I’m visiting a small and lovely Scottish town most people in Britain could not find on a map, or even spell or pronounce its name. It is Kirkcudbright (Kirk – oo – bree). I’m here for a festival of arts, books, talks and fun.
The sun is sparkling on the River Dee flowing through the town into the Irish Sea. The 725-kilometre drive from my home on the south coast of England took nine hours and ran across half the UK. But two things struck me as I listened to the car radio on the journey.
First, that I am lucky to live in such a beautiful, diverse, extraordinary country. I drove from the coast towards our greatest city, London, north past Birmingham and Manchester to the green hills and sheep pastures of the Lake District then over the Scottish border to a town that is full of history.
Kirkcudbright has an old baronial castle, three churches, a harbour and pretty streets with gardens full of flowers. The events at the festival are cheerful and positive, attended by people who want to take part in discussions, lectures, music and other events. Yet in all this glorious sunshine there is another side to the story.
So much of Britain just isn’t working. The news on the car radio on my long drive northwards was depressing. It was full of reports about the failure of the British air traffic control system, which ruined tens of thousands of holidays and travel plans in late August, including mine and those of my family. Our flights were cancelled from France at short notice. We were forced to take a difficult journey by road, rail and then a cross-Channel ferry to get home.
Despite our problems, the UK remains a brainy, problem-solving country of 68 million diverse people
Once back in England, the unrelenting bad news continued. There were rail strikes by train drivers and other staff. The rail pay disputes have gone on for months without any significant progress. It meant that no trains were running reliably to Scotland from the south of England.
Then there was shocking news of problems with potentially failing concrete structures in some of England’s school buildings. As schools prepared to return from their summer holidays, headteachers in more than 100 were forced to consider closing classrooms which potentially could collapse. They had only a few days to make alternative plans.
The next news item was that for the first time in British history, both senior and junior National Health Service doctors were all going on co-ordinated strikes to protest against their pay not being raised to keep pace with inflation.
Listening to the news, what struck me most was the collision between these two Britains. One is the beautiful country that I admire and love and which is full of talented people. The other is a country that simply doesn’t work very well. And there is an irony for me at least: the reason I have come to Kirkcudbright is to discuss my new book that is published this month, Britain Is Better Than This. The book is itself an attempt to get to the bottom of why such a wonderful country is failing us all.
The good news is that despite our problems, the UK remains a brainy, problem-solving country of 68 million diverse people. To borrow the name of a popular TV show, Britain has clearly got talent. And yet day after day, we are confronted by the problems I’ve listed and more – failing institutions, a government that has lost its way, and an underperforming economy with an overwhelming sense of national malaise.
I listened to the thoughts of audiences here in Kirkcudbright. Some were in favour of Scottish independence. Others – probably most – simply want Britain to work better. One man wondered if the reason we often have so many useless politicians is that we pay them too little. Others felt the political system was so unattractive that many of us do not vote, or that the governments in London and Edinburgh were in different ways too remote from ordinary people.
As always with a British audience, I ended cheered up and optimistic. Most of us, whatever our views or our politics, want to solve problems – not create them.
Everyone in our discussions behaved respectfully towards everyone else. I doubt if this is quite the model of ancient Athenian democracy, but there were plenty of open debates in a public square. What it showed was that we are all concerned about the future for ourselves and our children at a time of economic uncertainty and a war in Europe.
As I walked out into the early evening sunshine from one event, I was hit by a sense of optimism. There is nothing wrong with Britain that cannot be fixed by what is right with Britain. Britain is truly better than this, better than the failures we see so often in our public life. The next step is not just to talk amicably about our problems, it is to start solving them.
We can hope.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
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RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
