A few years ago I listened to an old soldier re-living his experiences of the Second World War. One observation of his has stuck in my mind ever since.
In 1945, he said, after six years of conflict, he woke up one morning and realised that he might actually survive the war.
It simply had not occurred to him that one day he would have to think about what to do in peacetime, when it was all over.
That old soldier comes to mind now as the mood in Britain has changed amid hope that we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are obvious reasons for caution, which we will get to later, but as I write this on a bright and sunny May day, in the garden there are roses in bloom and there is a sense of a spring awakening after many dismal months.
My local tennis club has opened its grass tennis courts and it is full of children taking (socially distanced) lessons.
There is talk of being able to book holidays this summer. The streets are crowded with people carrying shopping bags. Retail therapy means happy faces behind masks.
This is after a bleak winter – 127,000 deaths from Covid-19. But Britain’s vaccination programme means that friends and neighbours have now had two jabs and many people over the age of 40 have had at least one.
There are still plenty of things wrong in the world, but many of them can be fixed by the things which are still right with the world
This change of mood could not come at a better time. Every day we read in British newspapers some new twist of the financial and other scandals that swirl around Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
We are told he – or his fiancee Carrie Symonds – ordered wallpaper for his Downing Street apartment that cost £800 for one roll. What is this wallpaper made of? Gold leaf?
Or there is the reported row in which Mr Johnson is supposed to have said he would rather watch bodies pile up than order another coronavirus lockdown. He eventually did order the lockdown, but only after infections from coronavirus began to rise significantly.
The prime minister denies making those insensitive remarks about bodies but the good news about coronavirus receding is like an anaesthetic, numbing us all to the knowledge that our prime minister appears to have no lasting relationship with facts.
And the good news is worth celebrating. The vaccination programme is going well. I’m being jabbed in the next few days. The number of deaths and hospital admissions has gone down significantly. That means Britain’s extraordinary cultural life is beginning to start up again.
In London, the National Theatre is re-opening for live performances. Seating will be physically distanced, the website says, “grouped only for households and support bubbles”. Also, “to be admitted to the venue, everyone over 16 years old will need to provide contact details for NHS Test & Trace on arrival”. But still, it is a new beginning.
After a difficult year for all universities, at a (virtual) meeting with my colleagues at the University of Kent, where I am Chancellor, we have been discussing how we can get back to something like normal, and put the fun back into university life for students in the new term beginning in September. We are planning big cultural celebrations, which could all be grouped together under the heading “Let’s Cheer Ourselves Up”.
In August, the Edinburgh Book Festival is starting again with live audiences. And after the greatest economic slowdown in the UK since the early 1700s, shops, businesses and restaurants are hearing predictions of a massive bounce back in consumer spending.
There may be a political bounce back too. Despite all the scandals, opinion polls predict the sunnier national mood may well see Mr Johnson’s Conservative Party doing well in local elections all across England and Wales on Thursday. They might even exceed their modest expectations in Scotland.
And so, like that old soldier, contemplating his future after the War, and somewhat to our surprise, we may be putting the battles against coronavirus in the UK behind us, at least for a while. But as with all conflicts, the price of peace remains eternal vigilance.
As we watch the dire news from India and Brazil, and hear scientists talk about new variants, it is clear that however cheerful things may feel, with a mutating virus still a threat, the health of every one of us is connected to the health of all of us.
Even so, scientists, in record time, have done something extraordinary in ameliorating a horrific health problem.
There are still plenty of things wrong in the world, but many of them can be fixed by the things which are still right with the world. I’m about to celebrate in a modest way – with a game of tennis on grass courts in sunshine with friends.
I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel. Win or lose, we can play again.
Gavin Esler is a broadcaster and UK columnist for The National
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While you're here
Boris Johnson should be busy with state affairs – not curtains
Our cartoonist's take on Boris Johnson's home improvement
London springs out of lockdown: nine before-and-after pictures
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
RESULTS
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer)
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jordan Sport, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Jungle Cat, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Kimbear, Patrick Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner: Hawkbill, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
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WITHIN%20SAND
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Company%20Profile
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