Barry Speker's Comment

17th May announced not only the return of the hug but also the opportunity to enjoy again the pleasures of dining out. This enabled the long awaited resumption of the monthly meetings of the Gosforth Curry Club. A splendid time was 'A-Had' by all.

I can recommend a visit to The Blackbird in Ponteland. Excellently run by Stuart and Sue Young, the venue no longer has to rely on its heated tepee but can offer inside hospitality. It remains to be seen whether the woke movement results in renaming the business as The Bird.

This follows Vaulkhards changing the name of The Blackie Boy pub in Newcastle’s Groat Market (established 1894) to ‘Swarley’s’. They feel that the former name ‘may be misconstrued in today’s climate’. Return to some normality is enabling the courts and tribunals to deal with the build up of cases although in truth the system kept going remarkably well during the pandemic. This was enabled by dedication and adaptability with many hearings by video and telephone. These remained fair and just but I welcome the increased number of in-person hearings rather than a version of Zoom.

Another gesture at making a kinder society has come from The Beano, Britain’s longest running comic. One of the characters in the Bash Street Kids, Frederick Brown, will no longer be referred to by the nickname ‘Fatty’. This is to discourage children from being tempted to use the nickname for their peers ‘in a mean way’. In future he will be referred to as Freddy. Such protection from fatism and lookism is not yet established by the Law (consolidated in the Equality Act 2010) which outlaws discrimination on grounds of sex, race, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics. It seems that many nicknames will now attract approbium – spotty, titch, lofty, skinny, lardy, ginger, carrot heed – and no Beam me up Scottie? Is it still permitted to Bash Bashir? The offensive description ‘in a mean way’ by some Newcastle United supporters of manager Steve Bruce by reference to his girth (as well as to formerly managing Sunderland) is divisive and unfortunate. Despite prophets of doom predicting relegation for months, the team rallied and achieved survival in the Premier League in the end quite comfortably. Celebration can not fairly omit appreciation of Steve Bruce’s role. Although describing himself as not ‘everyone’s cup of tea’, his resilience and lifelong commitment to his team cannot be denied. If Rafa had achieved this there would be calls for another statue at SJP.

Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday has been an occasion for widespread celebration and acknowledgment of his achievements and his position as the greatest songwriter of the 20th century. When I became an avid fan of the protesting troubadour in the 1960s, I could not have believed he would ultimately be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. My early years playing the guitar gave me the legacy of still remembering all the words of Like a Rolling Stone, Masters of War, Hey Mr Tambourine Man, Positively 4th Street, The Times They are A’Changing and many more. I first saw him live at the Odeon in Newcastle in 1968 when he reverted to an electric guitar for the second half, greeted by jeers of ‘traitor’. Always his own man he has continued down his freewheelin’ path, across country, folk, rock and beyond. The Middle East ceasefire is welcomed by all. What is very unwelcome is conflating views on the conflict to produce appalling anti Semitic abuse on the streets of London, campuses and elsewhere on social media. As well as placards at the demonstrations bearing flagrant anti-Semitic slogans, there was a uniformed female Metropolitan police officer joining the anti-Israel chanting and gesturing. This is not what is expected of our police force who are there to protect the whole community and are expected to do so without ‘fear or favour’.

They should show no support for any side in a political demonstration, whether it is Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter or Boycotting Israel.