Being relatively organised I have a string of ‘titles’ that might become postcards and today’s started off in draft last Saturday, after the final of MasterChef and after our meeting up with Richard, Debbie and Isla. It clearly was the right title this week as the person in the Sunday Times Magazine’s ‘A Life in the Day’ column was someone called Vick Hope!

The latest series of the televised cooking competition ‘MasterChef’ has just finished. Over the last eight weeks Celina and I have watched 45 ordinary people, who individually dream of running their own restaurant or writing a cook book or both, fight to reach the final three. We had wanted Robin to stay but his soufflé failed to rise, prayed Gloria could finish within the time deadline and been disappointed when Caitlin’s ‘modern take on Fish ‘n’ Chips’ didn’t wow the judges. Inevitably one develops favourites, then they bring the hurdle crashing down and are out of the race and you look for another on whom to put your money. The MasterChef logo is a brilliant take on an electric hob!

In the end this year’s three finalists reflect the diverse nature of those living here in the United Kingdom: Chariya Khattiyot, a master coffee roaster (40) originally from northern Thailand, Anurag Aggarwal, an accountant (41) originally from India and Omar Foster, a Toy Developer (31) from Barnsley.

Anurag had obeyed his somewhat traditional Indian parents as a youngster living in Gurgaon, India and trained to be an accountant. But subsequently he moved to the UK to be able to indulge his passion for cooking. His numerical training was evident in his hugely detailed spread-sheets which he laid out on his workbench before the relevant challenge, coloured coded and actions timed to the minute. Omar was an inventive cook and his dishes challenged and amazed the two judges in equal measure. But while it was Chariya who lifted the 2023 trophy it is the neat, precise, humble Anurag whose hope for his future is echoed in his final comments that I remember:

“It’s as if my wings were hidden somewhere and I have found them on MasterChef. I just want to fly free!”

I started this postcard mentioning a Vick Hope; my regular readers may recall another ‘A Life in the Day’ individual, Ayesha Vardag and her words of wisdom in PC 325. Another gem came from Kaleb Cooper, the Farm Manager and unlikely star of Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat. (Note 1) In the column after Ayesha Vardag’s, his advice: “To anyone thinking of farming (or any other option, journalism, finance, nursing, acting, being a chef for instance) as a career, dreams don’t work, unless you do.” Very aptly put!

“Dreams don’t work, unless you do!”

On Tuesday I popped into The Hope Café as I wanted Sami’s opinion on the latest revelations from our Post Office. It’s now over 700 days since PC 235 “Generosity in Government” (June 2021) when I expressed the hope that the government would be generous to our sub-postmasters in the wake of the Horizon IT scandal. Some hope! Here we are two years later: some of those wrongly convicted have died without receiving a penny in compensation and now a Freedom of Information request has revealed a code that applied to the compensation cases.

“You know Richard, it’s as if they (The Post Office) thought that the non-white sub-postmasters and mistresses, and I included myself in this group as my parents were Anglo-Indian, wouldn’t kick up a fuss as they had no one fighting their corner. Now we understand that they opened a file on each ‘suspect’ and coded their ethnicity. I assume so their race would affect the way the post office dealt with their claim.”

“Give me an example Sami?”

“A number on their file referred to a list. Claimants were classified, for example, as ‘negroid types’ (West Indian, Nigerian, African etc), ‘Arabian/Egyptian types’, ‘Chinese/Japanese types, ‘dark skinned European types etc etc.”

“That’s absolutely shocking and if I understand correctly these codes were in use in 2008 and onwards. I am ashamed to think that this still happens; it’s not the 1950s for God’s sake!”

“And do you know that only 85 of the 700 wrongly prosecuted postmasters have had their convictions overturned?”

“Let’s hope those responsible within the Post Office are brought to account. Sami, just seen Mo so need to catch up with her. Lisa OK?

“Yes! Back down here next week and planning a trip to Berlin.”

I walk over to where Mo has a Brazilian Brigadeiro and a coffee in front of her. We exchange the normal pleasantries and then she tells me a story from her mother:

“She had been invited to have an ‘Over 75’s Covid Spring Booster’ and overheard a conversation between a nurse at the Portslade Health Centre and a chap in the queue for his vaccination.

“Are you in the right place? This is for the Over 75s.”

“That’s OK then.”

“Can I ask how old you are?”

 “76”

“Well, you don’t look it! Congratulations!”

          Then she watched as this young-looking 76 year old went into the cubicle and heard the nurse there, after explaining about allergic reactions and stuff, ask the same question!!”

“Well, there are those who look their age, some who don’t; some stay mentally young and have an attitude which says ‘I am only 76 ….”

There is always hope I guess!!

And last Friday we encountered a real example of hope over adversity. A chum from my time in London had come down to visit Brighton & Hove, bringing his wife Debbie and 5 year old Isla – oh! and the dog Millie! Isla has Grade 5 Spina Bifida. We caught up at The Lawns Café …… and walked home discussing how life sometimes deals a tough hand, but the love these three individually exhibit is a wonderful example of HOPE!

Richard 9^th June 2023

Hove

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Note 1 Clarkson named his farm in Chipping Norton ‘Diddly Squat’, reflecting his belief you never make any money farming!