15 September

ALFRED - THURSDAY. 15TH. SEPTEMBER.

I do not have a serious medical condition, but every now and again I have what I call a bad day. It is not really bad, but in the mornings I take four pills, for cholesterol and a very slight heart condition.
But these bad days, are really meant that I feel heavy, and for a while I seem to drag myself about in a lethargic way. That's how I feel, today.
And I am feeling fed up with being in prison. It is so boring. Today it was toast and jam for breakfast and little pot of yoghurt. The fact is that I have run out of tobacco.
The only thing to look forward to is Una's visit, the first since Sunday. I have tried to phone her on several occasions, but I seldom get through. It is quite a palaver to ring. There are two phones, with hoods, and there are many who want to use them, so one waits in a queue until it is your turn. One types in one's phone code, and the amount of money one has in the phone bank is shown on the screen, then dial the number that you want. The phones are well used, and could do with some maintenance. One holds the phone card, dial the number, and with other hand jiggle the receiver up and down. Luckily for me one or two of the inmates see my difficulty, and help me. Then I find my home number is engaged, so put the phone back to let another inmate to use it, and I join the back of the queue again. This can happen two or three times, so I leave a message. All that happened last night.
I go off to the Visitors Hall, after eating half a baguette, leaving the other half for when I return to the cell. I usually get seated towards the back of the hall. I had a bit of trouble, today. The lady officer tells me my seat number looking down at her sheet, and I am a little deaf and do not hear what is said, so I lean forward and put my arms up on the counter, and ask her to repeat it. " Get your arms off the counter!" What can one do, but to say sorry?
Una arrives, looking tired, with a "friend". He is Michael Tierney of the Glasgow Telegraph. He is smartly dressed in a dark suit, and has gingerish hair. He flew down from Glasgow, and is returning this afternoon. We talk for a while, and then he excuses himself to go to the airport. I presume he would use Luton, a couple junctions down the M1. Una tells me he is unwell. Poor chap! Una tells me all her news. She is so busy, dealing with phone calls, recording interviews, and stopping every now and again for a TV interview, as well as teaching her students, and looking after herself, and Joel. Actually they look after each other, but Joel is often away working. But it is so lovely to be with her for this short time.
After she left, I was sitting in my seat and seeing the other prisoners watching their visitors leave. Here I am, a prisoner of nine days, and some of them are here or in another prison for years. I find it so boring, and they have to put up with it for all that time. Some of them go off to education, learning different subjects. I believe that if they qualify they get a little more pay, but they also fill up their day.
In Wing 4A I have met Dev Patel. His father came to England to work in the textile industry. Dev and his brother were born in this country. Anyway, Dev appears to be in his 40s, and has his home in South London. His wife travels by public transport to visit him, taking about four hours each way. She is heavily pregnant. She journeys about eight hours, and sees him for 50 minutes. He is a businessman in a small way, he says, with a coin operated laundry and small help- yourself shop. But at one time he had a small chain of shops, which he eventually sold at a profit. But he runs his businesses himself and is concerned what is happening to them while he is away. When we got back to the wing, he told me that as he was brought up in this country he had no religion, but since he married his present wife, he has become a Muslim.
While we were talking together, a young man joined us, and asked what we thought of the Mormon religion. We talk about religion for some while. We gathered that this young and earnest man was seeking a religion that had a strong moral code, that would guide him and keep him from making the mistakes that eventually brought him to prison. He thought Mormonism was a strict religion that might help him. We told him that most religions had laws and rules, and that he ought to look into several to see if they had what he was looking for.
After supper a young man was cleaning the dinning tables, and said he wanted to give me some tobacco. Later I went to his cell and he gave two 'ticklers', and talked about his situation. He was on remand, waiting for his court hearing. He said he was talking to a policeman in one part of the town, when it came over the police radio that they wanted him for a crime that was actually being committed in another part of the town at the same time. The police also found that the DNA found at the scene of the crime was not his, and that he was not involved, as the police officer with whom he was talking at that time could testify, His arrest he felt it was a case of 'give a dog a bad name' so charged him.
It is Thursday evening. The 'canteen' that I had ordered is in the office and I must pick it up, before 'bang up'.
So a day that started badly, was quite a good day really.



UNA - SEPTEMBER 15TH

There's a lot to be said for getting up early if there is likely to be a full day ahead. It is an opportunity to open up the house without hurrying.
I made a start by unlocking the front and back doors and bringing in the milk.
This was followed by going into the sitting room to draw back the curtains, shake the settee cushions into shape, and tidy books and papers. Topping up the flowers with water, there was time to appreciate their shapes and colours.
I went into the kitchen to wash up plates and glasses left overnight, and to sweep and wash the kitchen floor, trying not to wake Joel who slept above.
I pulled back the long curtains in the dining room, which let in the early sunshine. We have a green and white striped awning attached to the outside wall that stretches across the patio when unwound, and provides shade for the dining room at breakfast time.
Pushing open the doors I walked slowly round the garden enjoying the fresh air and deciding whether or not to water the pots and the rest of the plants. We kept our hose beneath the kitchen window. Because our garden is small it takes no real effort to water the garden, de-heading at the same time and picking out a weed or two. The grass was still growing at a fast rate and in a day or so it would need cutting.
I carried a pail of water to the front door to water the conifer that stood in a pot there and glanced down the side of the house to see how the gladioli’s were doing. These grew between dark green shrubs that stretched their height close to the wall and I de-headed them while I was there.
Time for a leisurely cup of tea to drink in the garden.
After a while I went upstairs to wash, dress and make the bed, very conscious that Alfred was not at home.
Breakfast was a simple meal of muesli and orange juice. As I listened to Radio 4 I wondered what the day held for Alfred in Prison, for Anne and Jake in Devon, for Joel upstairs, and for me.

Obviously Joel had his own agenda for the day. He came downstairs when he was ready or we might meet moving about upstairs. Today his foot caused him no major problem. The strong support bandage worked well and he was ready to carry out his plan to drive to Oxford.
It was good having him based here at this time. No one had planned for this to happen but we were certainly gaining a great deal of experience from each day's events.

In the post today was the first anti letter. Re-reading it I realised it was really an attack on Christianity and not on what my husband's protest was about.
Christine had sent us a generous æÃ100 cheque from the Isitfair group towards our phone bill which could be excessive because of the increased phone calls I was making.

I had just finished booking three more visits to Alfred when Christian Gysin arrived. We discussed the situation of the Debt, and the statements made by the Magistrate and South Northants Council. Councillor Martin Wilson had thought it helpful to let me know that the Cabinet, (the exaggerated but correct name given to the chief Committee of local Councillors), was meeting on October 10th. He seemed to think that the outcome would affect us.
Alfred and I seemed to be the only ones who understood that it could not affect us at all once the Prison sentence had been served.
Christian told me that the Mail had a copy of the statement that South Northants had made about remitting the Debt which could help us if there was any contention.
I made coffee and enjoyed Christian's company. It lightened the intensity of the day listening to funny stories as well as sharing serious concerns.
Christian had brought with him a cheque from his paper which he gave me for his interview with Alfred.
After Christian had left there was only an hour to go before it was time to make the journey to the Prison.
I went via Towcester, calling at the Bank and the Co-op where I bought stamps and ordered tomorrow's copy of the Towcester Post and was given people's good wishes to take to Alfred.

When I arrived in the Prison car park it was so full that I had to drive around for a while before I found a space near the entrance to Reception. A taxi drew up to the entrance as I was getting out of the car and Michael Tierny, journalist from the Glasgow Telegraph, stood looking my way. We both guessed each other’s identity. Our arrangements to meet had worked well. His flight from Glasgow was difficult for him because of his heavy cold. He was a business-like young man determined to complete his plan to add a report about Alfred to the interview he did yesterday with Sylvia Hardy in Devon.
He was intrigued with the procedures we went through before sitting face to face with my husband. I left them to talk while I bought drinks and biscuits from the shop in the corner of the hall. I noticed a few prisoners sitting alone. It must be very hard waiting for someone to come, when all the others with their visitors seemed to emphasise them being alone.
Alfred looked strained but acted strong. He was learning fast about Prison life and was concerned about some of its aspects. We had a good time catching up. Michael left before time was up because he was anxious to be on time to catch his flight back to Glasgow.
Alfred was particularly pleased that two letters from Anne had got through to him. He had written back to her and Jake immediately.
I gave him the news about receiving two cheques today and we were both keen to divide the one from Christian equally into three, split between Anne, Joel and ourselves.
Alfred said that the worst part of being in Prison, is being away from me and enduring the one-in-ten strip search that takes place after visiting times.

Before reaching home I remembered to buy more support bandages for Joel's foot. I reached home just in time for the Radio Oxford interview scheduled for this afternoon. It finished with me suggesting that people should write to Tony Blair urging for Council Tax Reform. This sort of statement is cut from TV and newspaper articles, but is harder to cut on a live airway.
I thought of my growing collection of letters to the Prime Minister, nine so far.

Before checking the answerphone messages, I dived off again to Waitrose’s for a few food items. By the fish counter a lady whom did not know at all came up to me to say how greatly she admired our stance and greatly supported us. To be recognised at all amazes me. Both of us completely misjudged the amount of publicity our action attracted. Her words gave me the energy to rapidly finish my shopping and get back home.

Among the messages were invitations from Eddie Mayer's programme and the Politics Show for Alfred when he was available.
Sylvia Hardy, due to visit Alfred next Tuesday, was anxious to know what she could bring him. I knew that files and pliers would be welcome but not allowed. Sylvia wryly accepted the rules that nothing could be brought in.

When Joel came home at the end of his long day, he had eaten all he wanted and just needed to relax. We sat happily chatting, before and after Christine's welcome night call to check that all was well in our neck of the woods.
At that moment it was clearly so.