Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British Coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rail, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
Cargoes, John Masefield
The last verse seemed to link with the theme. but it would be sacrilege to cut the poem, so you’ve got it in full.
Grumpy Old Man
Johnny. Hands up, who wants a job?
Ian Bennett
Questions the Telegraph should have asked: “Is there anything that we in the UK can produce which anyone wants to buy? If so, what? If not, why not?”
Ltw
The demise of the manufacturing sector is (once again) big news in Oz too. And especially with the $A at parity with the $US, the answer is the same.
But no one is allowed to admit it.
David Gillies
Perhaps the most cogent question would be, “why are we worried about employment in the manufacturing sector when we manufacture more than we used to?” It’s the old ‘jobs as a benefit not a cost’ thing again.
Pat
Yes of course we could- but unless we again find a way of doing it better/cheaper than everyone else why on earth would we want to?
Hands up – who wants a job in a factory?
Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British Coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rail, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
Cargoes, John Masefield
The last verse seemed to link with the theme. but it would be sacrilege to cut the poem, so you’ve got it in full.
Johnny. Hands up, who wants a job?
Questions the Telegraph should have asked: “Is there anything that we in the UK can produce which anyone wants to buy? If so, what? If not, why not?”
The demise of the manufacturing sector is (once again) big news in Oz too. And especially with the $A at parity with the $US, the answer is the same.
But no one is allowed to admit it.
Perhaps the most cogent question would be, “why are we worried about employment in the manufacturing sector when we manufacture more than we used to?” It’s the old ‘jobs as a benefit not a cost’ thing again.
Yes of course we could- but unless we again find a way of doing it better/cheaper than everyone else why on earth would we want to?