A big rock to climb

I woke up at 6.30am and was almost too scared to check the news on the election in the UK. It was 12.30am in the UK and the first results would be coming in. When I did look, I was stunned to read about the exit poll. I’d booked a trip for this morning so I wouldn’t spend all morning obsessively checking the results (as I was expecting to get increasingly depressed about the size of the Conservative victory).

I was picked up about 8.45am to go spend the morning rock climbing. The cliffs were next to a beach you can only get to by boat. The instructors set up the ropes and I was first to go up the route on the left where the girl is. I’ve only climbed a few times indoors before and haven’t done any for several years. Outside on real rock is much more difficult. There were quite a few people climbing so there was a lot of waiting around for a turn. I successfully got up three different routes but the third one I really struggled with. I tried a fourth but by that time my arms felt like jelly and I was really tired. The route started out going up a section that I’d negotiated before but this time I got stuck and didn’t have the strength left to pull myself up. I was annoyed with myself and wished I could have finished on a success. All my muscles hurt now!


When we got back to the climbing company’s office I went on their wifi to look at the news. I was really nervous that the exit poll would turn out to be wrong and couldn’t stop smiling at the result. No huge Tory majority. I’m less happy now that they’ve made a deal with the DUP. But I’m going to stay optimistic (for now) that they’ll have to compromise on the worst of their policies and a stronger opposition has to be a good thing. The results once again show what a ridiculous voting system we have: Conservatives get 42% of the national vote and win 318 seats, Labour get 40% but only 261 seats. The DUP get 10 seats with just 290,000 votes in total, the Green party got 525,000 votes and only 1 seat.

(I've almost caught up with posting blips for this week, only yesterday still to post. Look back for Koh Lanta,)