My favourite non-fiction book is ...

... Jeremy Bowen's, 'The Making of the Modern Middle East', pub 2022.

Reading this illuminating and timely book, I can only think that the Mighty Oil Rich Middle East was made in our image over more than 100 years of exploitation and domination and, oh so well meaning, intervention.  Actually, all those lagoons of oil were far too valuable for those native Arabs to have any control of!  We needed them for our wars, anyway.

TODAY'S NEWS

Jimmy Lai - businessman and pro democracy activist - sentenced today in Hong Kong. 

"Politically motivated prosecution", is how we see it.  Found guilty of national security offences - guilty of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.  Sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Would Jimmy have been so pro liberal democracies and on the side of the White, West is Best, if we had never invaded China to start the Opium Wars?

Our great victories meant we owned and ruled a tiny piece of China for 100 years.  Is that really right?

Or, was it a terrible mistake to give Hong Kong back to China?  But it was the only lawful thing to do.

Was it a terrible mistake to give Gaza to the Palestinians in 2005?  It could have been the Two State Solution?  Pack all the Palestinians from Judea and Samaria into Gaza and our Israeli allies would be on their way to Likud's Charter ambition to have "the land from the River to the Sea" as the sole Jewish State?

Would there have been the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre if we had behaved even decently and honourably and not made war on China?

"The Chinese authorities want everyone to forget that they killed hundreds, if not thousands, of unarmed peaceful pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989."  (Amnesty website)

Why, perhaps, soon the biggest embassy in London?

Did China join in the Scramble for Africa like the  European colonialists?

Why is China criticised by the West for helping out in Africa?

Or is it only out of self-serving, self-interest that we, the upright, noble, Civilised Nations would do such a thing.  And, in addition, sail our £3.5 bn, state of the art aircraft carrier, provocatively parallel to the coast of China?  To teach China a lesson?  Who is boss?  Not them!

My Christmas 2025 letter

TO MY MP and Dudley councillors

I note that my fellow citizens, Christians, other faiths and all of society as a whole, fully support our boycott, divestment  and sanctions (BDS) against Russia in our proxy war.  Ukraine has been attacked since their Revolution of Dignity in February 2014 when they overthrew their properly and fairly elected pro Russian President for refusing to continue the process of closer ties with Europe and looser ties with Russia.

BDS against Russia but not against our close friend and ally, Israel for its horrific, indiscriminate and disproportionate slaughter of non-combatants who are Muslim Palestinians (some Christian believers) who knew nothing about the 7.10.23 atrocity by the very small minority of their over 2 million population, viz Hamas fighters.

Now, in this week's Radio 4 edition of 'Crossing Continents', I’ve heard that increasing numbers of Israeli Jews are becoming more vocal and active in targeting Israeli Palestinians who have shown, in word and deed, solidarity with their fellow Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.

Palestinians are being intimidated as the new Jews ripe for persecution by the very descendants of the Jews who faced the horrors and death camps of a Western European Christian nation, no less.

Peter Ustinov, a Jew, once said that the Jews were the first victims of the Nazis and the Palestinians are the second victims.  Two groups of humanity that our own humanity, let alone our Christian teaching in the New Testament, should have protected as our very own members of the human family, rather than persecuted, massacred, murdered and starved in homes that they cannot escape from.  No chance for them of sailing in small boats across the Med to escape to Egypt or Cyprus or Lebanon.

My fellow Christians, other faith adherents and almost the whole of our society has been one in support of Israel and in almost total silence over the call by people like me wanting consistency in our nation's foreign policy and, therefore, BDS imposed on Israel for over 70,000 Palestinians murdered - so far.

This number in two years, with very many tens of thousands seriously injured, deliberately done by Western Europeans/Americans who are funding and supporting slaughter.  For me, it amounts to a second holocaust that the Jews have been involved in.  This time, shockingly and unashamedly the responsibility of Jews, plus Christians especially the evangelicals of America.  But all of us are implicated and stand condemned for our wickedness and guilty silence.

Or, will you also write to your MP and councillors?

Dear Alex, The damned sheer hypocrisy ...

... of condemning Russia's aggression with lots of BDS to punish them but nothing for our great friend and ally, Israel who, indiscriminately and disproportionately, has slaughtered and wounded many 10,000s of men, women and children.

A tiny minority of the adult casualties had every right, under international law, to take up arms to defend their country from Israel's aggression.

Why is Israel so correct and law abiding by doing exactly what Russia is doing?

Israel, off and on, for 80 years and Russia for nearly 4 years, but in reality since 2014 after our friends in Kyiv overthrew a properly and fairly elected pro Russian Yanukovych.

We throw the book at Russia but fund, fuel and support Israel's attacks - a nation subjugating the indigenous population of Arabs.  They had co-existed in peace with the Jews since 70 CE.  It was only our white man's, European imperial war of 1914 that upset the apple cart after 1900 years of good relations between the Children of Abraham.  It has been disastrous ever since.  Our hero, Churchill, rushed us into joining the war on 4 August 1914.  With disastrous consequences ever since.

The killing of non-combatants in Gaza has slowed after two years of our genocidal behaviour of a second holocaust, or atrocity, that the Jews and Christians have been caught up in.  We 'taught' the Muslims how to do their atrocity of 7.10.23.  But Israel, part of our - The World Power - has always had the upper hand, the power and control, the iron fist, the tightening vice-like grip as a member of the Western Club. She is OURS, the cuckoo in the nest in the Arab Middle East.

Christmas!  King Herod slaughtered the boys under two in Palestine. An Israeli king, no less?

Am I completely off my rocket in thinking like this?  I know the Hamas armed wing is equally as brutal and revengeful as the IDF.

Alex, my truly excellent MP - and anyone - put me right - please.

3 Christmas 25 reflections

3 short Christmas reflections - nothing changes and revenge everytime

Our Judeo-Christian War on the Palestinians must be reinforcing Putin's conviction that in attacking Ukraine (for becoming part of the West) he is truly attacking Nazis.  (Our side slaughtering Palestinians and laying waste their scrap of land reminds me of what our side did under the Nazis.)

The current Radio 4 'Crossing Continents' is showing evidence that the 20% Israeli Palestinians are becoming the new Jews, ripe for persecution by the 80% Israeli Jews. 

You and I are the problem in this sad world of ours.

Only our side must dominate. Sharing and balance and toleration are all totally unacceptable!

Please add to Munroist 4692 ...

 " ... how long you have taken, your first and last hills, your age, plans for the future, where you are from and any other details which may be of interest."

Dear Alison

I started serious mountain walking in October 1974 with my MLC Introductory Course at Ogwen Cottage in Eryri, Birmingham's Outdoor Pursuits Centre at that time.  I completed the English and Welsh 2,000 foot hills on 6.9.2019 with Snaefell on the Isle of Man.  I bought the 1973 book of tables and the list compiled by George Bridge and then started adding a date by each summit visited.

I started visiting the Munros and Tops together and recording each with a date beside the name, with my first recorded on 6.3.1983 in summiting Schiehallion.  My last was Knight's Peak on 2.6 2008 when I was 60 years old.

My first Corbett was Merrick but the date was unrecorded until I visited the summit again on 20.5.2025 when I completed my round of Donalds with my last, Mullwharchar.  I met another walker, a year younger than me, who advised getting back to Glen Trool via Merrick.  How very right he was!  And it was an exhilarating twelve hour day.  I was exhausted by then!  My last two Corbetts were Ainshval and Askival on Rum on 24.4.2019.

My first Donald was Shalloch on Minnoch on 22.7.2011 and the last on 20.5.2025 was Mullwharchar.

My first recorded Graham was Glas Bheinn on the stormy day of 13.4.2014, I noted!  I'm 78 years old in January and have 154 Graham summits left to visit before I'm 81, when I'll definitely be too old and decrepit!

Thanks for being the Munro Clerk and for all your hard work in keeping everything up to date and compleated.

to Cllr Michael Moran of Rugby

Thank you for replying.  Normally, no one does.  You received the email as a member of the WMCA Board, whom I lobby from time to time.  Some of them know me.  I live in Halesowen in Dudley borough.  I'm a retired old geezer on my way out, trying to be a good ancestor to my children and grandchildren and very concerned at the way our leaders are behaving.

Please speak up, Michael, because you are an important political leader, to influence your MP and our government over compromise and a fair settlement for both parties to the Russia/Ukraine war.  And, for our ally and friend Israel to stop the inhumanity and suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.  Boycott, divestment and sanctions would help but we cannot even do that.  We sell them military products, instead to join in the genocide.  Germany much more so in helping Israel to behave in a similar disgusting way that the Nazis did.  Astonishing!

WE CAN'T ALWAYS SEE OUT OF THE BUS!

Help get car commuters into buses by using the screens and audio by telling bus passengers of the next stop when it is wet and dark outside and the inside of the windows are all steamed up!  For every single bus.

Complicit in many appalling crmes done by our ally and fellow religionist - we are the problem

The Puritans under Cromwell went to war, overthrew their King and executed him.

The most pious religious 'saints' have done nothing in the face of murder and mayhem.  In truth, they have joined in the warfare, putting country before Christ!  Almost ALWAYS failure, negligence, cover-up over OUR crimes in the unHoly Land.  We have made it unholy.  So unholy, we are guilty of the most brutal, vicious behaviour in the Middle East that has steadily worsened over the last 125 years and accelerated after the 7.10.23 atrocity.  The first acceleration of brutality was seen after 9/11 in 2001.  A most foolish over-reaction of vicious punitive measures that brought death, destruction and catastrophe to the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq.  And boosting immigration to Europe to escape our horrors brought upon them.

We always go for the extermination of enemies rather than living in harmony, tolerance and compromise to bring about mixed nationalities of multi-faiths all living in peaceful co-existence in one land.  On one planet.

This is my challenge to Jews, Christians and Muslims.  To actually LIVE OUT their faiths. To repent and to behave as their Founder and Prophet teaches in the Gospels. 

Importance of Black Country Active Travel Route spelt out

Thanks to S Staffs DC for the amazing transformation of their, S Staffs section, of the UK's definitely most important for being the longest urban-rural-urban cycle-walkway from Brierley Hill to NW Wolverhampton, through three council areas in the heart of England.  I derisively call it the Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway in dud, deadly, Dudley's section.  More politely and correctly the Black Country Active Travel Route on two disused railway lines and not even an NCR number - STILL!  Hint, hint!

Eco tips

Small is beautiful, to minimise is magnificent. Therefore, 10-10-20 is 'ideal' :- at least 10 miles/litre, no more than 10 kWh/day over a year, max 20C for the room you sit in. Try to reject the car for the bus but bike is BEST!!

And to enrich nature is urgent because we are part of nature.

Trumps new National Security Strategy ...

 ... aims to prevent NATO becoming "a perpetually expanding alliance".  The strategy contains wording harshly critical of much of Europe, suggesting it faces "civilisation erasure through migration and EU integration."

We humans love killing and cruelty directed at each other

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/01/gaza-west-bank-syria-lebanon-israel-ceasefire?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other 

We humans love killing and cruelty directed at each other  - not just animals to eat but killing other humans! It brings God into disrepute and makes complete nonsense of His supposed characteristics, eg how could a God of Love and Justice, who is Omniscient so knowing how we would turn out, has then gone ahead and created us?

I think we are no better than the Russians ...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/01/gaza-west-bank-syria-lebanon-israel-ceasefire?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other 

​BDS for the Russians but not for ourselves!

The West, our taxes are to blame; we behave like the Russians slaughtering Ukrainians.

This is our inhumanity to man, we are the robber in the story of the Good Samaritan and we have no insight. Uncivilised​, ​British barbarians. And Hitler was a European in a 'Christian' country.

Perfidious, immoral, brutal Britain for centuries and, after 108 years (2,025 take away 1,917), our 'rule' over Palestine continues, courtesy of the Shameful State of Israel - backed to the hilt by ourselves since the all things to all men/women but biased to the Jews because of our Bible, 1917 Balfour Declaration and, the cheeky, arrogant Sykes/Picot Agreement of 1916.

Western aggression on Gaza and the West Bank is ...

... disgraceful, disgusting, hypocritical and sends an unacceptable message for Russia to continue her attacks on Ukraine.

W Mids Combined Authority (WMCA) silence, even no boycott/divestment/sanctions, amounts to total collaboration with Israel in its war on Gaza and West Bank.

Therefore, through apathy and acquiescence, WMCA is morally responsible for murder.  In the unHoly Land for 2 years (UK since 1917) and with Russia modelling our own coercion, force and violence around the world for centuries.

No conception that there might be a connection between wrong action leading to a response, a reprisal with another wrong action.  Yet, a good worthy action might elicit a smile, a thanks or, a one good turn deserves another.

Rugby Council Leader

Dear Michael

Thank you for replying.  Normally, no one does.  You received the email as a member of the WMCA Board, whom I lobby from time to time.  Some of them know me.  I live in Halesowen in Dudley borough.  I'm a retired old geezer on my way out, trying to be a good ancestor to my children and grandchildren and very concerned at the way our leaders are behaving.

Please speak up, Michael, because you are an important political leader, to influence your MP and our government over compromise and a fair settlement for both parties to the Russia/Ukraine war.  And, for our ally and friend Israel to stop the inhumanity and suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.  Boycott, divestment and sanctions would help but we cannot even do that.  We sell them military products, instead.  Germany much more so in helping Israel to behave in a similar disgusting way that the Nazis did.  Astonishing!

Was it Peter Ustinov who said "The Jews were the first victims of the Nazis and the Palestinians are the second"?

Do give me your perspective if you wish, Michael.  Your WMCA Board has sanctioned this:-

Dudley's deprived get a £1 billion tramway to heavenly Merry Hill Shopping Centre!

Dear Alex

LEARN FROM HISTORY!

With your military background you have something to contribute to ending this dangerous impasse between Russia and the Europeans.  Even neutral Switzerland is weakening, slightly, I have just read.  There must be compromise with no semblance of either victory or defeat for either side.  Our side's very provocative, overbearing conceit must be reined in, I think.

We failed to nip in the bud German, justifiable anger, in the years after the folly of the Treaty of Versailles and the even greater stupidity of the 1914 war.

We failed to nip in the bud Russian anger at the very one sided, unbalanced situation after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and ensuing events.  The MAD of the Cold War and even MADDER ever since!

The article, below, is what a retired CoE vicar sent me - and, his question is pertinent and challenging.  I have just added a further two short sentences at the end of my penultimate paragraph of my blog post,

The Revolution of Dignity led to today's Russia/Ukraine War - found at the foot, below.

Tim Weller

FORWARDED:

Thanks Tim.

Leading experts warned NATO expansion would lead to conflict. Why did no one listen? — Analysis - Mass News

Some of the evidence is given above.

But how to move forward now?

Best wishes,

John

to George Fraser, Mayoral administrator from Bob Whitehead of WMCC

12 November 2024

Dear George,

It is quite a few months now since our correspondence tailed off, but the issue of business-sourced greenhouse gas emissions remains. Given the mayor's commitment to economic growth, we are very worried that the pollution from this source could increase, and not subside, due to new plans. Let us give two examples, the projected increase in flights (including at night) from Birmingham airport, and the potential destruction of Merry Hill's nature, landscaping, public open space and housing land due to the planned tram incursion. We fear there are other examples.

We note that the commitment to a Net Zero region by 2041 does not seem to have prominence in the mayor's plans.

So, we repeat, before the WMCA embarks on a new round of potentially polluting business investment, can we have an indication of the current offenders in such matters?

We also trust that environmental concerns will have a high prominence in the discussions about transport and investment at this Friday's WMCA board meeting.

12 Nov 2024

Dudley's deprived get a £1 billion tramway to heavenly Merry Hill!

It is very important that when Dudley and Sandwell citizens are on such low incomes that they have a little help with energy and food bills, that they get a spanking new, state of the art, wealth-flaunting, prestigious, £1 billion tramway on the former, principal mainline Black Country Railway "of national strategic significance". Described as such in a letter to me in 2018 from Network Rail and the Department for Transport. 

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

SEE:

West Midlands Metro’s route draws a poverty line in Dudley, data shows | Express & Star https://share.google/1iURkSKcmVJKOqTPk 

The Revolution of Dignity led to today's Russia/Ukraine War

The very well meaning Revolution of Dignity by our fervent pro European Ukrainians in Kyiv in February 2014 was not meant to lead to the Russian/Ukrainian War.  It did however, because it meant the overthrow of the properly and fairly elected pro-Russian President Yanukovych.

"In November 2013, a wave of large-scale protests known as "Euromaidan" began in response to President Yanukovych's sudden decision not to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), instead choosing closer ties to Russia."  Wikipedia

Putin was desperate to keep his last, former USSR state in the Russian orbit, so promised a suite of goodies that persuaded Yanukovych not to sign the European incentives.

The protesters did not stand for that.  The authorities reacted violently.  Over 100 were killed.  It ended with Yanukovych fleeing to Russia; in revenge for their defeat, Putin invaded Crimea to be part of Russia, once more, and the war began in eastern Ukraine.

I heard on Radio 4 that 14,000 people died in the eight years between Feb 2014 and Feb 2022 when the full invasion and war on Ukraine began in earnest.

At that time, I thought Crimea's annexation was fair enough in exchange for a Western 'win' in ousting a properly and fairly elected pro-Russian President and, when our side should have waited for the next election to attempt to elect a pro-Western President.

I thought this was a civil war between two countries that have been entwined for 1,000 years of history and conflict.  This latest war was encouraged by an American-led Western resurgence and eastward expansion since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence in 1991.  Those two events, alone, were 'wins' for the West that were bound to unsettle a strong Russian nationalist like Putin.  But we had no empathy.  Only triumphalism.  No magnanimity.  Provocative crowing at our good fortune at Russia's expense.

It also accentuated the imbalance between the US led West/Israel and a 'smaller' Russia, especially when the Warsaw Pact disbanded but NATO became ever bigger - even picking up former Warsaw Pact members.  How humiliating for Russia, like the humiliation and punishment of losers Germany in 1919.  Strung up as a lesson to the rest of the world.  And we know what that led to.  But we never learn!  Every participant in that 1914 war was a tragic loser.  The men and women of violence just love their wars too much.

There are also unsettling matters I have picked up on, over what was 'promised' to Russia over the future of East Germany and NATO in the 1990s.  But, it seems, nothing was written down.  Perhaps, Mrs Thatcher was right in opposing the speed of the union of East and West Germany.

From John Nightingale:

"Thanks for the vg Seldon article.
"A month ago I was in  Berlin and saw a very interesting exhibition at the German Historical Museum.
"In 1952 Stalin offered to reunify Germany as long as it was neutral but Adenauer and co were not playing, fearing rightly or wrongly that their democracy would be at risk."

from Shropshire Chamber of Commerce to Rob Wilson

1st December 2025

Dear Rob

Subject: Concerns and Questions Regarding Park & Ride Services in Shrewsbury

I am writing on behalf of Mr Tim Weller who has asked us to express his concerns about the current usage and effectiveness of the Park & Ride (P&R) services in Shrewsbury.

Mr Weller has observed that P&R buses appear to be underutilised, while car parks such as Frankwell remain full.

Mr Weller would like to ask:

1. Would more frequent minibuses from P&R sites help reduce the number of cars entering Shrewsbury?

2. What is the subsidy per passenger that the County Council currently provides for these services?

3. What measurable impact do P&R services have on congestion, air pollution, and climate objectives in Shrewsbury?

4. What strategies could be implemented to make these services more popular and effective?

5. What is the purpose of maintaining P&R services if they are not widely used?

6. Why is the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (free bus pass for older people) not valid on P&R buses? 

7. Is it essential to provide a significant financial incentive and effective publicity to encourage P&R use instead of driving into town?

8. Would introducing Fare-Free Public Transport for all ages, as seen in some Western European cities, help achieve these goals?

Mr Weller has also expressed concern over the signage of the Park and Ride which we understand is already being investigated but please could you also clarify the current situation.

I look forward to your response to Mr Weller’s concerns.

Kind regards