Save Barnet Libraries - An evening with Robert Rams

So tonight it was down to Chipping Barnet Tory HQ to protest about library closures. Councillor Robert Rams was giving a talk at a "political forum". A group of us had agreed to meet at the pub beforehand and then march down mob handed. As I was late and they were tucking into their second pint at the start time, I said "It's freezing cold, you guys stay here and I'll ring you when it gets busy". They thought this was a splendid idea.

So off I went. As I arrived outside the Tory HQ, another member of the campaign, Colin turned up. I explained the plan and we started handing out leaflets. Well we would have if anyone had turned up. After about 10 minutes, someone who may have been Councillor Barry Evangeli, or could have been the bloke from rent-a-kill turned up. He asked what we were doing, we gave him a leaflet and he replied "I like libraries". Five minutes later a few more campaigners turned up. No more Tories. We stood there. The High street was deserted. One of us nipped round the back to spy on the Tories. Our spy reported back "I counted 2 of them". Just then another Tory turned up. She looked like she had just won the world cup for sneering. I gave her a leaflet. She sneered. Unlike Barry Evangeli/The bloke from Rent-a-Kill (* delete as appropriate) I suspect she doesn't like libraries. She certainly didn't like punk rockers who organise protests.

After another ten minutes (and no more Tories), Colin said "I'm frozen, do you mind if I go home". It seemed rather pointless standing there, if all the Tories were giving Rams the bird. "No, of course not".  It seems like even the Tories are too sensible to want to listen to a berk (in the classical sense) like Rams. We packed up. I stopped by the pub to tell the rest of the team that we'd decided that there were better things to do than stand outside an empty building. They heartily agreed and ordered another pint. Sadly I couldn't join them as I had a band rehearsal to attend and some rather cold fingers to thaw out. I hope the Chipping Barnet sneering champion enjoyed Mr Rams talk. Maybe the CIA could have put Julian Assange in there with him. I'm sure that after half an hour of Rams wit, he'd never take another leak again. Then again, Cameron has said he's banned strange and unusual punishments that could be perceived as torture.