We must ‘deport Farage’ from our minds and souls

THE golden September sunshine, hedgerows full of fruit in all the lanes, our apple tree bending with its own weight.

- Hilton Dawson

We buy some new school shoes, hear about Joe's new job, a new year and all the hopes and excitement and the prospects unfolding.

More and more, we stand by and watch it happening. We've become observers of the scene, our young people (how they've grown) and those others; friends, neighbours, their children, starting out anew.

I’m so heartened by all this, even as the seasons turn it's so enthralling and exciting to have change. We must surely have some change, real change, change soon, for this wretched world.

Perhaps I’m too easily encouraged by the small things. What right have any of us to take heart; looking on at the monstrous, wicked destruction of the people of Gaza, by the people who above all should know better?

With the whole world going so wrong what right have any of us, to presume to take heart from any change anywhere?

I remember the little Palestinian family, come to Northumberland years ago, now settled and safe and moved away and I wonder what they're thinking of all the threats to deport so many people. All the flags.

Perhaps England's becoming yet another place which moves refugees on, endlessly denying them a home.

I do take heart. From the man, who must be about my age, who this week picked up on something I wrote ages ago about children’s homes I used to run.