Week in review, in phone photos + People's Vote march in London

[nanila]

On Monday, I stayed up very late working, with Snorlax and cinnamon tea for company.


On Tuesday, we installed Minecraft on the tablet.


On Wednesday, the bloke brought home my favourite Indian sweets, given to him by his post-doc.


On Thursday, Humuhumu drew an amazing picture of the family at after school club, but was interrupted before she could finish Daddy, so he is ghostly. Sorry I had to spoil it by redacting the names.


On Friday, I went to sit at a hot desk in electrical engineering, and an Iranian postdoc gave me what I can only describe as a pistachio-coated jammy dodger because it was her birthday. (The biscuit was delicious.)


On Saturday, I went to London to march with rather a lot of people who are a bit cross about Brexit.


I had an EU flag draped round my shoulders and a Union Jack on an extendable flagpole. I was wearing my European Space Agency fleece and my exclusive-to-ESRIN Rosetta spacecraft t-shirt.

There was some excellent signage: "Fromage, not Farage". "Pulling out doesn't work". "IKEA has better cabinets". "I'm 14. Rees-Mogg says I'll feel the benefit of Brexit when I'm 64. No thanks". (Hastily scrawled on both sides) "This is the back of my sign. Like Brexit, it would be better if if it were reversed". A couple carrying a pair of signs, reading "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now".


"20 years of peace in Ireland. Thank you EU"


Lots of "Scientists for EU" signs, and one that says, "We're stockpiling loo roll to deal with your [poo emoji]"


"Brie not Brexit"


"Bramm orth Bretmes: A fart to Brexit (Cornish curse, traditional)"


Marchers were of all ages.


There really were rather a lot of us.

It took me from 11 AM to 2 PM to get from the InterContinental hotel on Park Lane round the corner to the first Green Park bus stop. That's about 200 metres. I arrived at Whitehall around 4:10 PM and could get no closer to Parliament Square than the Horse Guards Parade. I could see one of the big screens projecting the speeches to the crowd, so I stayed to hear Lord Heseltine's very moving speech about the greatest success of the European project: decades of peace. He finished with an exhortation to resist Brexit for the sake of the young people, so many of whom were sent to the trenches time and again, which must never be allowed to happen again. I cheered, with tears in my eyes, and then departed. I had been standing or walking for six hours without a break, water, or any food other than fruit. It was my first protest march since my early teens, I still haven't recovered physically, it was completely worth it, and I'd do it again.


I hereby declare this to be the Best Sign of the People's Vote March: "Please, can we just not?" The umbrella handle, y'all.

Comments

[lurkingcat]

That is a great set of signs. And thank you for marching. I opted not to go for mental health reasons but I did manage to write to my MP which is not something I usually do and the response that I got from her today was actually pretty reasonable.

Your Snorlax looks so very peaceful.

[rmc28]

That last sign is so much how I feel. Ditto https://www.justmakeitstop.co.uk/ which I sadly discovered after writing a carefully personal email to my MP last week, as the Revoke petition climbed towards a million signatures ...

I opted not to go on the march, and booked a furniture delivery instead, because I was worried how much it would knock me out this week if I did. (and given how tired I was by the several hours of tidying/flatpacking I did do on Saturday, that was probably the right choice). So I am especially grateful to everyone I know who did get out there to be seen and hopefully heard.

[pbristow]

Thankyou so much for doing this. (All of it, but especially the march.)

I had booked the time off so that I would at least have the *option* of going to the march, and even had a packed lunch of sorts sorted out, but in the end couldn't face the prospect. =:o\ So glad it's been so succesful (and peaceful!)

[HIGH FIVES U]

[silveradept]

Success at the march, well done everyone. And Akzo, the excellent signage on display.

And now, perhaps, more time with Snorlax.

[samskeyti]

When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple (or fuschia + a violet-leaning blue). ♥

[uninvitedcat]

Thank you for marching. I couldn’t attend due to family commitments, but I have sent my MP an email - the very first time I have ever written to my MP! Here’s hoping this all makes a difference.

[kotturinn]

Thankyou for marching. I saw photos of so many good signs and these just add to them.

Hope you get some quality time with your Snorlax now!

[marahmarie]

Thank you for marching (I don't even live there and I'm so very against Brexit, myself - solidarity!) and for sharing the pictures and for describing or showing all the signs and I hope somehow there is a way to reverse it. "Pulling out never works" *snorfle* if I'd had a drink I surely would've snorted it out my nose or spit it out, reading that.

[sfred]

<3

[nanila]

Well done for writing your MP. I wrote a postcard to mine on the coach on the way down which was the first time in a while.

[nanila]

I was so pleased to see all the signs with the names of people who couldn't march but wanted to express solidarity. It was heartening.

[nanila]

I was expecting to feel the police presence more but I guess the Met have learnt a lot about non intrusive crowd control since the Stop the War march. Thanks for the high fives and being there in spirit.

[nanila]

Definitely more time with Snorlax! Thank you.

[nanila]

Isn't she great? That's Janet. She came down on the same coach as me.

[nanila]

Well done for writing! I'm hopeful that the sheer volume of people who have been galvanised into action cannot be ignored.

[nanila]

Thank you! I have to wait until Easter for a proper break but am very much looking forward to it.

[nanila]

There were a few of those signs. One was being waved next to a chap with a "Save our Chablis" sign and a wine bottle. He got a few cheers. :D

[nanila]

♥!