BRIGHTON UP MY DAY

I had an important appointment today which meant taking the bus from the centre of Brighton. Normally this trip would take twenty minutes. It took me forty-five minutes there, and over an hour back. Why? Well today was the day that the government was voting on student fees and Brighton has been at the forefront of student protest. Most of our students were in London, but there remained a vocal small crowd left at home. These students were quite young - still at school probably - but they had managed to stop the traffic.

Sitting on the bus, surrounded by revolting students and outnumbered by policeman, a woman behind me complained loudly about the disruption these protests were causing to ordinary folk trying to get about their business. A man beside her agreed and replied that he thought the parents were to blame. "What?", said a woman with a young child on her lap, "how come it's always the parents fault?" And then a full scale discussion ensued. Very well mannered and no-one getting too hot under their collars. My contribution was just to say that I think it's important that we stand up for our beliefs - that we take a stand on issues that mean a lot to us. Another woman agreed whole heartedly. A man then said that " if these kids don't get educated then what hope for all of us?" Another said that he wished his children wanted to go to university " 'stead of lazing about 'specting me to do all the earning".

Everyone laughed.

It quite Brightoned up my day.

Annabel