Thursday 21 December 2006

That Was The Branch That Was

It's Thursday evening. I've just come home smelling of booze and fags. That can only mean one thing. Stoke Central SP has resumed meeting in the pub. The room where we gathered has seen some sights this year. I've heard the stools creek under the Suttons' corpulent frames. We've had absurd union bureaucrats arguing for keeping the NHS SOS campaign non-political. It was also the scene where I briefly cut a dashing figure on Sky News. And after this evening the final branch meeting of 2006 can be added to this list of esteemed happenings.

Cde Neil opened the proceedings with a short lead off on the polarising processes underway at present in Bolivia, which opened out into a discussion on the nature of solidarity, the relationship between classes and the lessons that can be drawn from the struggle there for our own political practice. Then came a short break before Andy introduced a timetable for the branch's activity in the coming months. The first meeting of 2007 will be dealing with our election plans, and judging by the v short but extremely lively debate that erupted it sounds like the branch has interesting times ahead.

The final item on the agenda was the famous SP socialist xmas quiz! Questions to help brighten your last day at work will come after this has been posted. But I'm proud to say I avenged by miserable 3rd place from last year and saw the opposition off without any trouble. Thank you comrades for the prize - if you don't mind I'm going to dedicate my bottle of wine to the juche idea and the memory of the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-Sung.

PS Wicked whispers reach me of scandalous behaviour at Loz's party. As this is a family blog euphemisms will be used to preserve its good and decent reputation.

* Who proved very keen to help Loz set up the decorations but was nowhere to be found when the cleaning up came round?

* Which up and coming radio star so scared the children present with her inebriated behaviour that they had to go home early?

* Who had to take their number one out the window because the bathroom was occupied by a just-met couple keen to display their affection for one another?

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