Support 100 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
  2. UK Politics
9 March 2022

This England: Petty Polly

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain – has run in the NS since 1934.

By New Statesman

A “depressed” parrot that refused to talk when its owner died has started swearing in his new home, the RSPCA said.

Jesse, an African grey, was taken to an animal centre in Dorset when his owner died. His new owner, the animal behaviourist Rachel Leather, said as well as swearing he was making farting noises and playing with his toys.
BBC Dorset (Neil Stone)

Easy money

The energy company Northern Powergrid compensated 74 customers hit by power cuts during Storm Arwen with cheques for trillions of pounds.

Gareth Hughes, 44, of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, smiled at his cheque for £2,324,252,080,110, knowing that he would never be able to cash it. The company said that a clerical error was to blame.
The Times (Amanda Welles)

An old new ball game

A Warwickshire town kicked off its ancient Shrove Tuesday ball game following a two-year break due to the pandemic. The 822nd Atherstone Ball Game involved hundreds of people competing on the streets for ownership of a heavy, leather ball.

Josh Sheldon from Grendon was named the winner after the two-hour match. He said it had been easy to hold on to the ball at the end – as he had hid it under his T-shirt.

“It had popped and then I quickly took it and put it under my T-shirt and me and my friend were just in a deep hug,” he said.
BBC West Midlands (Daragh Brady)

Content from our partners
Defining a Kodak culture for the future
How do we restore trust in the public sector?
A better future starts at home
Select and enter your email address Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. The New Statesman’s global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend - from the New Statesman. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history - sent every Wednesday. The New Statesman’s weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday. Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates.
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

This article appears in the 09 Mar 2022 issue of the New Statesman, Putin's War of Terror