There’s been so much to write about from our time in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand that I wondered whether I should pause this week and scribble about something else. Coincidentally I bumped into Sami outside Gail’s at the bottom of George Street here in central Hove the other afternoon, so we popped in for a small cake and a coffee; walking to The Hope Café would take too long!
Luana, a Brazilian living in Hove, was not on shift; they have a high turnover of staff and I don’t recognise anyone, then the local manager Steve comes down from upstairs. It’s quieter on the first floor so we go up there!
Sami starts the chit-chat.
“Good to get a fresh perspective on life through travelling, isn’t it? I know I certainly do and you know what, people moan about the state of the United Kingdom, but every country has issues, often exactly the same as ours!”.
“You’re right, Sami. Talking to a relative who works in the health care system in Rotorua in New Zealand, about the crisis in the young and their ‘mental health’, she says it’s exactly the same there. Most have been allowed to opt out of working, whereas they should be encouraged to opt in! Whilst I was in New Zealand I read of the very interesting developments here with regard to the use of weight-loss drugs to combat obesity.”
“You thinking of our gallant Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting?”
“Indeed. He wants to make these weight-loss drugs more freely available through the NHS. Personally, I think this is absolutely the wrong approach to tackling the country’s fat-verging-on-obesity crisis. Then I read Emma Duncan’s column in The Times ‘The UK’s Addiction to State benefits can be broken’. Think she’s bang on when she writes: “Although genes play a role, the primary determinants of obesity are what you eat, how much you eat and how much you exercise. Obesity is thus largely a matter of personal choice. Unfortunately, the government is reluctant to conduct a campaign like the one on the dangers of smoking, because it fears that fat people would be offended by the implication that they are responsible for their excess weight.” And you’ve heard my views before. Unless you are force-fed, you alone are responsible for putting food into your mouth!”
“I saw this the other morning in an NHS hospital waiting room; the left hand one stopped me in my tracks! Sign of the times huh!”
“OMG! No way?”
“Ah! Yes! ‘Personal Choice’. Isn’t that the one of the very basic differences between socialism and conservatism? Socialism regards people as the victims of impersonal economic forces. Conservatism sees them as individuals in charge of their own destiny. Labour voters are much likelier to believe that “people’s success in life depends mostly on factors beyond their control”; Conservatives that it is the consequence of “their own merit and efforts”. Then we have this ridiculous nonsense about ‘mental health’. Because political parties need voters’ approval, they are unwilling to tell people uncomfortable truths — such as that feeling anxious and stressed is a normal part of working life! Have you written any letters to The Times recently Richard?”
“Funnily enough …… being married to a Brazilian encourages me to keep up-to-date about their macro issues, like the trial of ex-President Bolsonaro. I read this in The Times on the 12th September: “Bolsonaro will not be jailed immediately. He will remain under house arrest at his apartment within a gated compound in the capital, Brasilia. According to Brazilian law, a full appeal against the conviction is not possible because only one judge disagreed with the unanimous decision.”
“And you immediately thought it wasn’t a unanimous decision if one judge disagreed?”
“Exactly! Sadly, The Times didn’t publish my short letter. Then I realised that when you pronounce ‘unanimous’, it starts with a ‘you’ sound, whereas for instance ‘unambiguous’ starts with a ‘un’ sound. This is the English language, in all its complexity of pronunciation; then I thought of usual (you!) or unusual (un). Fascinating!”
“Whatever floats your boat!”
“Incidentally, Sami, do you have a will, outlining what should happen to your assets when you die?”
“Oh! Yes. Doesn’t take long and it makes sense, helping your executor sort out your estate. Why do you ask?”
“Families become complicated sometimes. We know of someone who settled in another country and told their father they didn’t want any share in his estate. For whatever reason, he either didn’t believe them, wanted to show his generosity, however misplaced, or didn’t make a will. Now they are continually being drawn back to sort out some legal tangle. There’s a lesson here; a will makes matters easier for those you leave behind.”
“Richard, have been meaning to ask you; when did you I start adding the geographic location of where your postcards are sent from, which, if it’s one about travel, maybe completely different?”
“I guess trying to be accurate! In years gone by I remember buying postcards abroad and, if the shop didn’t have sell stamps, forget to buy them somewhere else. I would find them in my suitcase when I got home and post them using a British stamp. Then I wondered what the recipient would have preferred, the photograph showing some exotic location, the foreign stamp or the simple message ‘thinking of you/wish you were here’.
“You still obsessed with your hot yoga?”
“Actually, I am and it’s one obsession I am happy to be controlled by. Great for staying reasonably fit, good for its mental challenge and I need a regular routine. On Friday it’s something of a milestone; it’ll be my 4000th session. I started in March 2009 so have averaged 250 per year for 16 years! Never too late, never too old to start; you thinking of joining Celina and me, Sami?”
“Er! Got to go, Richard. Good to see you and we’ll get together in The Hope Café shortly.”
And off he went, down the stairs, muttering to himself …. ‘If he thinks I’m going to ……’ then he was out of earshot!
Richard 17th October 2025
Hove
http://www.postcardscribbles.co.uk
PS I have an Excel spreadsheet that tracks my sessions …..
| 2009 | 65 | 2016 | 316 | 2023 | 174 | |||
| 2010 | 222 | 2017 | 180 | 2024 | 144 | |||
| 2011 | 339 | 2018 | 313 | 2025 | 124 | |||
| 2012 | 343 | 2019 | 287 | |||||
| 2013 | 249 | 2020 | 288 | |||||
| 2014 | 270 | 2021 | 218 | |||||
| 2015 | 279 | 2022 | 189 |
postcards 