40 years – in the blink of an eye….
It was the summer of 1985 – I’d scraped some underwhelming A level results and managed to blag a place at Brighton Polytechnic. Didn’t really have a plan – and spent the first year sleeping on a friends floor in Coldean wondering what on earth I’d let myself in for. Managed to get to higher education with the benefit of a student grant, fees being covered and housing benefit to ease some of the living costs. It was the peak or pits of the Thatcher years – so all of these benefits were soon removed. Brighton itself seemed like a very different place to the slightly smug cultural hub it has become (and which I embrace wholeheartedly). Brighton and Hove were different towns, both were staunchly conservative and the far right had been active locally for years. There was though a real energy in the community, in neighbourhoods and within the student population to fight for change and make a sustainable difference.
So with no real plan or much of a clue I settled and built my life here.
This year – I managed to have August off. Properly off. No work. Even the chair role I do required minimal input. I could pretend that I used the time for worthy causes, recharging batteries, contemplating life / career / next steps. But really I was just a bit knackered, wanted some time to play and live in Brighton – which is a fantastic place to be in the summer. Got all the boring bits that accompany self-employment out the way early – so company tax return filed, VAT paid, outstanding invoices chased and banked. Then attended to some ‘jobs’ around the house – masonry painted, numerous trips to the dump etc.
But really – just properly switched off and focused on catching up with friends, family, long dog walks, reading and trying to get my golf handicap down. All achieved with varying degrees of success. So we had friends visiting from China, other friends weddings, friends turning 60 and D1 to help move to Bristol & then visit for a long weekend.
I realise that this is a luxurious and privileged position to have been in – and don’t take it for granted.
And while re-charging batteries to be ready for work wasn’t the point – it was an inevitable side effect.
So as Autumn looms …… watch this space. Or get in touch if there’s something you think I could help with.
Of course a prolonged break also gave me more time to ruminate on the things that are more depressing in the world right now. Presidential autocratic power grabs in the US, the ever deepening moral disgrace that is Gaza, the ongoing war in Ukraine and never ending problems in Sudan. All revolving around deperate, despicable men.
I see the government have appointed their 4th Director of Communications in Keir Starmers 5th year as party leader. Let’s hope this one notices that when parliament goes into summer recess and supposedly takes a holiday – Farridge and co ramp up their media activity. Every year they do it – feeding and fed by bored political journalists and commentators they are given free rein and unfettered platforms. No other political party would have been given the (unchallenged) airtime last week to talk about an immigration policy that started to unravel within hours.
It’s as predictable as it is shameful. It’s divisive and destructive.
It would also be really to challenge. The one thing Farridge was supposedly an expert on was Europe / Brexit – which is clearly an unmitigated disaster costing circa £40bn per year in trade, adding directly to the current ‘small boats crisis’ (which literally didn’t exist 5 years ago when we were part of the EU and signatories to the Dublin Agreement). So why would you give him the microphone again – to come up with ever more isolationist and racist solutions to problems that are largely of his own making.
But instead of challenging this progressively the government seem constantly on the back foot and fall constantly back onto – well what I don’t know really. ID cards, tougher immigration policies, draconian application of anti-terrorist legislation ….. it’s like the fag end of the Blair and Brown governments without the benefits of the previous 10 years.
So now it’s September – Recovery Month – a time to celebrate the successes, mourn those who have been lost and hopefully ramp up efforts to address what continues to be a public health crisis largely of our own making and one in which ongoing complacency will lead to even more deaths. Scottish drug related death figures for 2024 are set to remain the highest in Europe – despite a 13% reduction year on year from 2023. Glasgow’s Thistle project has opened and appears to be establishing itself as an important part of the health landscape.
Thanks to Alistair Flowers I attended the Harm Reduction Exchange last week and was able to hear directly from Thistle staff about the impact they are making – in the face of some ferociously unhelpful criticism.
I was also struck that the Thistle does have the benefit of being seen (and funded) as a pilot – one which can help shape future policy. And as I have said many times previously – we’ll look back in 10 years time and wonder what all the fuss was about.
The challenge for all of us though is to make sure that any future funding for drug consumption rooms / safer injecting sites / overdose prevention centres are seen as additional investments. It does seem that the costs of running the Thistle exceed the total budget that numerous local authorities spend on the entirety of their drug services. They must be seen to support not replace existing systems.
We must also guard against those that at the end of the pilot who become critical that there remain issues around drug related death, harm and litter within communities.
Managed to use the time off to see some great live music – highlights including The Molotovs, Jane Weaver, Deadletter and Gruff Rhys. And am excited to be seeing CMAT on Wednesday at an in-store show at Resident. Given that she seems set for stadium rock style status I think this could be the last chance to see her i such an intimate venue.
