The longest winter

A very indoorsy, officey kind of day today so I took myself out for a walk at lunch time to cheer myself up. I did not cheer up, I just got very cold. Overheard a conversation: ‘this feels like the longest winter ever’. I hear you. I can’t take much more of this endless grey.

In other news from my office desk today…

Since before Christmas there has been a man who has come to protest outside the psychiatric hospital by my house. He parks his white van and then proceeds to stand on top of it with a megaphone and shout various choruses of ‘Free Hilary’. He usually stays for about an hour or so, loudly taking aim at the NHS and various members of staff, sometimes by name. What I’ve gathered is that he believes that his mother is being held against her will.

He’s been coming more frequently of late, about four times a week. Whilst the shouting is a distraction, I understand that he has a right to protest. The last three days though, he’s brought speakers with him and has been playing horrendous dance music, shouting various forms of ‘Free Hilary’ over it (I did smirk when he fitted that lyric over the ghostbusters theme tune).

A few of us had enough and written a report to the police. In my part because the music is driving me to distraction and I think it’s really unfair to shout abuse at NHS staff coming out of work. The police did show up today and they chatted for over an hour. Let’s see what happens.