Odds and Ends #39: A stupid election take that annoyed me

Plus 4 big thoughts on the logistics of European train travel

The Prague R2D2

Hello! It’s time for Odds and Ends, your annoyingly irregular round-up of interesting links, shorter takes and other things that I think are interesting. Apologies for the inconsistency on them – I’ve been prioritising the main essays on the newsletter, and once I return from my holiday I’m going to get back into a regular rhythm, and publish these mini newsletters-within-a-newsletter more often.

So though I’m sending this today, this week’s big ‘essay’ post should be landing later this week (a second guest post on a fun topic). And then we’ll be back to normal the week after.

Anyway, one last thing before I get on with my usual schtick, I hope you’ll indulge some family news.

My mum has been awarded a British Empire Medal!

Don’t worry, despite the picture of my Mum it’s good news.

First, something unusually sincere. I’m delighted and slightly amazed to reveal that my mum, Maureen O’Malley, has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of her service to the community in her hometown, Market Harborough in Leicestershire.

I’m obviously incredibly proud of her for this, which is in recognition of her many years working for a local charity that coordinates voluntary services, like support for family carers, and a loneliness scheme for older people. You know, the sort of extras on top of statutory services that every civilised society should be providing for its vulnerable citizens.

Anyway, to give you a sense of my Mum’s backstory, she grew up in a council house, left school at 16, and then over the course of my life, I watched as she worked her way up from literally working as receptionist for the charity, to seemingly every other role in the building. Twelve years ago she became, effectively, the charity’s Chief Executive, and at the end of last year – after just shy of thirty years service – she retired.

So what I’m saying is that the award is incredibly well deserved. And she even did it without, as far as I’m aware, donating a huge sum of money to a political party. So congrats, Mum, even if I am now going to have to quietly revise all of my previous spicy opinions about the merits of the honours system.

And now let’s get on with the rest of the newsletter.

A stupid election take that annoyed me