Today's news - NHS is in a losing battle

Found this guy's summary of the so-called National Health Service - it won't be for much longer (won't be national, won't be about health, and won't be a service).

Very discouraging, and not certain what anyone can do to combat it, short of a revolution...and a meaningful reform of the voting system, which was shot down fairly thoroughly 2 years ago. It would be the only way of evicting the architects of the changes, and possibly pushing back on them.

Hallowe'en in the UK - non starter

I appear to have deleted a msg from larmer, asking about Hallowe'en in England - or did I just imagine it?

Anyway - I think larmer wrote to me, so I think I'll answer. :-)

Hallowe'en, like Thanksgiving, appears to be an 'American' holiday, that the English know about from movies and TV, but only dabble in.

There's no shared common cultural experience of having dressed up to trick or treat as a kid, and thus starting to plan a costume in August, and being dressed up as a baby for your parents' parties, and remembering every costume you ever had from the age of 4, and counting the days when you could actually go out and demand freebies, and carving pumpkins and making an unholy mess of the kitchen table.

British people's reactions range from thinking it's somewhat vulgar ('you just go up to strangers and ask for candy?!') to thinking it's vulgar and 'low' just because it's 'American'.

This from the people who still cheerfully burn Catholics, metaphorically, on 5 November, though largely this is now 'Bonfire night' not 'Guy Fawkes'. There are no charming urchins sitting in corners begging for a 'penny for the Guy' as they did when my father was little, or as you read in the original Paddington Bear stories.

(Lewes in Kent is famous for continuing to hold 'traditional' Guy Fawkes celebrations that involve the whole town. Any genuine interest in making Catholics' lives hell appears to have dissipated in favour of having an excuse to burn stuff and have a midnight parade in funny clothes. Some people just need a hobby, sheesh.)

The only people who appear to celebrate Hallowe'en are largely adults: expat Americans, people who like to dress up for parties anyway, and pubs, clubs and festival organisers who are looking for themes and 'hooks' between summer and Christmas.

The current issue of 'Time Out London' is full of Hallowe'en themed events (slasher movies, visiting museums over night, exotic cabarets) but it's a long way from knowing how to trick or treat personally, or preparing a bowl of candy for neighbourhood kids.

The one event that appealed to me was visiting the Hunterian Collection, which is the museum of the royal college of surgeons, which is playing to its strengths and offering an after-hours talk about the anatomy of a hanging, and a do it yourself 'pickle a body part' lesson. It's on fight practice night, or else I'd go.

The costume ideas are pretty dull too - there appears to be an annual wail about the poor choice of costumes for women ('why are all commercial costumes sexy? because they're designed by MEN, stupid!')...and very little of the wonderful creativity and willingness to try silly things that I remember my mum doing for me, and remember even both my folks doing for Hallowe'en parties.

When I was 9 there was a great party at our old archery club, and I clearly remember a couple coming as tubes of toothpaste in enormous cardboard boxes, with ridged caps. I thought it was awesome.

SO: that's Hallowe'en here. Hope trick or treating is still alive and well in Canadia.