First meeting since January 31st 2020

First meeting since January 31st 2020 - the night candles were lit and this image made us cry.

It's the witching hour in chill February. That time not quite night or day when memories and new thoughts collide. Our first meeting since January 31st is eddying in vivid picture pools. I realise that our discussion cannot be trapped by the neat and tidy tricks of punctuation - there is more than words at play. Our faces display weariness. The tone and pace of our speech convey frustration, futility even, but there are also sparks of positivity. 

We have been warriors of late, battling for a common goal, buoyed by urgency and triumphant in noteworthy skirmishes. Till the last we were held together and our actions orchestrated to match those of others, combatants in the same campaign. Now, the battle lost, we see, like so many others, a lack of leadership. We hear confused voices struggling for power, endeavouring to maintain the fervour of the past. But where to focus this fervour? The beast we now confront is Hydra-like, its horrors operating at many levels and it is easy for us to feel powerless. 



So where did the discussion take us?



We talked about the need to work with young people as the voters of the future and this might be possible through some established connections at the college. Signposting the link between tackling Climate Change and the role of the EU might be a way to foster interest.


We want to foreground the Erasmus programme and its opaque position after the vote on Wednesday. An action might be to fund raise for inter-rail tickets to go to young people.


We want to find out more about Birmingham for Europe's plan to support EU-27 citizens with the Settled Status application process. Would that be something appropriate and needed in the Lichfield area? We also want to act as a place of contact for local EU citizens who may be facing difficult times.


We see a need to try to influence the structure of the EM to which we are affiliated and encourage inspirational leadership.


We want to act as 'watchers' who ensure that the impact of Brexit, both locally and nationally is given attention through local press, Facebook and contributions to our Blog. 


We want to explore a project to look at connections which might be established with the twinned towns of Limburg-an-der Lahn in Germany and with Sainte-Foy-les-Lyon in France.


Having a presence at the Lichfield festival or using Speakers Corner to promote the message that 'Lichfield is open' was also discussed.



And so monster slayers, this is a long term battle. We each need to consider where our energies may best be focussed and to which of these 'projects'(or others) we want to contribute or take a lead. Our WhatsApp group is still 'live', our Facebook membership is growing, our Blog is established and we have a monthly forum for discussion based at 55 Wade Street.

Will you join us???????????????????????????????????????????????????