Support for all those who are fighting for fairness

People also need to look where they are sitting. Was on a bus today and clearly the seat behind me had tape all across it saying not to sit and somebody sat on it. Definitely wasnt 2m away from me x

Ray Illingworth (pictured), former cricketer and ex-chairman of England selectors, 88; Nancy Sinatra, singer, 80; Colin Baker, actor, 77; Julie Driscoll, singer, 73; Mick Hucknall, singer, 60; Nick Rhodes, musician, 58; Julianna Margulies, actress, 54; Kanye West (pictured), US rapper, 43.

WATCHING the events of the last week I, and I dare say many others who have been sickened by scenes of police violence and disturbed by the political response, have felt conflicted between wanting to speak out and not wanting to do so in a way that comes across as trite or otherwise underplays the severity of the issue.

As many people who know me are aware, I am something of a Formula 1 nerd.

I recently read an interview with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who recounted a conversation he’d had with world champion, Lewis Hamilton:

“He asked me once: ‘Have you ever had the active thought that you are white?’ I said I had never thought about it. He said: ‘I think about it every day.’”

The article later describes Hamilton as ‘F1’s first black driver’ to which my instinctive reaction was “Oh yeah, so he is”.

Of course, I knew that he was but I’d never actively considered it.

I’ve considered Hamilton to be many things: talented, successful, conscientious and above all fast. But never black.

The easy, self-congratulatory excuse would be to say that the fact I had never consciously thought of Hamilton as a black driver proves I can’t be racist and to use phrases like “not seeing colour”.

Doing that would be turning a blind eye.

The uncomfortable truth is that the only reason why I had never actively considered Hamilton to be black, despite the driver himself thinking about it every day, is because I’ve never had to actively think of myself as white.

I have never had to actively consider my race, ethnicity, background, gender or sexuality because I am used to people judging me on my own abilities and actions.

I will never be able to fully understand what it is like to wake up and actively consider myself through the prism of something I am unable to change.

However, we should all strive to create a world of fairness and opportunity – and to all those fighting for those values, for what it’s worth, you have my support.

Why did they ruin our town centre?

WHY? Why did they replace such a magnificent building on New Street built in 1883 wifh that absolute monstrosity in the 1970’s?

They tore the heart and soul out of Huddersfield in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. I could go on forever about how Huddersfield was ruined.

Humans destroying our web of life

IT is adequately clear that the recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Afric, demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist.

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.

Biodiversity is the foundation that supports all life on land and below water. It affects every aspect of human health, providing clean air and water, nutritious foods, scientific understanding and medicine sources, natural disease resistance, and climate change mitigation.

Changing, or removing one element of this web affects the entire life system and can produce negative consequences.

Our nature has been adversely affected by human actions, including deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, intensified agriculture, and acceleration of climate change.

We should manage biodiversity and avoid severe implications for humanity, including the collapse of food and health systems