Things aren't so bad

So we had elections yesterday, elections for Police and Crime Commissioners in all police areas outside London.  For the first time since I was eligible to vote, I failed to do so.  The whole affair was a shambles, a farce.  Although, according to a newspaper report, the powers that be spent £75 million arranging these elections, they did not get the message across to the electorate in a timely way.  And the only way anybody could find out who was standing for election was by going on-line.  Granted, most people these days have access to the internet (I refuse to promote that word to start with a capital letter) but there are still a significant minority who don't.  In any case, the information provided on-line was scanty and I for one was left completely in the dark about the plans of any of the five candidates in Sussex.  Four of them, by the way, were standing under the umbrellas of political parties although the post of commissioner is supposed to be apolitical.  I did briefly - very briefly - consider attending my local polling station and writing across the bottom of the ballot paper, "None of the above", but I soon realised that such a protest would be utterly pointless as the ballot paper would simply be thrown to one side as spoiled.

But despite yesterday's shambles and the ongoing tales of child abuse by high-profile individuals, I have to think that there is still some good in this country.  Last weekend saw the culmination of the Royal British Legion's annual Poppy Appeal.  For those outside England who are in the dark, the RBL provides support for ex-servicemen and women.  Last year their appeal raised £40 million and this year they hoped to reach £42 million.  Then today the BBC is running its annual appeal for Children in Need.  Here again, vast sums are raised.  Last year, £26 million was raised on the night and no doubt more money came in later.

If people can donate such considerable sums to charities, even in these straitened times, there is still something good about my country.

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Turning through 180 degrees after taking yesterday's picture, this is the view.  The church in the centre is St Bartholomew's, said to be the tallest parish church in the country.  I'm pretty sure I have also read that it was supposed to have been built to the dimensions of Noah's ark.