Climate Breakdown Campaigners revamp iconic 70s Hovis-Ad.

‘Build Back Better’ campaign events took place across the country on the 25th of June this year, to coincide with the Annual Report to the UK government by the Committee on Climate Change. For information on the report, go to https://www.theccc.org.uk/2020/06/25/covid-19-can-be-an-historic-turning-point-in-tackling-the-global-climate-crisis/
Under the circumstances with regard to Lockdown restrictions, our action in Shaftesbury had to be small and carefully socially distanced. Half a dozen of us agreed to participate in a small parade up Gold Hill, referencing the iconic Hovis ad with bicycles, flat caps and loaves of bread in addition to our Planet Shaftesbury and Extinction Rebellion banners. Since there were few people around to witness our action, it was designed primarily for social media presentation.

One of our number filmed the event and, with assistance from the rest of us, compiled this excellent, short video mixing in found footage, sound-recorded voices from interviews and conversations on our experiences of Lockdown with particular reference to climate issues, and our hopes for the times to follow.
I have just attempted to use 'Blogger's 'Insert a Video' control to place the video itself at the top of this blog. For some reason it only appears in thumbnail size. So for a better view, if you want it, here are links to the video on You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwN7ZFnw0fo&t=24s
and on Extinction Rebellion Shaftesbury's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1105509316286885/
If you enjoy the video and feel its message is worth passing on, please share through social media. (It will probably be easier to share the versions reachable via the above links.) Thanks.

Covid Honeymoon

Well you’re not so sure that it’s going to work out fine,

in isolation here, for so much time.

You’re longing hard for some normality,

but Covid Nineteen, it doesn’t agree.

Locked down at home, wrapped in your cocoon,

smile

you’re on Covid Honeymoon.

Your loved ones, they love to have you there,

twenty-four-seven, with a mad-eyed stare.

Up so high on the seventeenth floor,

screams and shouts that no-one can ignore.

You thought it would be safe again by June,

smile

you’re on Covid Honeymoon.

Insults and threats, surly vicious tones,

access denied to anybody’s phones,

the one way out of here is locked and latched

and all your benefits have been snatched.

You know now that you’re living with a goon,

smile

you’re on Covid Honeymoon.

Bright boys from Eton, failed to foretell

how close for some this would be to hell.

In between the whiskies and good, strong, British tea,

no space to consider human sanity

primed to burst like a pin-pricked balloon

smile

it’s our Covid Honeymoon

Bold Brexiteers, they failed to foresee

health staff deaths through lack of PPE.

They won’t admit that they might have slowed the pace

if they’d set up for Lockdown with test and trace.

Yet they claim every penny spent’s a boon,

smile

they’re on Covid Honeymoon.

So much is closed down, so many on furlough,

enterprises sinking in the growing debts they owe.

Our framework’s much more fragile than we think.

We didn’t see the abyss, ‘though we stood on the brink.

And no-one can be sure that they’re immune,

smile

we’re on Covid Honeymoon.

So many leaders, so many talking rot,

striving to shore up what they think they’ve got;

so many corporations standing by

waiting to profit while so many people die;

hoping that you’ll still dance to their tune

and smile

on your Covid Honeymoon.

This may be our final opportunity

to change the way we run the show, a chance for us to see

the myths we’ve been living in are far from secure –

we’ve mistaken the symptoms for the cure.

But better prepare for more smoke and mirrors soon

as you smile

on this Covid Honeymoon.