400 days ago
My father and mother were in Oxford in the 1960s at a time when Sergeant Morse arrived in the City and when Oxfam was set up and they were – like Morse – almost, lifelong supporters. They paid over a monthly direct debit even when they could not afford it and would order Christmas presents from the third world via the Oxfam catalogue. But in his final years I finally persuaded Dad that sending his cash to an organisation which covered up for paedophiles in the field was not a good idea. We discussed the bloated salaries of the administrative staff in Oxford and how Oxfam was now opining on areas well outside its original remit of fighting famine. He could not argue and one glorious day I answered a begging call for a Tom Winnifrith from the aggressive sales team at Oxfam, and, with the consent of my father, ( also called Tom) told them to bugger off and to stop the direct debit.
411 days ago
Were it to emerge that women were, as my mother, one great aunt and one of mum’s cousins did, far more likely to kill themselves than men, the BBC’s Women’s Hour would be all over it demanding that action be taken. Were it to emerge that black and Asian people were far more likely to kill themselves than whites, all the usual grifters would be out demanding public enquiries, Government spending and suggesting that this was a legacy of colonialism. David Lammy, Priyamvada Gopal et al would be all over the papers and outr TV screens crying and demanding action. As it happens, the ONS has published data on suicides today.
1135 days ago
My grandfather, Sir John Winnifrith, loved the National Trust and was thrilled to be its Director General helping it to preserve old buildings and countryside. For him, as a socialist, part of the joy was that this would open up an opportunity for the less privileged to access the rich history of Britain. Today I am sure he is again spinning in his grave as the organisation goes further and further down a woke cul-de-sac.
