An emotional few weeks. First, spending precious quality time with our daughter. Zoom and Whatsapp are all very well but not the same as seeing her in the flesh, albeit fleetingly. We spent a lovely two days talking, shopping and knitting together. But that wasn’t the only emotion flooding my brain. You may remember the origins of my writing name of Olga Swan. It isn’t just to remember my late brother Alan. Etched permanently in my brain is also my late father’s saying “if no-one remembers you after you’ve gone, what’s the point of living?” Growing up in the ‘50s, I knew our name of Olswang was unusual, so to keep the name going, it was essential for either me or my brothers to have grandchildren. But, in practice, this hasn’t happened. Both my brothers passed away childless, and neither of my children have children of their own, so what to do? The only way was via my (anagram) writing name of Olga Swan but my old publisher had closed down, limiting my marketing possibilities. Step forward a wonderful traditional publisher, SpellBound Books (see below). Thank you so much Sumaira. I can see my father smiling right now.
Wednesday 18th June 2022
15th May 2022
Now that our daughter’s safely back home in Maine, what does she regret not seeing on TV? Last night’s Eurovision! As I watched it last night, my thoughts zoomed back to my earliest Eurovision memories. In 1956 we didn’t yet have a TV for the first event in Lugano where the winner out of just 7 countries was Switzerland. But I do remember wonderful past hosts like Katie Boyle, with her language skills. Back then, songs could only be sung in each nation’s native language, but this changed when everyone realised the advantage of singing in an internationally-known language. Hence, Abba’s Waterloo, sung in English. These days there’s something weirdly compelling about this annual zeitfest of ridiculous costumes and strobe lights, with hardly one good melody amongst them. And, last night, don’t even mention Spain’s pole-dancing costumes! But the political shenanigans going on between so-called independent panel selections are always predictable, even before the first note’s been sung. However, last night the political focus came even more to the fore. I got the feeling that douze points was already scribbled in for Ukraine before anyone had even heard the song. Well, was I in the Eden Bar here in Birmingham to watch and hear the nail-biting result? What do you think?
8th May 2022
Our daughter is on a flying visit from the US for work, but fortunately she’s squeezed an extra weekend to come up to Birmingham to see us. First time in 3 years, so it’s wonderful to see her. But, as usual, Heathrow was a nightmare of long queues, waiting at electronic passport control before standing endlessly beside empty luggage carousels. Departures are even worse. Mile-long walks, shlepping heavy luggage. Massive shops and restaurants. Covid tests and 3-hour queues at security control where overly-intrusive, prison-like officers search your person as if everyone’s a criminal. A total lack of respect for travellers’ dignity. Oh and beware that insidious hand-luggage belt where valuables often go missing from your bag whilst you’re busy putting on your shoes and belts the other side! Why do we put up with it all? Yes, there needs to be security, but to this extent? Other forms of international transport have nothing like it. In complete contrast, there’s a lovely little airport in Rodez, SW France. You drive right up to the one terminal building, park close and walk into the large reception space. No shops or other razzmatazz. You sit down and look up at the clear departure board then, when called, go through simple security/passport control, out onto the tarmac and onto the plane. No steps or moving walkways. It’s a building, a runway and incoming and outgoing planes. It does what it says on the tin. Oh for the good old days.
1st May 2022
Is it time Westminster changes the way it effects government proceedings? The nation is constantly bombarded with news about the personal faux pas of its MPs. It’s a soap opera, each episode more salacious than the last. As each new revelation appears, news reports resemble the worst of the tabloid press. From inappropriate sexual advances of MPs to pornography, it never stops. Clearly, men are the same everywhere. I can think of no other country, though, where elected members are so constantly watched with zoom lenses, and their parliamentary discussions broadcast to the nation in every, fly-on-the-wall detail. I saw nothing like it in France. It’s then exacerbated by whichever Party is in opposition at the time. Their whole existence is defined by finding, revealing, then promoting such findings about the government in order to push their own cause - that of winning the next election for themselves. And our media colludes in all this, making us a laughing stock around the world. So, what to do? Stop broadcasting PM’s Question Time altogether, and conduct all government discussions in private. Any personal illegal misdemeanours by MPs should be dealt with, in private, by a disciplinary panel. The role of any government is to look outwards and devise laws to help its citizens, not to constantly look inwards at itself.
24th April 2022
We’ve been finalising our long-awaited trip to the US to see our children. It’s been years since we last saw them. Zoom and Whatsapp are all very well but not the same. But why does everything have to be so difficult? I’m still so tired from the lingering effects of Bell’s Palsy, so solving travel restrictions is like climbing a mountain. The US CDC entry rules still state that we must have a pre-departure Covid test within one day of travel but everyone interprets that differently. Because of past traffic delays, we like to stay overnight in an airport hotel. But if we take the test before we leave home, some say that’s more than one day even though the US site says that’s ok as it would still be within one calendar day! Being a worrier I can’t risk being refused at check in, so I’m attempting to reserve a test at the airport the evening before. But some say the results take 24h! Hopefully a company there called Randox can give us a LF result in 60 minutes, but too soon yet to reserve the exact time and day I need, they say. And then there’s the 7 hour flight. A holiday’s supposed to be pleasure and relaxation…
I’ll just have to visualise the idylls of our destination. Not too long now.
