Tuesday 28 June 2016

Post Brexit – we head for Tatsfield Village.

I didn't get out on Saturday due to personal commitments, and while Phil had initially been up for a ride, he went down with some kind of flash sore throat. But having met him during the week I told him I wouldn't be going until Sunday – so we never saw him.

Andy and I met at the green as usual and decided to head for Tatsfield Village, probably because Tatsfield Bus Stop is still in a state of disrepair since a car decided to plough into it a few weeks ago.
Andy was out on Saturday too...

The weather was good, which is amazing when you think of all the rain we've had in June, some say the wettest June 'since records began'. For me the weather is reminiscent of 2012 and, looking ahead, the phrase is 'sunshine and showers'. So far we've avoided a major soaking.

It was our first 'post-Brexit' ride and we both tried to avoid the subject, although once we'd brought out the tea and biscuits, we got started. I'd written a rather angry and incendiary piece for the blog in which bad language featured strongly. I was firmly in the 'remain' camp and while Andy admitted that he did waver, he voted out. Despite being on opposite sides, we did have plenty of common ground and after listening to some of Andy's views I did go back and revise my article. In fact, it's been revised numerous times since it was first posted last week.

I'm quite depressed about the result of the referendum, but I suppose at some stage I'll have to knuckle down and forget it. My last few words on the subject would be that I don't think it's going to be good for the UK and it doesn't make me feel 'proud to be British'. Phil, incidentally, feels the same way.

Now, of course, we're all 'Little Englanders'. I must remember to organise a subscription for the Daily Mail and, of course, consider membership of the British National Party. After all, we don't want any of those foreigners coming over here and nicking all our jobs, do we? I'll also have to remember to harp on about how England was a better place in the 1950s.

Article 50 has yet to be triggered, so officially we're still in the EU and are likely to remain in for the next two years while the next nob cheese of the Tory party sets about negotiating a better deal for England. He or she, of course, will be mindful of the phrase, "Let's Make Great Britain Great Again", which, in my mind is impossible. One clear example of how Great Britain isn't great, of course, is the football. The England team is so shit it can't even beat a bunch of Icelandic people who only have one decent player, apparently. We're now out of Euro 2016 as well as the European Union. Well, however rubbish the Icelandic team is supposed to be, it isn't as rubbish as England. Roy Hodgson has resigned.
Let's make Great Britain great again! Photo credit: The Sun.
But there are similarities between England and Iceland. Let's not forget that we both have corrupt prime ministers who have resigned after being rumbled by the public.

What else is there to say? Oh yes, the leadership election for a new arse face to run the Tory party. Eight contenders and, with the the exception of Teresa May, they're all Jeremy Hunts. In fact, Hunt has thrown his hat into the ring.

There's a lot of bad feeling in the country at the moment and that might even trigger a 'flash' general election. The problem, of course, is that the Labour Party is in a state of disarray and Jeremy Corbyn is standing fast rather than doing the right thing and standing down. I say get Alan Johnson or Hilary Benn in place – or both of them as leader and deputy leader respectively – and then boot the Tories out. They've got to go.

I console myself with the fact that all the extreme right wingers who voted for Brexit (none of them would have voted the other way) will be sorely disappointed to discover that nobody with a tanned skin or a foreign accent will be queuing for a train, ship or plane out of the country. In fact, there's a strong chance that more will be coming in rather than going out, certainly over the next two years. This, of course, will trigger racist attacks (there's already been a few) and that in turn will make the populous realise that those who voted to leave the EU are grouped in with a load of shaven-headed, fat, tattooed, football shirt-wearing nutters. Stupid, uneducated people and OAPs – they voted Brexit. It's a dire situation.

But Brexit aside, there's still cycling. I'm looking forward to the weekend and possibly a ride to Westerham – or even two rides to Westerham.