Different Brexit Visions of Cabinet and Barnier. Backlash Against Threatening Trolls. 1 km Walk in 4 h.

The prime minister chaired the first open cabinet discussion on the aims for Brexit. Today, according to The Guardian, the focus was not on transition but the ambitions for a trading arrangement in the Brexit “end state”.

In the same paper, the EU's Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said it was unavoidable that British banks and financial firms would lose the passports that allow them to trade freely in the EU, as a result of any decision to quit the single market.
“There is no place [for financial services]. There is not a single trade agreement that is open to financial services. It doesn’t exist."

A number of the Tory MPs who rebelled against the government to ensure parliament to have a vote on the final Brexit agreement have received threatening tweets and even death threats. Anna Soubry  MP submitted a dossier of the threatening messages sent to her, including:

• An individual said they would love to go on a tour of Westminster “but can’t make enough explosives in time”.
• Another asked whether Soubry should be subject to treason charges along with May, Amber Rudd, the home secretary, and Philip Hammond, the chancellor. “Is there enough rope to hang them along the Embankment?”
• One used a hashtag naming the Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by a far-right extremist. It said the “mutineers” had committed treason and their “heads belong on spikes outside”.

The Prime Minister Theresa May, The leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbin and Speaker John Bercow came out strongly on the defence of MPs to express their opinions in Parliament. The latter stating "You are never mutineers, never traitors, never malcontents, never enemies of the people" .

Waking up to another frosty start this Monday, I headed off to the post office to post Christmas cards, a book order and to stock up the small stand with Milton calendars. I continued going the long way back home via Coles Road and Old School Lane with more calendars, knocking on doors to see who else might be interested in a copy. Whilst many people were out at work, and others were not interested, the short tour took me over four hours. Why? It was the welcome and conversations with both strangers and existing friends, Something I'd already experienced on a similar walk on Sunday. 

The topics and memories that still linger in my mind from both walks are:

• The laughter of surprise when the door was unexpectedly opened by a familiar face and the warm welcome.
• People waiting to be picked up for a memorial service for an old friend or remembering that it was taking place.
• Discussing Mozart's equally talented sister and wife.
• Looking for a doorbell to push and encountering a genuine bell pull. 
• Someone who just moved to Milton and being able to welcome them to the village.
• People who had lived in the village for over half a century.
• The different door chimes from inaudible to Big Ben
• Finding the houses that were used by the original residents of Coles Road when they had to move out temporarily as their faulty properties had to be repaired in the 1960's.
• Photographers who used to develop their own black and white images in the kitchen.
• The fragility of wasp nests and homes for wild bees.
• Considering childhood and children's literature, coming from the opposite ends of reading pleasure and academic research.
• Having to wait till the 7th of January, 2018, to celebrate an Orthodox Christmas
• Finding friends keeping each other company on a cold afternoon.
• The relatives and helpers quietly at work in the background of a senior resident's home.
• Shared delight where someone had already bought the calendar at the School Fair or Post office.
• Admiration for the person who made their own calendars every year.
• Talking about the anticipation and plans to visit family, or be visited by relatives from nearby or afar, for a Christmas together.
• The generosity of complete strangers.

I returned home tired but with a smile on my face.