Decline And Fall

Before I begin today’s entry, I must tell you that I was eventually contacted by the young man who I had cast as the pilot in my forthcoming play about The Great Tullamore Balloon Disaster of 1785. I was both delighted and relieved to be informed that he has been practicing his ‘standing-in-a-balloon-basket wave’ because, as the actor himself has declared, this will be the defining image of the play.

But what of life? Well, my parents often use the phrase - when describing events - of something going from ‘the sublime to the ridiculous’. Yesterday was certainly that. After a busy morning of meetings to discuss a new Business Plan for the Nottingham Writers' Studio, members of the committee walked through town to view some potential new premises. We were alarmed to be confronted by dozens of heavily armed police officers patrolling the pavements in the sunshine. They were guarding the Courthouse where a high-profile case was being tried. With their sinister looking black weapons cradled rather casually across their chests, these officers struck me as being disturbingly trigger-happy. As I passed by one group, the pointed barrel of one almost brushed my shoulder and I thought how easily a wrong word or move could result in tragedy. A helicopter shuddered overhead and momentarily, the sunshine lost its warmth

In the afternoon I attended a meeting at Nottingham University headed as "Understanding the Threat: Freedom & Rights versus The Politics of Fear". The speakers were Moazzam Begg (ex-Guantanamo detainee and author of 'Enemy Combatant'), Jeannie Robinson (National Executive of the Universities & Colleges Union) and Rob Owen (National Executive of the NUS). It was an exciting and impassioned event with additional input from the event organizer Gearóid Ó Cuinn, as well as an impromptu speech from Rizwaan Sabir who is the student arrested at the same time as Hicham and who was also held for six days without charge. There were some powerful messages being communicated.

The possible highlight of the meeting though, was a speech made by Hicham Yezza himself. His voice, from inside prison, was relayed by mobile phone via the PA system which meant we had to concentrate very hard in order to hear his words. You could have heard a pin drop. Hicham ended his speech by thanking everyone for their support of his case, adding that we are a “credit to Britain”. I was immediately struck by the irony of this as I wondered how Britain’s de-humanisation and brutal treatment of this decent young man could be considered a ‘credit’ to anyone.

Unfortunately, following the meeting, events turned to the ridiculous. We were meant to be attending a show at the Playhouse called ‘Nottingham Has Talent’. We were dangerously close to being admitted into the auditorium when we recognized that the majority of the audience was made up of ten to fifteen year-old girls. Realizing therefore that the majority of the acts would probably be somewhat talentless attempts at hip-hop or rap, we decided it was probably not for us and so we retired to the bar. Several hours later, and feeling ridiculous, I suddenly remembered being told an adage some years ago: “When someone invites you to drink as much as you like, never take them up on it”. Too late to save last night's dignity, I fear.

Right, now I must tune to BBC Radio 4’s ‘In Our Time’ with Melvyn Bragg. According to my sweet friend Richa, this is the highlight of the week. Let's find out, shall we?