Flood Rising

I’ve lost count of the raindays but there’s not much room left in the Thames now. This morning blustery winds that were tough to cycle against were blowing the swollen current back upstream: hefty branches washed into the water were not moving downstream at all and some of the waves were cresting white.


Blip 1855 - In 1855 stamp duty was removed from newspapers in Britain, meaning news and information became accessible to far more people. The price of the Manchester Guardian, for example, dropped from five to two pence. This tax on knowledge and denial of access to news had been battled vigorously since the 1830s, when the tax was six pence on a one penny newspaper. I could say much, much more (and have, in the past) but will just share the exuberant words of  a Manchester tailor, clothier, hatter, cap manufacturer, hosier, and outfitter, B Hyam:

Today the press, from duty free,
Appears on every side;
Whilst competition reigns around,
And news is scattered wide.
A perfect flood of papers rise,
Like breakers in the storm,
Of every size - at every price -
And every make and form.

We know not what results may rise,
Of failure or success,
From this important privilege,
Conceded to the press;
But let us hope it will extend
Advantages around,
And stand the great palladium
Of Britain's sacred ground!