After the fun and games of last week this weekend’s been one of consolidation as I’d a huge tranche of awards pictures to edit and get out to Community Rail Network. This kept me busy all day but by the end of it the job was done, freeing me up to edit the library images I’d taken whilst I was in Newcastle. You can find them in these galleries;
Having been away for a few days I hadn’t been following politics as I normally do. Being home gave me chance to catch up on the latest madness on both sides of the Atlantic. I was pleased to see that in the UK different factions of the Reform party (well, PLC really) are still knocking chunks out of each other! Of course, there’s only going to be one winner out of all this, Nigel Farage, as he effectively owns Reform. However, how this warfare will affect their voting base and attractiveness to floating voters is open to question. We’ll find that out in May.
Meanwhile, across the pond, Donald Trump continues to tear America apart, trashing the country’s reputation abroad whilst damaging its economy at home. The man is utterly without shame. No lie is too outrageous to tell, and no act too stupid. His latest wheeze is to close down ‘Voice of America’ along with Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia. These radio channels have been an extension of US soft power across the globe for 75 years providing an alternative source of news to former communist countries as well as theocracies like Iran and dictatorships in Asia like Myanmar. Vladimir Putin must be laughing his head off! As some commentators have noted, if Trump WAS a Russian asset, what would he be doing differently to what he’s doing now?
It seems that even some of Trump and Musk’s supporters are starting to feel uneasy at the shitshow that’s unfurling. The pain the pair are causing is starting to ripple across the states and the ones that voted for Trump as some of the least capable of weathering the storm. I find it hard to imagine the US is going to put up with four more years of this. Time will tell.
In the meantime, life continues here at Bigland Towers as the pair of us prepare for a new week ahead. I’m hoping to get out with the camera later in the week as the weather forecast is predicting sunshine. I’m not sure where I’ll go just yet but I’ve time to plan…
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with today’s picture, which is another one from Newcastle. I do love a good clock – and this one has added lustre!
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Paul Bigland 