Duggie’s Ramblings
Netflix provides a wide variety of entertaining films or movies at an acceptable cost. I think we pay £5 per month. Recently, we scrolled through the choices, not knowing where to settle. Eventually, impatience took over from indecisiveness and the film -timely as it turned out -‘Bank of Dave‘ was agreed upon. What a worthwhile choice it turned out to be, starring Rory Kinnear; Hugh Bonneville and Phoebe Dynevor. Dave Fishwick had accumulated a large sum of money running his business in Burnley. He is later persuaded to open a bank in his name in his hometown of Burnley (this is fact.)
The combined resources of the major banks, on being informed of his intentions, put every obstacle in his way! Including the requirement of raising the sum of £3million to start. Does he? Yes! How timely this is. The film was made in 2022, when bank branches were closing across the country. Is this success an incentive for more individual private banks to open? It is also a reminder that the loudest and seemingly most powerful shouters do not always win. This recalls a story told me of a lavish meal at great expense. One person, a guest, held forth long and loud, causing the nervous host to count the silver on the dining room table! There are precedents from the past. Coutts is still a private bank.
We, like many readers, watch the news.
Though we cannot always agree which channel to watch. However, what we do agree about is the vox pop. Where indulged individuals are ‘held’ in the street and asked for their opinion about an issue featured in the news – whether it is striking ambulance men or the newly appointed education secretary (five last year alone.) Rarely is any nugget of knowledge passed on, more often as not the questions are Simple Simon and the answers match the questions as the interviewer hastily moves on ‘now back to the studio and Gladys.’ Alternatively, the approach of the TV outside broadcast, when they go into hospitals, the staff are asked before filming if they do not wish to be filmed and their decision is respected. This, I assume, is the policy when television teams go into schools or other places of work.
Schools? We all went to school, whether public or private.
We had to learn our times table at school -1×1; 2×2 etc. to yes – 12 and that was it. Did anybody learn the 13s table? Why go to 12 and stop why not 10 and stop? Do the primary/ preparatory school children in 2023 learn their tables as we did? Yes they do! Well, 12 is a significant number-12 tribes of Israel.12 months of the year and there are many more, 12 days of Christmas. We receive half a dozen eggs! Is this why we have times table to 12 from aged 5/6.
Jerusalem, the hymn, has been promoted as an alternative to the national anthem. Asked for his comment on Jerusalem, a bright young clergywoman said two words. To the first verse NO to the second verse -WHY?
February 2023 Editorial
