Proletariat Blogging in the Heart of (UK) Predatory Capitalism! Exploring the Interface between Matter and Perception, Chinese Buddhism, Daoism, Hakka Ethnography, and All Aspects of Radical Politics, History, Psychology and Philosophy – 全世界无产者联合起来!
A child reads a book at a sinkhole-turned library in Wuyuan County, east China’s Jiangxi Province on Aug. 26, 2026. A special sinkhole-turned library opened to the public recently in Wuyuan County of east China’s Jiangxi Province. It incorporates a natural sinkhole and surrounding rock walls into its architecture. The library features a carved spiral staircase and warm lighting, offering visitors a distinctive reading experience. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)
At the above link you will find a short blog post on the “Wyles Family of Duddington” site that we maintain. This has been built-up over many years and serves as depository for all of our research regarding my “Wyles” ancestors who lived in a single Northamptonshire village for well-over 500-years. Of course, branches of our family spread to places like King’s Cliffe, Ketton, East-on-the-Hill, Stamford, and Tixover, etc. Well, recently I was contacted by an individual who informed me that “Wyles” people also live in “Market Deeping” – a village around 13-miles north-east of Duddington. I cannot remember if we have driven through or by it – but we will certainly make an effort to stop and carry-out research in this place the next time we are in the Duddington area!
In fact – although one of the centres of the Church of England (CofE) – there seems to be an element of “Sadomasochism” to it all. As if those Church Authorities watching enjoy the spectacle of the fee-paying faithful (yes – you have to “pay” to voluntarily submit yourself to this madness) – or non-faithful (as the case may be) – inflicting pain upon themselves (a form of self-flagellation). It is the design of this building possesses a nasty side in its design. Who knows – when the Cathedral is closed the Church Fathers might draw pleasure by climbing the steps themselves. Of course, like all things “CofE” – the entire place, although of historical and archaeological importance, is subject to capitalist free market forces. The over-priced gift shop reduces Christianity to fluffy toys and cut book-marks – all over-priced – of course. I suspect that if you actually asked a question about religion – nobody working in there could answer it. Still, history is history, and other than the excessive steps – the history entwined in the stone-work of the building was good for the children to enjoy. At the entry point – the clerk shouted that there was no photography – but then said we could photograph anything we wanted to. So, we never quite worked-out what the rule was – and recorded everything we could see. Finally, when we got to what we thought was the top – it turned out there was actually over another hundred steps to go! In the video I say we had climbed the 528 steps – but I think there was around another 140 to go!
In 1999 – the year of the last partial-eclipse in the UK – I think it happened about 10am in the morning and got really dark (or at least dusky). Today, the birds became quiet as the sun shrank and the shadows slowly lengthened. This all happened over a 50 minute time period between 18:10hrs-19:00hrs. We even had a cup of tea and ate a cake whilst sat in the garden! Even one of our cats knew something unusual was happening. Of course, we were not sure how dark it would get – as in Central Europe the sky went completely dark.
And Zara says her autistic daughter Hannah, who has hearing difficulties and attends Ilfracombe Academy, was repeatedly removed from class because her needs were not recognised.
“Behaviour is just put down to persistent defiance and bad behaviour, and they’re punished for it,” she says. “It’s never recognised as being linked to their disabilities.”
Athena told us that children with special educational needs are “not routinely sanctioned for behaviours associated with their needs”.
A lot of the anger we heard in Devon and Cornwall is, we were told, down to the lack of accountability.
Academy trusts do not have any supervision from local councils, meaning only central government can intervene.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the trust system is that it complicates the complaints process, says education journalist Laura McInerney, who co-founded Teacher Tapp, an app designed to track educators’ wellbeing, classroom practices, and opinions on education policy.
If parents are not satisfied with a specific school’s response, she says, they have to contact the trust, which could be miles way, and which “you may or may not hear from in anything other than a letter”.
The government says parents can take complaints about academy trusts to the Department for Education.
Across England, there is growing concern about punitive disciplinary practices in schools.
Of course, the bridge was never designed to be a tourist attraction per se – but it certainly is today – replete with a glass-floor on each of the two towers. Climbing the 209-steps-up essentially culminates in the traversing of the two towers – “North” and the “South” which are 213-feet above the water of the River Thames. Along the side of the Walls are arranged historical write-ups about this or that fact. For instance, a “bail of hay” has to hung beneath the arms of the bridge when these arms are not in operation and/or receiving repair.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 