When did you first attend the SODEM protest outside Parliament and why did you come? 

About 3 weeks after Steve started standing outside Parliament – end of September 2017.

Roughly how old are you?

Retired

How frequently did you come and when was the last time you attended?              

At first, about once a week.  Later on about twice a week.  2019 (I was away March/April) pretty much every day, especially October/November.  Last time was a Wednesday about two weeks before lockdown.

How far from Westminster do you live and what was your travelling time?

It’s only about 13 miles.  Roughly 1.5 hours each way.

What’s your favourite memory?

Oh gosh.  When something out of the ordinary happens it sticks in one’s mind – the inflatable dinosaur day (there were two dinosaurs I think, but this was the first); the day that man turned up out of the blue with his big red Routemaster to drive us round and round the area; the day Steve had his ferry boat wafting behind the media on the long pole, and the long pole episode all together; the day a white van drew up and we were expecting the usual insults and the lad in the passenger seat opened his window and handed Barbara a £50 note and said to buy us all a drink! And then when the note was passed to Steve he said, “Oh no, I can’t spend this!  It’s a serial number AX whatever, that’s a special series….”. Oh, just so much.

Tell me your story

I read about this man taking a stand, on Facebook I think, and someone had tried to set up a rota to stand with him. I really was not at all sure about doing any such thing, so I didn’t sign (nor had anyone as far as I can remember) but I ventured up there, expecting about 50 people.  There was just Steve and me! I never put in the commitment that so many others did, living it, travelling hundreds of miles etc., but I knew what we were doing was right, and I HAD to do something.  It’s not a nice trait in me as I suppose it was quite selfish but I knew I had to be able to stand proud in the future that at least I had literally stood up to be counted.  My hands are clean.  

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