Values...

According to Mary Portas, the self-styled ‘shopping guru’, what we’ll want, once the pandemic is over, will be “brands that reflect our values”. Hmmm, instead of picking the brands which reflect my values, which sounds rather difficult, it might be more convenient just to change my values to match those of the retailing world: “pile it high, sell it cheap” or “flog as many units as we can between now and doomsday” or “bully the punters into signing up for the extended warranty”.

Wow, just read an article by an (anonymous) NHS doctor, which says everything I feel about the way we lionise the "heroes" of the NHS, by clapping and banging saucepans, even as they are forced to go to work without PPE. Anon writes "Don’t feel you need to clap. Enough with the rainbows. When this ends, people need to show their value of key-working staff in practical ways; pay them enough to be able to live in our cities, and recognise, support and welcome immigrant staff who prop this country up". Amen to that.

Licensed today: the cascade in the gardens of Holker Hall in Cumbria...