One change we have noticed since we were last in Birmingham is the significant increase in beggars with the majority of them being young adults. Is it the time of year? I suppose I should feel compassionate but I’ve also noticed a number of signs up advertising temporary work over the festive season. I struggle with compassion when someone prefers to sit and beg rather than work.
Jan was buying her weekly magazines in Tesco and the lady at the till told her that “we” (Tesco or UK?) supply all the “German” sausages being sold from the numerous food stalls in the Birmingham Christmas Market. She then mention that she starts work before dawn and was horrified by the large number of rats around the food stalls. It takes several weeks for rats to breed so I doubt there has been a significant increase in the rat population. It’s probably more likely that the food stalls have attracted them from other locations.
On a more pleasant note we’ve enjoyed having our youngest son stay with us over Christmas and the boat now seems much quieter since his departure. We had a good walk around the CBD today stopping in “Spoons” for a cooked lunch. Jan has been using her new coffee machine. with only one coffee drinker on board the stock of coffee capsules should last a month.
2 comments :
When I worked, I used to deliver to a well known store opposite the Bull Ring in Birmingham, usually in the early hours of the morning, rats would be scuttling around the the streets in quite large numbers, so yes there is a significant population of rats in the city !
Alf, my guess is at the moment they are rather fat rats!
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