'Brexit': Is it worth the hassle?
A 'United States of Europe' - largely a British Conservative Government idea, is a living paradox and connumdrum, because sovereignty is not divisible. Either it rests in Brussels or Westminster and the respective capitals.
The United States seems to have achieved a system that works but the problem keeps cropping up all around the world, most recently in Scotland and Barcelona.
Even the sovereign state can and does bind itself in bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties.
Had the EU adopted a much looser and less bureaucratic trade federation arrangement, instead of pushing for complete political and monetary unification, it might not have produced the present wave of disenchantment and disintegration.
As it is, if as seems to be the case, we are leaving, it needs to be a genuine leave with no strings, or ransom attached.
The EU will still set its own standards, and British companies will have to comply with them if it wants to export there but this is nothing new, they do this for every export territory as does every other country. It is clearly both in Britain's and the EU's interests to remain close in terms of trade, in fact more for the EU than us.
Corruption is rife in that unaudited body but let no one be under any apprehension that Britain is not just as susceptible to that evil, as company collapse and bank rate rigging etc. have proved.
Nevertheless the British goverment is at least a shade more democratic and accountable perhaps? Whether it is worth all the pain of separation is still the moot point.
Has anyone seen cricket's Coronation Cup?
by Chew Valley Gazette
Harptree cricketers have been pondering the question of the whereabouts of the Coronation Cup. Harptree were the winners of this Chew Valley knock-out competition of 1953.
In July 1984 Bill Carruthers of the Chew Valley Digest announced the revival of the Coronation Cup.
‘In the past’ wrote Bill, ‘most of the village cricket teams did play each other on a regular basis, but over the years, they have gradually stopped and now very rarely have the chance to play the teams just a few miles away. The tournament is on a limited 18 over basis, under North Somerset League rules, played in the evenings.’ Participating teams were Blagdon, Temple Cloud, Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, Cameley, Stanton Drew, Bishop Sutton, Pensford, Dundry and Harptree.’
Cricket has featured in East Harptree since at least 1871, lack of interest in 1966 brought about the club’s demise. Local interest was rekindled by the 1984 Coronation Cup competition and Harptree Villages Cricket Club, in its new incarnation, played its first full season in in 1986, making 2016 year, its 30th anniversary.
As part of the anniversary celebrations the club is looking to resurrect the Coronation Cup tournament with other local teams but the cup has gone missing.
The cup which is approximately 10 inches high was held by Harptree Club between 1953 and 1984. Roly Currell, custodian of the Club’s Archives, would dearly love to find it. He knows it the tournament was played for several years after the 1984 matches and that it is engraved with the winning teams’ names. But who won it last? And where is it now? Contact Roly Currell 01761 221706 or Gill Hogarth 01761 453275
