Away from the screens…..

A few days away from the screens are a salutary reminder of how others live, and maybe the “key drivers”, a description beloved of psycho-babble pundits, but not the “former energy secretary”. You might think that the Telegraph would have Energy Secretary in capitals, but no. There is not long to wait to see how this plays out, but given that perverting the course of justice carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, it could be interesting.

Seventh Day Newspaper……

And not long till the launch of the Sun on Sunday, the seventh day paper, with all staff reinstated, and their legal costs paid, unless, and until. Clearly, other titles have benefitted since the demise of the News of the World, but the recent numbers indicate that public demand for print media is declining, inexorably.

Where are all the tourists…..?

Both these problems are not high on the agenda of the people of West Cumbria, where I have been this week. The far, north west, of the Lake District, is gritty, albeit still dominated by the National Trust. Tourism, and tourists, are notable for their absence, even in half term. But, at least, life has picked up for the farmers, lambs now worth a considerable amount of money.

Improving the experience……

Some of the local centres, such as Keswick, have tried to reinvent themselves, with pedestrianisation, and a scheme to charge 1% more on business rates, that goes to improve the experience. In part, it works, but prices remain what you would pay in a pub in Manchester, and not far off in London. And, whether by design, or default, the High Street looks the same. Obviously not the same as Oxford Street, but every other shop is a branded outdoor walking clothes shop, selling all imaginable goods, including high spec GPS.

…….and considerable wealth

They do not sell corduroy trousers, which are what I wanted, since everyone knows that these are unsafe for walking in. Which is true, but not sure that I needed telling. And they have a branch of Booths, an upmarket version of Waitrose, so there is considerable wealth.

……in places!

Further west, the economic situation deteriorates. Sellafield, the nuclear plant, is a major employer; in fact, one wonders how the place would survive otherwise. The decommissioning is going to take forever, but it is sustainable employment, and they really need that.

Everyone needs footfall……

In EnnerdaleBridge, our nearest village, it is the classic of what happens in these beautiful, remote, places. The little houses have been bought by “outsiders”, and in the evening, their windows stand dark, a monument to greed and stupidity. The new owners want to be part of the local community, but in buying the house, they wreck what they yearn for. No local can compete with City Bonuses. So the infrastructure is destroyed; the shop goes, the post office, etc.

Local fightback……

The locals have fought back, raising £67,000 in eight days, to buy the lease on the former pub, and restart it, as their own. There are now more than 200 shareholders, but the only employee seems to be the chef, and whilst I am all for democracy, you can see why plentiful inclusion might be rather difficult.

For the moment, everyone gives their time for free, and thus the place remains open, but what if the novelty wears off? Free labour has at least sorted out the competition; the only other pub looked distinctly closed….

You can check it out at www.foxandhoundsinn.org

To obtain any supplies, one has to travel to Creator Moor, a former mining village, some three miles west. I guess it is no different to other places that have lost their reason to exist, but the grinding poverty is all too evident. And, unless you have your own transport, you can’t get there.

Skill never to return……

Apart from mining, this was the town that was home to Kangol, founded in 1938. Probably one of the first manufacturers of outdoor gear, they made many of the berets so needed at that time, and seem to have kept up with changing trends before falling victim to private equity; in April 2009, the factory became a warehouse, the headcount reducing from 33 to 7, and it then closed  in August. And it is not just 33, but the families that relied on those wage earners. Now the stuff is made in Eastern Europe, a skill never to return.

In the local shop, I waited behind a guy in his early thirties, I would guess. He was buying a can of fizzy drink, the cheapest packet of cigarettes, and wanted £10 back on his card. Well dressed, articulate, but with the air of no hope. He wandered across the road to his house, in Kier Hardie Street, another wretched statistic.

Loss of signal……

Back in the hub of life, they have no mobile signal, so for four glorious days, one can hide. Except, you don’t, and just drive miles every day until you find one. This seems to be the norm in the Lakes, and maybe they should market it as such. Once you get used to it, it is very liberating. But clearly no use, whatsoever, if you are trying to run a business, or even start one.

Sorting Greece……

Whilst I have been away, the powers that be seem to have sorted out Greece, as they always do, when I am not at my desk.

I am not sure if they should default more often, (105 years out of the last 200), or if I should ignore this.

Centenary on its way……

Next week marks the 100^th issue of this blog, which has been continuous, wherever I have been. I do not intend to go back over what has been said, but I hope that reflections from Russia, Austria, Italy and various other places are of interest. Some hundreds follow; we will let you know when we climb above a thousand.

Thank you for your support.

CDO

17^th February, 2012