December 16th 2022.
As a break from the deluge of incompetence coming from the Conservative Government, I have been watching the blanket coverage of the soccer World Cup and then had a visit to Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market.
I saw the Senegalese supporters in the Crowd at one game.
I then saw the picture of the UK Morris dancers who no longer put on a black face due to outrage among the intelligentsia. Nowhere have I seen any comments regarding the white faces of the Senegalese supporters. Hmm.
Anyway, ignoring all the politics, strikes and soaring cost of living I had a day out at the Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market, which was surprisingly good. There was a distinctive lack of tackiness, the stalls were selling quality products and there was an amazing availability of local produce – gin, cider, beer, salami, cheese etc all produced in Devon and Cornwall.
There were about 25 stalls supplying street food with a tremendous variety from Bratwurst to Thai food and South American food to local to Pasties.
Prices were not cheap, but not unduly expensive, pitched about right for a day out. The whole market was impressive, being professionally organised with a good range of products and reasonable prices.
What was surprising (and I haven’t seen this for a while) was the good humour and cheerfulness of the crowd. People were bumping into each other and apologising, the crowd cheerfully made way for wheelchair users and strangers were chatting away to each other. It was really uplifting after two years of misery to see something that was enjoyable, full of happy people.
As a break from the crowd, I went inside the cathedral for a look around. The Cathedral officials have suspended admission charges for the duration of the market, so I took advantage of this. The Cathedral dates back to Norman times having been founded in 1133. Very little of this original building remains with only the transept towers showing signs of the early building. The Cathedral was completed about 1400. I was very impressed by the grandeur and scale of the building (and it was a welcome relief from the cold outside!).
All in all, it was a wonderful break from the enduring misery that is the UK today and I make no apologies for sharing it. It was good to see people making an effort to be normal and enjoying themselves.
As it is the festive season we have had our local Chamber of Commerce dressing up in Victorian clothes and having a Dickensian evening