We always get it wrong. The current millennium started on 1 January 2001 and not twelve months earlier. You have to complete a hundred years to get to the age of a hundred before you embark on your next century [ perish the thought ] so the decade following the 'tweenies', or whatever you want to call it, begins in just under a year's time on 1 January 2021. I know and I am sorry but we can't embark on the twenties until 2020 is behind us -- how odd, I hear you say. And, in parentheses, are we to call this year 'two thousand and twenty' or 'twenty twenty'? Precedent dictates the latter, even if this causes confusion with a modern version of instant cricket.
And please, I hear you say, let's not spend our lives casting backward glances but going forward [ the most overworked phrase in contemporary English ], look positively to the front .... and beyond. So, acknowledging, as we glide, march, stumble or thrust ourselves into 2020, that we are doing a pretty silly thing at the wrong time, as a dedicated follower of fashion, I feel constrained to proceed. We all know that the world is on fire; society crumbles around us; violence abounds; mental illness is everywhere; even if you are not a committed Daily Mail reader, doom and gloom lurk on every street and in every tweet. Armageddon surely cannot be long delayed. So in all humility [ a term used frequently by those who do not know its meaning ], with great respect [ usually implying a complete absence of that quality ] and so that we can escape that Dylan Thomas feeling that we are all going gentle into that good night, I offer you ten reasons for hope at the beginning of this year.
1 The enduring Olympic spirit. I wonder if you remember the glorious London games, not the heart warming, titanic individual performances but the context and environment of it all and the consequences for us, the mob. Do you remember the vibrant national spirit of unity and community generated by the torch relay as it journeyed all round the country, carried proudly by the great, the good and Uncle Tom Cobley? I stood for three hours at the roundabout at St Clement's in Oxford where there was a wonderfully warm and friendly atmosphere of anticipation. The same spirit was engendered by the national legion of volunteers, on duty at every turn once the Games began, their helpful pride wafting gently on every breeze, enjoying their partnership with the calm efficiency of military personnel seemingly on a day out -- what a marvellous example it was to those we welcomed as visitors. And when it was over, there was never really a chance that we would all morph into fitness freaks but, looking back now, it is clear that the Games marked a huge leap forward for women's sports and the esteem in which they are held. Then, with a new, enhanced status given to the Para-Olympics, we started to regard those with challenges and disabilities in a different way; which in turn meant much the same way as anyone else, with less staring or looking in the other direction and more as a normal acceptance of fellow human beings. Eight years on, as we note that neighbourliness is alive and well, as more people watch women's sport than ever before and as we enjoy The Last Leg on the television, I do not see these leaps of social advance losing their impact or their influence.
2 The Big Issue. Not being a celebrity, I shall never be asked whom I would like to invite to an imaginary dinner party. However, in my own world of make believe, I would choose to have supper with just one person -- John Bird or Lord Bird of Notting Hill, to give him his full title. Progressing from a personal background of poverty and prison, he founded and continues to be the inspiration behind, the Big Issue, now an international journal and a global concept. His achievement has been monumental.Thousands of homeless people have been rescued from perdition and given both a new start in life and a livelihood. More broadly, countless homeless and vulnerable people have taken strength and been given hope and self-worth by John Bird's activities. Meanwhile the rest of us, more fortunate and comfortable individuals, have received real insight into the parlous plight of the homeless and been nudged into feeling at least a hint of responsibility to develop a little altruism, which was seen to be retreating in the 1980s and afterwards. And do please buy [ giving possibly an extra £ or two ] the magazine and read it too; the Big Issue is not a dry journal simply bemoaning the fate of those struggling. It is a lively, interesting, well written magazine with stimulating articles on politics, social trends and the arts, all expressed without bias apart from a determination to support the homeless. What Lord Bird has achieved is easily in the ranks of the remarkable; let us keep it going and build on it.
3 Public Service. I wanted to say ' public servants ' here but that sounds rather patronising although those of the ' Civil ' variety [ about to be much shaken up by Mr Cummings ] are happy to be described in that way. It is the ethos that counts. In addition to personal charity, we care for each other and all others through a welfare state, the question being whether what we contribute to the ' common wealth ' and what is distributed to those in need is about right. There is certainly an argument, to which I broadly subscribe, that as life expectancy lengthens, as life becomes increasingly complex and the best solutions are often individual ones, as terror replaces war in interrupting peace, we should be asked to pay a little more according to our means. It would be a brave Conservative government to acknowledge this. Meanwhile the hope comes in the shape of the cheerful [ usually ] commitment we see every day in those who work for the community -- those in education and health of course; the armed services but the emergency services too; those who collect our refuse and those who clean our public lavatories. Of course a monopoly of goodness has not been bestowed upon them but we see their ' can do ' attitude all the time; we rely on them and their qualities help to make our own little worlds go round.
4 Our concern for animals. I remember clearly that horrible bombing in Hyde Park in 1982 when seven horses were killed in addition to eleven soldiers. While the latter rightly earned the support of the public, it was concern for the horses, dead and injured, that impinged most deeply and endured most bitterly. This degree of concern for animals does not waver; We are a nation of pet owners; cruelty to animals still makes the headlines; animal charities prosper through our donations. I have recently become acquainted with quite a few most excellent dogs but I am not ready quite yet to redraft the pecking order in the human / animal kingdoms. We live side by side; the animal kingdom is a part -- and an important part -- of our society and as we care enough to look after those animals which need looking after [ and all children should have the opportunity so to do ] we will more easily feel responsibility for each other. Treating animals well is a sign of a civilised society.
5 The Archers. Now broadcasting for about seventy years, the Archers continues to be gloriously improbable and simultaneously as predictable as ever. I have listened on and off for about sixty of those years; that is I can remember Ambridge before Kenton and Schula were even born. From the infuriating signature tune, it is so reassuringly pedestrian with that unlikely cheek by jowel relationship of two distinct social groups, each with its studiously trained dialect and well practised team diction: the working class labourers of the soil and their peculiar cross of Somerset, Yorkshire and Stratford, East London; usually getting the better of the clean finger nailed middle class with their drawling combination of Islington, Happy Valley Kenya and Stratford upon Avon. It all used to happen under the umbrella of ' An everyday story of country folk '. Now, for worse or for better, it glories under the workaday title ' Contemporary drama in a rural setting ' [ East Enders go to Bodmin Moor ] but this of course was necessary to cater for a little more violence and a lot more sex. However, one thing is certain; if you want to live a long life, join the Archers cast. The recent exception was Nigel Pargetter whom I met -- or was it the actor who played him whom I met? It is so confusing -- shortly after he had fallen off his roof and unsurprisingly perished. As he had been given only a fortnight's warning of his impending demise after a lifetime on the show, he was not a happy bunny. On the other hand Joe Grundy died recently at 96; Jill is considering marriage [ again ] at 87 and the doyenne of all soaps, June Spencer, who continues to play Peggy with aplomb after seventy years, has passed her hundredth birthday in real life. So she really is into her second century, reminding us of a well known quotation, particularly applicable to the Archers in 2020' Hold fast that which is good '.
6 The internet for young and old. Some of humankind's notable inventions receive instant acclaim for the benefits they will bring, a sentiment often challenged thereafter and sometimes overtaken by negative features and facets as these become apparent. As it was with nuclear fusion and fission, so it is with technological communication. We now hear much of trolling, cyber bullying, confidentiality split asunder, medical records and bank details tossed around with happy abandon, the art of conversation as deceased as Michael Palin's parrot. Stop! With boundless knowledge instantly available, most of us are far better informed than our predecessors; the nervously disposed have the confidence to step into the unknown with the security of access to assistance. Most pronounced are the advantages to those embarking on life and those preparing to depart from it. For many a small child, learning those essential skills of basic communication, reading and writing, through conventional methods has been painful, protracted and, for some with learning difficulties, almost impossible. The great technological advances of the past thirty years have changed all that. Suddenly acquiring these skills has become interesting, engaging and effective. At the other end of the scale, for those of us shuffling towards the exit lounge, a new friend has become active in the room, helping us to teach ourselves many new tricks. We can learn what great uncle Jacob really got up to and spend endless hours self-diagnosing whether that lump on our foot is a tumour or a bunion. And then we can find out what our ancestors were doing when Pilgrim's Progress was being written. What a great gift the internet is; I'll take it rather than manna in the wilderness any day.
There was an old man with a pain,
Who googled his ailment in vain.
The doctor said ' Chill,
You're not really ill;
Why don't you watch darts or John Wayne '.
7 The centre can -- and does -- hold. All over the world -- or certainly all over the western world -- we see a rude and crude populist stampede from the political middle ground to the extremes. Terms including 'liberal', 'centre' and ' parliamentary democracy' have in some circles and countries effectively been rejected but the British, following the example of our forefathers and foremothers, possess tough qualities of moderation, common sense, resilience and a reluctance to be fad led. Thus on the right, intolerant [ if disarmingly entertaining ] Farage completely fails twice in successive General Elections with UKIP and the Brexit Party. Meanwhile Labour meanders pointlessly to the extreme left, morphing into a collectivist coterie of anti-Semitic ditherers; this happy few fails to attract many votes. The Liberal Party and the Greens increase their vote in the General Election and prosper notably in local polls. We seem to be quietly consistent in rejecting those encamped on the intolerant boundary and we support the moderates instead. This is not a wishy-washy option. We are not short of spunk but we are blessed with a hefty dose of phlegm also; this has continued to prove an enduring combination. Hooray and double hooray; long may it continue.
8 The rich, if confusing, tapestry of human types. Years ago there were men and women and they tended to be, in terms of choice of partner, heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Recently to the first category were added the trans people, perhaps challenging for us of the silver generation to understand; but no matter; they have as perfect a right as any of us to be here and doubtless they will enhance, or otherwise, the society in which they find themselves. No sooner had we appreciated the presence of trans people than pans people appeared and they don't seem to be a latter day incarnation of those who bopped around legily [ new word ] on Top of the Pops in 1968. Our local MP, Leyla Moran, tells us she is pansexual and she is one of the very best so we can reflect how refreshing it is that our community, despite inevitable exceptions and obvious hiccups, is tolerant, supportive and appreciates that we are all different. And if you find that difficult, get over it, get on with it and mind your own business. We should continue to travel along the road to where ' All are welcome in this place '. It is something to be proud of and something to be cherished.
9 The Performing Arts for all. In an ideal world all children and young people should have the opportunity to [ and perhaps be obliged to take part in ] play sport, experience adventure education and to become involved in the performing arts. Sadly there is all too little standard provision but many sports flourish at local club level and adventure education, such a reliable vehicle on the road to confidence building and self-fulfilment, is on the increase even if the journey will be long. Similarly the performing arts pop up brilliantly but they need all the resources and support that can be mustered. You don't have to be a Nicola Benedetti or a Gareth Malone to make a difference although the former's Foundation Orchestra and the latter's makeshift choirs can inspire us all. Drama groups such as Creation Theatre here in Oxford provide stimulus and reward for so many who are starting out behind the rest of the pack. All of this has been a significant development in the past twenty years and, even if we who might be able to afford it, have to pay a little more, this is a society changer and we should celebrate it as we develop it.
10 The younger generation. My grandfather's generation saw us through the First World War, my father's through the Second. Our crowd have made a huge mess of some things but we have kept peace and relative prosperity going in Europe for a longer period of time than any other in the past thousand years. Wherever I look I see people able and ready to do better still in a very different age. It is natural that I should look at those in their 30s, my own children of course, but their countless friends and contacts too. If they are what it's all about for the next thirty years, I believe that our society and our country, whatever that may be, are in rather good hands -- enterprising, honest, generous, keen on action rather than waffle and possessing a determination to see things done properly. All will be well ......... and beyond that? I really know only two individuals in the under 10 bracket but if energy, independence, a sense of fun and an ability to persuade are what society needs, then I think every day will be the first day of spring and you'll be OK until 2080 or so.
So be cheerful, stay hopeful and do have an exceptionally healthy and happy New Year.
7th January 2020
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