Equinox

Nice to wake up to sunshine and warm air on Summer Equinox day. Most of the country's rail network is shut down by a big strike, due to an impasse after eighteen months of negotiation over pay and conditions. So much has changed during that time and railway finances have been hit hard by covid losses followed by the knock on inflationary effect of the war in Ukraine. 

Most railway workers haven't had a pay rise in three years and are now falling even further behind. The same is true for other groups of public sector employees. It seems to me that everybody's living standards are destined to fall, except for the relatively rich. We're still a long way from the kind of redistribution of wealth that would make life less miserable for the majority, but nobody who has more than their reasonable share of assets wants gives them up without a fight.

Clare's welcomed her Steiner study group at home the morning, so I made myself scarce for a while and then walked down to the river for an hour before returning to cook lunch. As I walked in Pontcanna Fields, I noticed along the path that runs beside the perimeter wall of the municipal allotments, raspberries were growing in among the bramble bushes. I guess birds at some time or another have helped themselves to fruit from the canes in someone's plot, and taken dispersed seeds beyond the boundary, through their poo. 

Park land management isn't as aggressive as it used to be. More areas are left un-mown for longer, or not cut back, and that really improves environmental for insects and birds alike. It's been a pleasure this last few years of confinement to Cardiff for most of the year, just to realise how much wildlife diversity there is, so close to the heart of the city.

I spotted a Tesco credit card, dropped in the grass at the side of the path from Blackweir Bridge to the main avenue, and decided the best thing I could do with it was to take it to the nearest Tesco branch and give it to the manager. I did this when I went out to do the weekly grocery shopping after lunch. Had it been missed? I wondered, or already reported lost and blocked/cancelled? No point in taking a risk of it being abused, as these day contactless payments can be made of £50 uf not £100 within verification.

When I'd unloaded the shopping and stowed it all away, I got to work preparing Friday's funeral service, and then went out for another walk around Thompson's Park. After supper, another evening with episodes of 'Suspect' and 'Sherwood', both dealing in different ways with the dark underside of British policing, interestingly enough.