A letter published in the Guardian suggests that the UK's winter fuel payment should be expanded to include a summer cooling payment, as the cost of running fans, air conditioning units, and other measures to protect older people from overheating is significant for many.
Proposal for Summer Cooling Payment
Lynn Malloy of Crouch End, London, wrote in response to a report that the European heatwave is the worst ever and impossible without the climate crisis, as scientists say. The report highlighted the alarming impact of extreme heat on mortality. Malloy questioned whether the winter fuel payment should now incorporate a summer cooling payment, noting that the cost of running fans, air-con units, and other measures to keep older people safe from overheating is significant for many.
Memory Tests and Prime Ministers
In other letters, Shelagh Hubbard of Nottingham recalled her mother undergoing her first memory test in late 2019. When asked who the prime minister was, her mother thought for a moment and said, “It’s not Margaret Thatcher, is it?” Hubbard held up that day’s Guardian, which featured a photo of Boris Johnson on the front. Her mother looked, nodded, and said, “Oh, him – he’s a clown.” Hubbard commented, “Memory not great – judgment impeccable.”
Graham Harrowell of Addingham, West Yorkshire, shared a similar story: his uncle John was asked by a doctor for the name of the current prime minister. He immediately called a passing nurse and asked to be treated by a different doctor, adding, “This one doesn’t even know who the prime minister is.”
Bus Driver Jokes and Roman Emperors
Tudor Owen of Manchester recounted a bus driver joke: when he first boarded the 85 at Piccadilly and asked, “Do you go to the university?” the driver replied, “No, I’m a bus driver.”
Regarding letters about the number of Roman emperors in a year, Philip Clarke of East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, asked, “Is it too soon to talk about the year the US got its first?” referring to the current political climate.
