Church of England: Apart of the Establishment?

These have been very bizarre days. A friend suggested this had been the most stressful week for consumers of the news in some months – perhaps they’re right. The British establishment is suffering a wholesale loss of credibility before our eyes; bizarrely, the church is for once doing better than any other area of the British Establishment.

Happy 63rd birthday NHS

This text was written by the other Graham in Defend Our NHS York in a hurry this morning. Its excellent, so I’m sharing it here. So, to the tune of ‘When I’m 64′…

Happy sixty-third birthday, NHS
(with apologies to John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

Now that you’re older, feeling the strain,
It’s time to look ahead.
We shall still be bringing you our aches and pains -
Influenza, rheumatism, cancers and sprains.
If we need treatment, will you be there
Even if we’re poor?
We still want to use you,
We don’t want to lose you
When you’re sixty-four.

We’ll be older too…

Changing just like you…

There are lots of fat cats looking for loot,
Think you’re up for grabs,
Think they’ve got the government to do as they ask,
Eyeing up those bed-loads of cash.
If we need treatment, will you be there,
Even if we’re poor?
They want to make their profit -
Not if we can stop it -
When you’re sixty four…
Encore -
We still want you handy,
Free of Andrew Lansley,
Now and evermore!

Graham Sanderson

June 30th: Refusing to be divided

The coverage of the June 30th strikes has been more positive than I expected. Perhaps its the fact that teachers are seen as a different class of worker to “those pesky miners”, that teachers play an obvious role in all our lives. Anyhow, this blog post is part “what I said in my speech”, part reflection on the day.