Food for thought

In the past week we’ve run two stories about people struggling to feed themselves and their families.

First there’s the Swindon Sikh Seva Society, who every Wednesday serve up curries, stir-fries, pizza or pasta to anyone who needs a meal.

It was set up by a group of young friends who were inspired by the teachings of their faith to offer selfless service to others. Forget about over-privileged actors and arrogant sports stars lining up to receive their gongs from the Queen — these people deserve public recognition of the highest order for their kindness and selflessness, although I suspect they wouldn’t wish for such attention.

Sunny Johal, from the group, tells us that all manner of people go along — people with drug or alcohol problems, homeless people and people with a roof over their heads who are simply struggling to make ends meet.

It is profoundly worrying that in a fairly well off town in an extremely well off country, there are so many people in such dire need.

Which brings me on to the Foodbank.

The Foodbank, which is based in Whitbourne Avenue, is struggling to cope with demand.

More and more pressure is being put on it thanks to the Government’s programme of benefits cuts. Can’t help thinking of that phrase, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Donations to our Foodbank are up by 600kg... but demand is up an astonishing 2,500kg. This to me smacks of a crisis.

Most of us, if asked, would happily donate the items they need, such as coffee, sugar, tinned meat and fruit juice. But let’s face it, life gets in the way, best intentions get shelved and more often than not we find we’ve done nothing about it.

I have an idea — for every supermarket in town to put a box at the checkout where people to donate items (I know some of them do already) but also, for online shoppers like myself, add a Foodbank option at the online checkout. So as you select whether or not you want carrier bags and whether or not you’ve forgotten your favourites, a page pops up with a selection of items needed by the Foodbank and if you’re happy to donate you simply click a few items. So come on, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and the rest of you — let’s solve this crisis.

SS hit by attack of crass stupidity

I SEE our powerful pals across the Pond are at it again.

So far the Trump regime seems to have mostly been made of of gaffe, horror, gaffe, horror, horror, gaffe.

This week it’s the turn of White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who declared at a press conference that Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons.

Erm... what about the millions of Jews, gypsies and other ‘undesirables’ killed in the gas chambers?

To be fair to SS (unfortunate initials) he has apologised for his error — by saying at least Hitler didn’t use gas on his own people, unlike President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

Erm... well, on the surface it appears to be a good thing that he’s apologised and done so quickly.

But let’s just think about the implications of what he said — by saying Hitler didn’t use gas on his own people, is he saying that those who died were not Germans (that’s what Hitler thought) or is he saying they were not people (that’s what Hitler thought)?

Either way, it’s obnoxious in the extreme.

Well done, SS, that’s yet another gaffe of horrific proportions. You’ve actually trumped Trump.

So why are hairdressers the dog’s whiskers?

I’VE discovered a phenomenon. Or at the very least, a curious incident.

After a session running after balls, mooching in undergrowth and staring at squirrels in the Lawns, the hound and I are often quite parched on our return through Old Town and we’ve taken to wandering past the hair salon at the top of Victoria Road, which kindly leaves a bowl of water outside for dogs.

I thought nothing of this and merely presumed the owner was a very thoughtful dog lover.

But then, after a sunny afternoon in the Lawns one day last week, the hound and his friend, Barney, were clearly very thirsty and as the drinking tree was empty (a big old oak in the Lawns which helpfully collects water in pools around its roots) my human friend suggested taking a detour past the butcher’s as they have a dog bowl outside. Only they don’t — the hairdressers next door does. Hmmm. That’s two of them then.

A few days later, on my way back to work from the dentist, I passed a barbers on the corner of Eastcott Road and Bath Road and guess what... yep, you’ve got it — a dog bowl full of water sat outside on the pavement.

So can someone please explain to me what it’s all about? Is the placing of the dog bowl part of a hairdresser’s training? Or are all hairdressers dog lovers? If you’re a hairdresser, or simply someone in the know, please get in touch and let me know. In the meantime, the hound would like to say a big woof to all the water bowl shops out there.