So,I don’t think I could be in a better place in the world right now than London:home of theChristmas cheese,where every second song on the radio is either Shakin’ Stevens or Slade. At times,it’s like you’re on the set ofBridget Jones’s Diary orLove Actually (please,let’s not fight about it again),which for a hopelessly sad sod like me,is wonderful.
After yet another deflatingFIFA World Cup defeat for England over the weekend,spirits soared when snow began to fall. For a few hours young lovers,families and those unfamiliar with a pre-Christmas dusting,built snowmen,flooding their social media,caught up in the moment.
With all the Christmas trees and lights around London,it was postcard perfect. Reality hit the next day,however,with frozen tracks causing public transport chaos,along with the hazards of icy roads and slippery footpaths.
It seems like an eternity since we were last able to be swept away by Christmas celebrations. In Australia in 2019,it was bushfires and then two COVID-plagued summers. In Britain,the past two Christmases have also been overshadowed by the coronavirus.
But,unlike Australia,Britain and Europe don’t tend to wind down for weeks over the New Year,and the news doesn’t stop. After the past nine or so months,this is rather lamentable for a foreign correspondent!
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been busy this week sorting out themigrant disaster unfolding across the Channel. Four people lost their lives on Wednesday while trying tomake the journey in the freezing cold,and Sunak is set to get tough on those attempting to come to Britain without a visa,much like Australia did a decade ago.