people. But, before we wended our way back through runners in blinkers keeping to a straight line whatever lay in their path we did see what I think was Mummy Swan with six cygnets. Daddy Swan was on the other bank chatting up a couple of ducks. I am just hoping that when I get back to the park that there are still six of them as there are so often a few casualties along the way to adulthood with all the predators around.
Mainly foxes I fear. I quite like foxes. We’ve a copse at the back of our garden which I fought tooth and nail to preserve when they did a development there and they pop out from time to time to sunbathe on the lawn. They are always around at night I think as the security lights go on and off. But, like the lead character in Alexander McCall Smith, Isobel Dalhousie books I think there is something noble about them. Unlike our old friend Donald Trump who has just tweeted triumphantly that the crime rate in America has fallen to a record low. He didn’t mention that most people have been stuck in for three months and that hundreds of thousands have died in the same period. He is so dumb that I am just waiting for him to claim some kind of victory that the USA have had more fatalities than any other country. Not sure even that low is beyond him.
Anyway, so sorry that we are short today. But had a work crisis to sort. Fortunately my glasses are fixed and I can see to type again.
Stay safe and see you all again tomorrow if we are spared.