25 September

ALFRED - SUNDAY. 25TH. SEPTEMBER.

Looking through what I have recorded previously, shows how repetitious I can get about weekends. I am so fortunate, being a civil prisoner, being allowed a visitor every day. I know that all those with whom I share this prison are convicted of a crime, or expect to be convicted of one, but they are my fellow prisoners and I share their existence in this place. So I will say it as shortly as I can: "Weekends are deadly."
However, I went to 'church' it was the same retired Methodist Minister with his guitar. He sang an unchurchy song, but very appropriate for a group of prisoners: a slave song from the deep south of the American States. The service followed, and the theme was of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ to all mankind, and that if we wish we can accept it, and allow it to enter our lives to be guided by him. It sounds like the same old thing, but was so well presented, and acceptable. It was given to those who had come to the chapel and therefore knew it, but it would have been a great idea for those who did not come as well. The service concluded with a simple celebration of Holy Communion.

When I returned to the Wing, one of the staff informed me that tomorrow I would be collecting the clothes that I have been expecting for so long. Association was still in progress, so I mixed with those in the hall. I had a chat with Pat, and had a cup of coffee with him. He talked about his life before coming inside. He mainly worked for an Indian landlord, maintaining his properties.
I have not seen Dev for a day or two. Has he left, or been moved, or is he preparing for "Ramadan" which begins about now?
I have a slip of paper, slipped under the cell door, about leaving prison, and would I wish for a car or a train ticket?
During visiting time Una told me she had arranged the press conference at the Saracens Head, in nine days time. Nine days and I am off, back into the world!
Isitfair has paid for the hire of the room. That is marvellous. Thanks Christine.
The Saracen's Head has a largish room for functions, where we have our Probus lunches and meetings. But Una has booked the hotel dining room, which is smaller. The Daily Mail is funding us, and we have signed up to give exclusive interviews to them. Joel fixed that. Well done, Joel. He has a business head, and has been a great help to his mother, and a source of strength for her. It was fortunate that he was staying with us at this time.

Angelo has been told to put our cell back as it should be. The lockers are standing as they should be. The cell now looks crowded. And I am surprised that he was allowed to get away with it for so long. He is a very pleasant young man, and very much happier now that his girlfriend is out of prison the police did not have enough evidence to prosecute her. He wrote her a letter, and on the back of it he wrote a lovely poem, about their future and their love for each other.
Sunday evening TV is not so bad as there is some drama, to keep us quiet: Midsummer Murders, or Foyle's War, or something like that. We have to ask other prisoners for what's on. I would not be surprised if some of them got a magazine that included the week's TV programmes, in the post. Angelo went to sleep half way through the programme, so I saw the news, and went to bed myself. Tomorrow Sylvia Hardy goes to court to be sentenced for withholding a small part of her council tax. If they work it out as they did with me, she should not get more than a week in prison.




UNA - SEPTEMBER 25TH 2005

I used an early start to list the points that might be useful for the BBC interview this afternoon:

1. We deliberately broke the law knowing that this would lead to a prison sentence.
2. Before we started on this route we followed all the democratic means possible to persuade the powers that be that this blatantly unfair tax needed urgent reform. Politicians and Councils showed only shallow interest.
3. We prefer that people who are outraged about Alfred being in prison should use their energy to join in the great effort to achieve reform.
4. The reason that Sylvia Hardy will probably serve a 6 day prison sentence while Alfred serves 28 days is because Devon Council allowed her to continually pay her council tax without the increases, and South Northants Council did not. Maybe with the arrival of the new Chief Executive this policy might change.
5.Sir Jeremy Beecham of the Local Government Association has stated that the council tax system needs changes and deferring action only makes the problem worse.
6.Isitfair, the national protest group, argues that that reform is not hard to achieve.
7. Before 2007 the Government needs to show that a fairer system has begun to roll.

There will only be time to make 3 points at the most.
While I think about this problem I get on with changing the beds and the necessary jobs that keep us grounded. Arriving downstairs I can see the time has come to throw out the dead flowers. I notice that flowers are still forming on the runner beans growing for the first time this year in pots on the patio. Alfred planted these and he will see them in nine days time for himself.

Then I considered the list again, and decide that 3, 5, and 6 might be my key points and be ready for a question about 4.

When I reached the prison for the afternoon visit I checked in first of all to get my ticket. My number is 6 today. Feeling more settled I walk out to the entrance to meet the BBC producer and cameraman waiting to begin. The producer greets me by saying that she and I have something in common, which turns out to be that we married clergymen. Hers is a Methodist Minister. She finds it a difficult life - all give on the part of the clergyman and not much consideration in return. This sounds familiar to me.
With a strong breeze whipping around us we went ahead with the interview. I only hope that some of the thinking done earlier comes out coherently. It would be shown on BBC news at 1 p.m. tomorrow. This would make the third interview being shown at the same time on three different channels.

During the visiting procedures there was plenty of time to recover, and I thankfully remembered that Joel had offered a meal out this evening. He had his eye on La Strada, a very satisfying Italian restaurant in Towcester but it was difficult to book a table. No one had answered the phone when he tried earlier.

I enjoyed talking to a young woman who came from the High Wycombe area and was especially clear thinking. She told me many times she enjoyed talking to me. We met before and after our visits. Her guy is being held on remand at Milton Keynes prison. His biggest anxiety was losing her. This was understandable. She was very attractive. He would have been reassured if he could have heard her tell me she intends to stick with him.

The high spot of the day was seeing and being with Alfred. He gave me an emotional greeting which was returned with interest! We settled down to chat and even laugh. The hall echoed with other people's conversations, laughter included.
He agreed with my response to Sir Michael Lyons and Mr David Clark. He pointed out his cellmate, Angelo, who was a young open-faced guy. Alfred expects to collect his own clothes tomorrow! Such a long wait!
I told him the BBC producer felt sure that when he next preached the Church should be full!

Joel was home before me and went off to the Leisure Centre for a while. When I settled down I phoned Christine to update. Following this I called Sylvia to give her our encouragement for tomorrow's Court appearance. She told me that the Daily Mail were outside her home but she had decided to let the Trevor Mcdonald representatives inside, but not anyone else, before getting some sleep. She was prepared to go to prison and be out on Saturday.

My day finished in a friendly Indian Restaurant in Towcester with Joel who truly looked after me.