Long May Purdah Continue.

Britain is holding a General Election on December 12th (12/12/19).

Once a General Election campaign has begun the British state enters a legal period known as; "Purdah." A Persian and Urdu word meaning; "Veil" or; "Seclusion."

Essentially it means that no public body can engage in any activity that might influence the outcome of the election.

Candidates and Parties can promise all the things they're going to do if elected. However the state itself can do almost nothing at all.

I took advantage of this Purdah period to visit my mothers. Who live in Salisbury, UK.

One of my mothers wanted to visited me in the week leading up to the October 31st (31/10/19) Brexit deadline. A request which recieved a firm no.

Honestly about 90% of the time I spend visiting my mothers is dominated by animals of various shapes and sizes. Despite this those trips seem to attract a lot of international interest. Forcing me to account for them.

This most recent visit began on Tuesday (12/11/19). My mother's had to wait in for an engineer to service their boiler so I didn't arrive until late afternoon. One mother met me at the station while the other was doing something in town.

We met up at a coffee shop in town and obviously had coffee. Before returning to their home. From there is was just a matter of unpacking, having dinner and going to bed.

We did watch the first episode of the BBC/HBO adaptation of; "His Dark Materials." And struggled to imagine a world where you have a small animal following you around at all times. As if even a moment of separation would cause the animal immense pain.

On Wednesday (13/11/19) I went out to by new shoes. I prefer what are known as trail shoes. These are sort of midway between training shoes and hiking boots.

They're the sort of thing that can be quite difficult to find in London. But with its focus on outdoor pursuits Salisbury has like a dozen shops dedicated to exactly that sort of thing. All within walking distance of each other.

After visiting those dozen or so shops I ended up buying a pair exactly the same as the ones I was wearing at the time. Merrell Intercepts in black. Although these ones are about 75mm taller. On account of the tread still being intact.

I also picked up a pair of Karrimor hiking boots at a ridiculous discount. These are something I've always sort of needed when I'm down there. On account of all the walking my mothers and their dog do.

I've just not been able to justify spending upwards of 120 quid on something I'll only use three or four times a year. At 75% off suddenly I could justify it.

After another stop at the coffee shop all three of us returned home. Then one of my mothers and I took the dog for a long walk around Old Serum. Where the boots instantly proved themselves to be a good investment.

Late in the evening all three of us went out for dinner at an Indian restaurant close to the station.

This was the first time I'd visited a restaurant in Salisbury since December 2017. On that occasion one of my mothers and I went to a restaurant called Zizzis. Central to the infamous Skripal, Novichok poisoning.

As I think the entire World discovered in March 2018 Zizzis is located on the edge of the town centre. Right by that little bridge which leads to the main car park.

We were in town at around lunchtime and trying to decide where to eat in the evening. So we stuck our heads in the door of Zizzis and asked if we would need to book a table for around seven. The manager told us there was no need and actually refused to take the booking because we could just turn up.

When we just turned up at around seven the same manager told us there was no room and we should have booked.

I was perfectly happy to go to Pizza Express across the town square which is pretty much the same thing. My mother though dug in and amid much attitude eventually we did get a table. The wobbly one by the toilets.

So I have always been tempted to dispel the rumour that I ordered a Chemical Weapons attack as punishment for poor restaurant service. Even if that can sometimes be a useful rumour to leave hanging in the air.

Not that poor service was even remotely an issue in that Indian restaurant. Late evening on a wet Wednesday in November you've pretty much got yourself a private restaurant. As we left the only other customer was a woman who was dining alone.

I pretty much spent Thursday (14/11/19) morning playing with the dog in the garden. Well, the dog played in the garden. I sat there putting waterproofing wax on my new boots. The mere fact I was present though gave the dog permission to hurtle around like a maniac.

In retirement my lawyer mother has started to volunteer at a residential course for international students studying English as a second language. This is being hosted at the local college/polytechnic which is in the process of promoting itself to a University.

It was perhaps appropriate then all three of us decided to meet for lunch at a bar/cafe on the former site of Salisbury's Literary and Scientific Institute. In keeping with the buildings past this is decorated with lots of wall art showing early scientific discoveries and portraits of former fellows of the institute.

A lot of this wall art is adorned with Star of Davids symbols. Prompting lots of small talk over whether it's Jewish or Masonic in origin. Closer inspection revealed one with Illuminati iconography.

That is to say the actual 18th Century Illuminati. Dedicated to spreading enlightenment in the fields of science, art and literature. Not the Internet conspiracy theory.

The lunch was actually revealing of what Salisbury is actually like.

Talking to the assistant manager who served us it turned out he was a Sandhurst graduate and former British Army officer. He was working there to gain experience there before opening his own restaurant in Weymouth with his girlfriend and small child.

Unlike London Salisbury is one of those places where people will just tell you their life story, pretty much unprompted. It's also the sort of place where you can't swing your arms without hitting someone who is either serving military or ex-military.

My mothers actually live close to a local primary school. There is something adorable about watching big men in combat fatigues picking up tiny children dressed as fairies.

Unfortunately my mother's session at the college had been interrupted by the fire alarm repeatedly going off for no real reason. Constantly forcing them out of the warm and into the cold. I'd spent the morning sitting outside with the dog.

So none of us were particularly conversational with this assistant manager. The honest answer to when he asked what were our plans for the rest of the day would have been to go home and lie down. The cold had given us all splitting headaches.

Late in the afternoon my sister came over from Surrey. So one of my mothers and I met her for coffee by the station before she came back to the house.

The only real thing of note about that is she has a friend who owns a horse. That horse has suffered an abscess on their hoof. While the bandages were being changed the horse stamped on its owners foot, breaking it.

So my sister has been rushing around caring for both the horse and its owner. Apparently they did insist on a cast the same colour as the veterinary wrap. So horse and owner match in their injured feet.

After dinner I watched the football on my own. Then when to bed.

Friday (15/11/19) morning was really spent packing and messing about with the dog. Before catching a train at lunchtime to return home by mid-afternoon.

When I travel like this there is a bit of a security issue. Although I don't think it's something specific to me.

If you put on social media where you live. Then put on social media when you'll be away from home. There's a fair chance your house is going to get robbed. Particularly for celebrities Instagram does seem to be a to-do list for burglars.

The last time I travelled to visit my mothers was in early August. The main purpose was to visit the Hampshire Agricultural and Country Show.

On that occasion my plans were telegraphed by the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, US. On July 27th (27/7/19). In terms of their physical layout and general atmosphere the Garlic Festival and Hamsphire show seem very similar.

Immediately upon my return there was the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas on August 3rd (3/8/19). That was followed a day later by another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio on August 4th (4/8/19). The month was rounded off with the mass shooting in Odessa, Texas on August 31st (31/8/19).

So it should probably come as little surprise that this trip was interrupted by another mass shooting. This time at the Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, US. On November 14th 2019 (14/11/19).

For security reasons I try not to have a pattern for these little trips. However it tends to be the case that I only stay for two nights. On this occasion I stayed for three nights.

"Saugus" is a Native American (Algonquin) word meaning; "Great" or; "Extended." Probably the most famous Saugus is a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. An area of New England I seem particularly linked to. Not least because of a dog with a very Irish first and last name.

It's the same link which allows me to know the Saint Clare of Assisi, from which Santa Clarita takes its name, is famous for the Order of Poor Ladies. Like Franciscan Monks they're famous for their poverty. Often walking about barefoot or in worn out shoes.

The BBC is currently airing the German-Italian miniseries; "The Name of the Rose." Which deals extensively with disputes between the Franciscans and the wider Catholic Church during the 14th Century. Although it doesn't feature anywhere near enough books for one of my mothers.

The November 14th (14/11/19) shooting put pressure on me to react while flagging up that I was an extended trip away. Giving any potential threats another night of opportunity. Although it's unlikely that any of the threats I'm concerned about would be able to translate from Algonquin.

This hostility seems to stem from Saugus High School's role in the; "March For Our Lives" protests. Which followed the the February 14th 2018 (14/2/18) mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, US.

That shooting and the protests that followed served to distract Americans from the 2018 Winter Olympics being held in that other Parkland, the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The main theme of those Olympics was the topic of fake news.

The Olympic Cauldron itself was designed to resemble the Tripod Aliens from H.G Wells' "War of the Worlds." The 1938 radio production of War of the Worlds was considered the greatest media hoax perpetrated against the American people.

Or at least it was. Until the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Curiously this was not the first time Native American languages had been in the news that week. On November 13th (13/11/19) NASA renamed a dwarf planet in the Keppler Belt; "Arrokoth." It's previous name; "Ultima Thule" was too closely linked to Nazis.

Incidentally the BBC has started airing a new adaptation of War of the Worlds. It's been criticised for its efforts to be more "Woke" and "Progressive."

H.G Wells famously despised women.

He also believed the disabled and the inferior races should be exterminated. Through a eugenics program of euthanasia and abortion.

His ultimate dream was that all national borders be abolished and the World be run by a single Socialist regime.

I'm not sure how you can make the master of Fake News more Woke and Progressive.


18:00 on 18/11/19 (UK date).