No longer merely civic ...

I used to pop blithely out to vote with the words "I'm off to do my civic duty". It was usually sunny, because it was usually May. When I moved to Argyll, I knew my chosen party would never get in, but I voted for them anyway. It feels very different now, and more different than ever today. I have a postal vote these days, not because I can't be bothered going round to the relocated polling station which is now five minutes' walk away rather than three, but because we'd once arranged and booked a holiday and then found there was going to be an election right in the middle of it. But I still feel the need to pass the polling station, as if I want to see that democracy works ...

I've just deleted a very obviously political passage. I've been trying not to go on here. So here we are with my polling station, in the rain, at about 3pm today. Only one party has put up any publicity; I see one couple going in to vote. Elsewhere in the country there were queues, I believe - not here. Maybe in the early morning?  Elsewhere in these islands our fate, including Brexit, will be decided by other people. 

I'm not waiting up. I can deal with it all better after a night's sleep ...