Eindhoven, au revoir

The last four days in Eindhoven have been wonderful: a really thoughtful and enjoyable birthday gift from the Minx (especially when you take into account how much she hates flying).

We often leave places thinking it would be nice to return one day but I think we both felt that especially keenly, today. Quite apart from how much we've enjoyed the city itself, the people have been so incredibly friendly and welcoming. 

I said in my post on Monday that I wondered if the UK would be more like this if we'd had different governments over the last thirty or so years and I've been chewing on that thought ever since. I think the root of it is our lack of social mobility combined with the fact that as the top end of our society becomes more wealthy, so the bottom stays where it is, sinking, if anything, under the Tories austerity and ideologically driven government. 

I said to the Minx today that it's almost like everyone here is middle-class, which might not sound like a great aspiration for a society when you first read it but I think that is what we want: no poverty, no extreme wealth (or power), just everyone to live in comfort and to be able to enjoy themselves. Sadly, as we return to the UK, I'm not filled with much hope that that might happen anytime soon.