What the papers said in the week ending 27 February 2021
A week to celebrate the determination of older celebrities, and others, to exercise their talents
Covid-19
As we emerge from winter’s grip and the number of people affected daily by Covid-19 falls, there is temptation to relax and anticipate return to more activity. We must be cautious. Covid: Boris Johnson unveils lockdown exit plan: schools and social contact first | World news | The Guardian
The consequences of the pandemic and responses to it become ever clearer:
- People with other illnesses have not presented for treatment and are at risk of worsening health Nearly half with cancer symptoms in the UK did not see GP in first wave of pandemic | Cancer | The Guardian
- Mental health is believed to have been affected severely Woman killed herself after mental health worsened in lockdown, inquest hears | UK news | The Guardian
- The reluctance of some of the most vulnerable groups to accept the safety offered by vaccination is leading to calls for new approaches UK thinktank calls for door-to-door Covid jabs to tackle vaccine disparities | World news | The Guardian
- Those most vulnerable groups, including older people, are most likely to be facing higher costs in just surviving day to day BAME Britons more likely to face higher living costs, study finds | Poverty | The Guardian
- Their rights are not being protected as the law designed to do this is not being used as widely as it should be Failure to enact public duty law ‘has worsened England inequality in pandemic’ | Poverty | The Guardian
- There is suspicion of people who have made fortunes from the massive contracts issued in haste for equipment to counter covid The Covid contracts furore is no surprise – Britain has long been a chumocracy | Conservatives | The Guardian
Plans to relax restrictions are seen to favour commerce over public facilities Plan to open England’s shops before museums and galleries criticised | UK news | The Guardian
Mistrust of the authorities is not confined to the UK. A survey of 8,000 people covering France, Germany, Italy and the UK found that many believe that governments and the pharmaceutical industry are covering up evidence of side effects from vaccines. Weariness has increased – in France from 28% pre-covid to 41%. In Italy the level is 41%, UK 31% – but in Germany only 15% say they are weary – this is an increase from 7% – Lessons to be learned here. Covid pandemic leaves Europeans more likely to believe conspiracy theories – study | World news | The Guardian
Phoenix – new life after covid?
A former Chief Executive of the NHS had dared to venture plans to make it better for the learning from the pandemic. This is an important thing to be doing. Not everyone agrees with his suggestions, but there is consensus that a greater focus on the issues of late life is necessary, can be done and will be helpful How the NHS can meet the demands of an ageing society | NHS | The Guardian
- The NHS rose to the challenge of Covid, but its next test may be even harder | NHS | The Guardian
- With an even broader perspective, the virtues of a new Beveridge Report and actions to follow, are being canvassed. Inevitably there are differences in what this might say and what will be done, but it is encouraging just to air the thought. Can a new Beveridge fix a broken welfare state? | Welfare | The Guardian
The arts (broadly)
Interest has become focussed on a minute scrawl on the edge of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’. ‘Painted by a Madman’ has been attributed to vandalism but new research says it was written by Munch – perhaps a comment on his state of mind, perhaps reflecting on a comment he overheard. It does not detract from the power of the painting ‘Painted by a madman’: The Scream graffiti may reveal Munch’s state of mind | Edvard Munch | The Guardian
A Van Gogh which has been in a private collection since 1920 will soon go to public display. Scène de rue à Montmartre was painted 1887 during his time there Vincent van Gogh Paris painting from 1887 to make public debut | Van Gogh | The Guardian
Paul McCartney is using a different mode to share his art and his story with a 900 page book constructed around 154 songs Paul McCartney to publish 900-page lyrical ‘autobiography’ | Music books | The Guardian
Fashion provides another reminiscence of wide trousers: ‘A cavalcade of good bad taste’: men leading the revival of flares | Fashion | The Guardian
Old but still learning and giving
The House of Lords (average age 70+) has taken to the internet to conduct its business and is said to be coping rather better than the other House (average age 50+) Virtual Lords could be here to stay after Covid – but will MPs follow? | Politics | The Guardian
Dame Judy Dench (86) continues to work and to deliver performances to high acclaim despite her vision failing with macular degeneration ‘You find a way’: Judi Dench on working through sight loss | Judi Dench | The Guardian
And Norman Fowler is giving up his position as Speaker to the House of Lords to devote himself (‘my next career’) to campaigning on issues relating to Aids and Sexual identity Norman Fowler to step down early as Lord Speaker | House of Lords | The Guardian
Historical themes
Professor Corinne Fowler of The University of Leicester has warned against ‘menacing attempts to politicise history’ – a desire to pretend that certain things never happened because they are currently seen to be politically incorrect Politicians should not ‘weaponise’ UK history, says colonialism researcher | Heritage | The Guardian
People who grew up in the Soviet gulags are now old. Some are still ‘displaced’ and are seeking support and permission to return to their cities of origin ‘A lifetime sentence’: children of the gulag fight to return from exile | Russia | The Guardian
The Venerable Cornelia Connelly did many good works in her life time and chose to be buried in the school she founded – Mayfield Girls’ School in East Sussex. There is pressure from some of her supporters for some of her remains to be disinterred and transferred to Pennsylvania where she was born. This is part of a bid for canonisation. There is understandable resistance to this idea in Mayfield Cornelia Connelly: Plan to move nun’s remains to US abandoned – BBC News
Some very old trees have been uncovered ‘Unique’ petrified tree up to 20m years old found intact in Lesbos | Greece | The Guardian
Medical news
Prince Philip remains in hospital Prince Philip to stay in hospital for several more days | Prince Philip | The Guardian
Aches and pains experienced by people taking statins are not attributed to the statins – just all the pathology which age has brought Statins do not cause muscle aches and pains, study finds | Statins | The Guardian
Good news for people with advanced breast cancer with the NICE approval of ribociclib which extends survival by 5.5 – 7.7 months Life-extending drug for incurable breast cancer approved for NHS use | Breast cancer | The Guardian
Plant life
The National Trust is investing in planting schemes in a number of centres of flowering trees to create a new tradition of ‘Blossom Circles’ ‘Blossom circles’ to bloom across England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Trees and forests | The Guardian
Proximity to plants and green spaces is known to facilitate learning, to speed recovery from surgery and to improve mental health. Additional research by the universities of Birmingham and Utrecht has demonstrated that prisons with a high ration of planted green space have fewer incidents of violence amongst their prisoners Plants linked to lower levels of violence and self-harm in prisons | Prisons and probation | The Guardian
Parks are being acknowledged to be ‘the nation’s wellness clinics’ at all times and most emphatically during the lockdowns of the pandemic. There is strong argument for more investment in them Parks have been a lifeline during the pandemic. Let’s make Buckingham Palace a public space | Parks and green spaces | The Guardian
An Eden project for the north offers improved ecology for the region – and new life for the faded fortunes of Morecambe Morecambe pins hope on Sunak to give £70m for Eden Project North | Eden Project | The Guardian
We are reminded that it is not necessary to travel abroad to find beauty and spiritual healing: Five unspoiled UK coastlines with spectacular walks | United Kingdom holidays | The Guardian
David Jolley
