Snippets

As we continue our sleepwalk into fascism via Michael Gove’s weaponisation of protest, I was extremely saddened by the news that Tim Evans died at the age of 63 a few days ago. Tim was a great pro-EU / anti-Brexit campaigner who never missed an opportunity to influence someone. For some reason unknown to me, I decided to go for a train and bicycle road trip to Teynham (Brexit central) to reflect on his life. Thinking about Tim’s example to never miss a moment, I also decided to renew the signage on my bike. I know that such things are conversation starters, much in the way that Tim would confront even the most difficult people at Parliament. I was not dissappointed. The ticket collector on the train immediately commented on the sign:

HE “There’s no point. The French won’t let us back.”

ME “Really?

HE “My wife is French and she says it’s all over the French media.”

I could have simply said “all?” or “what’s all over the French media / which media?” but was about to leave the train so I went with a direct challenge to establish some hierarchy (Not that clever in the scheme of things but tempus fugit etc. and it stopped him in his tracks)

ME “I’ve written three books on the topic and spoken with Michel Barnier. It does not matter what the right wing media say here (or in France), I’m afraid that you are talking twaddle”

HE “It’s just that my wife is French” (he thought he could get a cheap shot in and realises that he has come up against a brick wall)

I muttered a few things more and repeated the word twaddle. He wandered off up the carriage. A few minutes later I decided to give him a card as I left the train, saying in front of several other people: “Look, have a look at the website. There’s 400 films, several thousand articles and three books there. get an education”.

On reflection I suspected that this man was a slightly desperate leaver trying to use his French wife as a human shield for his views. He was also slightly trapped by his need for courtesy as a ticket collector. I admit that my intervention was little crude, but time was short and I was in no mood for appeasement, having thought ‘what would Tim have done?’. Every conversation counts.

Imagine my surprise when I got off the train. A man with a can of JD and Coke approached me on the platform and got in the lift with me. I felt another unpromising conversation coming on ….

HE (looking at the bike sign) “One sign isn’t going to change anything.”

ME “I have more.”

HE “I’m just saying that one sign’s not enough”. (At this point I had thought that this chap may be another Brexiteer – how wrong I was).

I explained a little of my work and that the sign was just a very small part of the whole). He then said:

“We should have never have left”.

We then had a conversation on the platform and I offered him my card which he was very grateful for. What a great surprise and a justification of my decision to celebrate Tim’s life by upping my game a bit on a cold day in Spring.

I cycled on to The Chequers in Lewson Street without meeting anyone or discussing Brexit, giving myself a moment of peace to reflect on Tim’s passing. We were about to meet for coffee at Charlotte and Ginger in Leatherhead after Tim refused to meet Gina Miller with me, saying that he’d been badly let down by her a while back. We had agreed to restrict ourselves to looking back over performing songs together at Downing Street, driving people crazy with the Bollocks to Brexit Mini and more mayhem. Tim was a one off, much better than some of the London elites who attempt to tell us how we must behave, many of whom have never met a Brexiteer, let alone interacted with them. Tim was real force of nature who had a great sense of musical theatre and a real understanding of the use of the absurd as a way into the inner sanctums of Brexiteers. I recall that he also used to upset some of the snowflakes at Parliament with his ‘Benny Hill’ styled lyrical rewrites of popular songs. I recall people used to report Tim to me hoping I would censor him. I never did. Now we have laws against extremism as a result of appeasement!! Will the pc middle classes of middle England ever get a little bit angry or learn how to use satire to reach past people’s heads to their hearts, souls and arse souls?

Morals of the stories

You can get a lot done in a little time if you are prepared.

Never assume that people cannot be persuaded.

Be visual. Find ways to start the Brexit conversation on every street corner, cafe, pub etc. This is the gentle art of Brexorcism.

Learn how to conduct full Brexorcisms here. The ones in this article are not really the full artform.

Life is too short. Don’t overthink the need to overthrow Brexit. Just do it !!

Thank you Tim Evans. Even in death you have enriched my life. You were naughty but nice to quote Dick Emery !!

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