When the Chipps are down

For the last two days I’ve had the theme tune to The Adventures of Robin Hood running through my head. ‘Robin Hood, Robin Hood riding through the glen...’ I have no idea why. And aren’t glens in Scotland and not Nottinghamshire?

First thing I researched phrases containing the word ‘chip’, so I’d be well equipped for blip titles. Then Han and I got ready for a Cotswolds walk around the picturesque village of Castle Combe. On the drive there I delighted in those quintessential Cotswolds names such as Tiddleywink, Kents Bottom and Nettleton Shrub.

We had a misty and muddy walk around lanes, hills and streams. Rain hadn’t been predicted but it arrived late morning, meaning we were practically banging on the village pub’s doors at midday, clamouring for a chicken and vegetable pie.

Our chat today has focused on Brexit outrage due to recent stories about the UK’s fishing industry and future rules about living in EU countries. Various Conservative politicians have been interviewed asserting that the ‘UK must be treated equal to other sovereign nations on trade issues’, specifically around fishing rights and trading of fisheries products. Never has the phrase having one’s cake and eating it been more appropriate. When these demands either don’t happen or are severely compromised by reality, the UK government‘s spin will be that the EU has made things continually difficult. The reality is that the UK has stuck two fingers up to the rest of Europe so that it can control who comes into the country, and now has to deregulate industries to produce things more cheaply to offset increased tariffs and more complicated trade arrangements. I can predict the disingenuity of certain media outlets already.

I’m embarrassed at the arrogance of restricting movement for other Europeans whilst still expecting unfettered access to second homes in Spain. This really does speak to a misplaced Victorian-era confidence about the UK’s role in the world.

I have utmost sympathy for Remain-voting Brits whose lives may be made more complicated by new rules. I have precisely no sympathy with Leave-voting Brits who now have to go through processes with the Spanish authorities to get residency permits, or whatever. After all, they knew what they were voting for.

The drizzle fell so we spent the afternoon and evening eating snacks and watching The Chase from our hotel beds.