BTUs

This morning I took an earlyish (10am) train to London Victoria. Normally this train has more vacant seats than occupied ones. Not so today, but I did find one seat available. The train was full to the gunwales with happy protesters.

There was a group of women sat around a table making a banner stating “We ♥ freedom of movement”. They had taken an old printed nylon promotional banner and painted it the previous night with that special cream-coloured rubber paint used for sealing bathroom walls prior to tiling. Now that the paint had dried they were arting it up with an assortment of felt tip pens. When they had completed the first side it was turned over to begin the other. At one point they became aware that the first (downside) was smudging because the rubber paint had not absorbed the ink. One woman was concerned that the artwork was being spoiled, another was concerned that the ink might stain the laminate table top, the arty one wasn't bothered about either of their concerns, she was just happy being arty “in the moment”.

There was some discussion about whether or not to wear the stickers proclaiming “VOTE LEAVE Broke The Law” The argument being that VOTE LEAVE was the most noticeable part of the sticker and not the fact that lying to the electorate is not actually illegal.

At another table a mostly male group was snorting derision at Rochester Cathedral, stating that it didn't look much of a cathedral to them from their seats on the train at the railway station and what had it ever done to qualify as one? I wanted to tell them that it was Britain's second oldest. That it had been built in 1079 by Gundulph and is in fact a marvellous place, well worth a visit and not to be snorted at.

From Victoria I took the underground to Paddington which was heaving with freshly arrived Jocastas and Tristans, all queuing for the “proper” loos because those stainless steel ones on the trains are somehow “improper”.

At first I thought it was a “Brexit” thing, but later in the day I came to the conclusion that it is in fact a “going on a protest” thing. Thoroughly middle class, every single one of them having Been To University and filled with arrogant smug ignorance.

It's a class war.