I took the opportunity to have a seven mile walk across the fields with friend Mike. Our stroll took in both Great and Little Melton and I hope you enjoy the small number of photographs I took.
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I do love it how certain words lose their meaning over time.
A couple of examples are VIP and exclusive - both of which have very little meaning at the present time.
Take VIP. It stands for "Very Important Person" but has got so watered down that it is now just a term for the marketeers. There's Sky VIP deals which aren't special deals but deals available to everyone who subscribes to the Sky TV channels or Broadband etc. Virtually every day I receive mail and e-mails telling me I'm a VIP when they are just trying to sell me something.
The term is also sadly used by scammers trying to divest you of money in order to make themselves rich by nefarious means. It has got so ridiculous that a group I am involved with which is negotiating with a real VIP in the old meaning of the word is now referring to him or her as a VVIP or very very important person. Perhaps we will soon have levels of importance. I suppose the Queen may be a VVVVVVVVVIP with the most number of Vs available.
Exclusive used to be used by newspapers or broadcasters who genuinely were the only ones to have a story etc. Now it can be used for any old tat that nobody wants. Newspapers now have "exclusives" but don't explain that they are only exclusive because nobody else wants them.
COVID hasn't helped in this. The BBC will have exclusive access to a COVID ward in x hospital but ITV will have exclusive access to a COVID ward in y hospital and Sky will have exclusive access to a COVID ward in z hospital. That's not a matter of exclusivity but geography. The story is no longer exclusive, only the place is.
Virtually everything that appears in Hethersett Herald is exclusive. It's exclusive mainly because its information that nobody else wants!!!
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It is so good to see professional footballers becoming leaders and, where necessary, shaming politicians and standing up for what they believe in.
First we had Manchester United's Marcus Rashford campaigning on the school meals issue and ensuring that children not at school receive food and now we have Liverpool's Jordan Henderson acting as an ambassador for the NHS. Let's face it more people are likely to respect and respond to a professional footballer than to some of our truly awful politicians.
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We recently had smart meters fitted and now have a display unit in our lounge. It's turned us into a couple of saddos as we now know how much each blast of central heating costs and the fact that every time we put the kettle on it turns the display from green (low use of energy) to amber (medium use). At least so far we haven't hit red (high use). I wonder if the amount of coffee I'm now allowed will be rationed.
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I think we are all getting burnout as far as COVID is concerned. I know it's not the Government's fault but I just want to shout "do something to end this now." I know that's an irrational comment because we have the vaccine but my mind keeps saying "we are in a worse situation now than we were 11 months ago when all this started to take flight."
I see the Government are now threatening a £800 fine for social gatherings. Just think about this. If you want to flout the law and have a party for 40 people and get fined - well that's just £20 a head which isn't a great amount if you want to party and don't mind breaking the law.