A little tiredness, a touch of sloth and I’m on the fourteeth day of the challenge with 26 posts done. I was ahead, I’m now behind.
Today was a busy day on eBay and a reasonably busy one in the shop. This is good, because we are there to be busy.
For the second day in a row we sold a lot of 1973 Proof 50p coins.
That’s the one with the ring of hands, which commemorates our membership of the EEC, as the EU was known at the time. This was exciting stuff in 1973, a whole new world of international relations and the first new decimal coin design.
How things change in just a few years.
It’s forty-seven years later, we have so many new designs of coin that it’s both disorientating and embarrassing, and we are leaving the EU. If the figures are to be believed, and I’d rather believe figures than politicians, it has already cost us a lot of money in terms of lost growth and could cost us a lot more.
We might do better as a result of leaving, who can tell? But my forecast is that when they close the lid of my cardboard coffin, people will still be arguing about it.
I know one thing – the quality of debate has not improved. Someone buttonholed Julia on the bus to talk about the importance of taking power back into our own hands and being able, once more, to enjoy bent bananas. Someone brought their grandson into the shop today, and had a very similar meander through their few remaining brain cells. It seems that today is the firsdt day of a new democracy and we are once again free to enjoy the benefits of bright green mushy peas and bent bananas.
What is it with these people and their bent bananas?
All foods are regulated, and have been since well before our membership of the EEC. If they weren’t, we would still be adulterating bread with alum and feeding kids sweets made with poisonous dyes.
So, what did I do on the day life changed forever?
Nothing much, just parcelled up nibe 50p pieces with an EEC design and listened to someone’s grandma talk rubbish.
History passed me by.
For an example of how coin design has deteriorated, look at out new Brexit 50p. A work-experience kid with a fancy font on a computer could have designed that. It’s pathetic.
If someone could donate a £945 50p coin to me, it would be well received 😉
I’ve been trying to imagine how future generations will be taught about British History 2016-2020. And what will appear in museums, if they still exist.
It’s an interesting point. I wonder if it will be seenas a turning point or a storm in a teacup. I was looking at a digital archive for Preston – very impressive, and possibly the way to go.
A lot more could be saved on a digital archive.
🙂
I agree with your point about regulation. When anyone complains to me about ‘health and safety’, I tend to remark that I am very much in favour of not being poisoned by my grocer. When it comes to health and safety, I am for them both.
My sister is very big on Health & Safety and is always happy to point out Health & Safety is not about stopping things but about making people think before they do things. So, health, safety and thinking – all good, I feel. And an excellent point about grocers. 🙂
And butchers. I don’t want to pick on grocers.
Butchers. Bakers. And fishmongers. I’ve always been suspicious of fishmongers.
Well – someone is making money out of Brexit
🙂
I am glad you included a link to the BBC article on the bananas, and other things. 🙂
My sister keeps me up to date on such things – she is a great debunker of Euromyths and can be quite scathing about their flimsy foundations. 🙂