Tim Parfitt's Blog, page 8
January 10, 2021
Un observador inglés (30) – Reflecting on the mob riot at the US Capitol
Just when you’re thinking ‘thank God that 2020 is all over’, along comes day six of 2021 in the shape of a bare-chested, face-painted freak wearing horns and what look like two dead raccoons on his head, prancing around inside the US Congress with hundreds, if not thousands of other white supremacists wearing red ‘MAGA’ […]
January 3, 2021
Un observador inglés (29) – Raves and raving sovereignty
We’re now in day three of the UK having regained its sovereignty. Other than confusion and chaos, or spending more time in airports or on the M20 in Kent, I can’t really see any difference. I imagine, however, that there are many Farage-worshipping, sovereignty-besotted Brexiteers who are feeling very, er, sovereign-like. I admit that I’m […]
May 10, 2020
Un observador inglés (28) – Boris, how can you ease lockdown restrictions when it wasn’t a lockdown?
This isn’t really a proper blog this week, it is a rant: I’ve just watched the televised announcement from Boris Johnson twice and still don’t understand it. I think he’s lost the plot. I can’t see how you can have a plan to ease restrictions when the restrictions weren’t put in place early enough or […]
May 3, 2020
Un observador inglés (27) – It’s common sense … isn’t it?
Judging by some of the emoji-style charts and potato-head graphics that I’ve seen in the media over the past 48 hours, if you are a white adult in Spain, or a white marathon runner or a Tour de France cyclist, then you’re now allowed out for a walk and physical exercise between 6-10am or 8-11pm […]
April 26, 2020
Un observador inglés (26) – Children, disinfectant, bookshelves, tattoos
Today in Spain around six million children aged under 14 were finally allowed to leave their homes after 43 days, officially for an hour every day. Earlier in the week, however, it wasn’t totally clear what they’d actually be allowed to do during that hour. Ask your average toddler what he or she would prefer: […]
April 19, 2020
Un observador inglés (25) – My hair is not in lockdown
The last time I blogged here was in July 2018. That year I’d been blogging every week, nearly every Sunday over six months. I’ve missed doing it. I think I’ve also missed the self-discipline that was involved in doing it. So here I am again. I’m back. I had actually intended to start blogging again […]
December 5, 2019
8 songs that have had an impact on me …
I recently took part in the ‘Carrie on Talking‘ radio show hosted by Carrie Frais in Barcelona – a sort of Desert Island Discs. I had to choose 8 songs that have had an impact on my life. I didn’t know what to expect, but I actually found it quite an emotional thing to do. […]
July 8, 2018
Un observador inglés (24) – Is this what Spanish politics has become?
The rapper, ‘Valtonyc’, convicted by Spain to three and a half years in prison over the lyrics of his songs (in which he ‘glorified terrorism’ and criticised the monarchy), gave a press conference on Thursday in Brussels, where he’d fled to in May to avoid jail. The artist criticised the Spanish state for using the fight against […]
July 1, 2018
Un observador inglés (23) – Midsummer madness
I haven’t updated this blog since 17th June – 14 days ago. That’s about the same number of days that Iñaki Urdangarin, brother-in-law to the king of Spain, has been locked up in a women’s prison … supposedly in Brieva, in the Avila region. That’s assuming he is locked up in a prison. I mean, […]
June 17, 2018
Un observador inglés (22) – Some good and bad news …
I sometimes get criticised for not writing anything good about Spain in this blog. I do try, but it’s not always easy – especially since last October. Whilst I’ll never win the €12k offered by Spain’s previous Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, to write the most positive things about Spain (if the reward still exists now […]
