Dear England

Val spotted that our local arts cinema was showing a broadcast of the James Graham play 'Dear England' this afternoon, from the National Theatre.  So she booked tickets for us both.  On the way there, we walked past the Rutland Arms, with its lovely backyard murals.
And then wow - what a wonderful piece of work, both the writing and the acting. The whole design, too.
I was reminded of how much impact the public letter  from Gareth Southgate, England football team manager, had when it was published in June 2021. Starting 'Dear England,', it included some wonderful lines, making many of the points that the governing politicians of the day have proved incapable of understanding (never mind acting on). Some of these were in acknowledgement of the struggles and losses of the pandemic; some on other issues, especially racism in football and beyond.  It quite cheered me up to hear it again. The text is here:

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/dear-england-gareth-southgate-euros-soccer

If you get the chance to see a broadcast of the play, go for it, it's something of a beacon of light.