That very first meeting was an open session for ideas on community wealth building and cooperative start-ups and immediately I was deflated; there were six people there, only one looked to be under fifty, a girl with a bright and enthusiastic face wearing a smart-casual suit, straight from an office somewhere. Everything about her said recent graduate, the kind of person who prided herself on her ability to get things done, brimming with people skills and empathy, insistently positive. She was part of the influx of bright young things brandishing their phones I recognized from my local Labour Party meetings up in London.
Despite the twenty year plus difference in our ages, she was the person with whom I immediately identified, the one who I felt somehow I had a kind of peer relationship with. Ridiculously in other people's eyes I still thought of myself as on the side of youth against age, still thought of myself as young or at least youthful in important ways. I had kept an open mind I supposed, an inquisitive and exploratory element to my character
On either side of the young graduate two middle aged men in jeans and jumpers, one with glasses the other with very flushed cheeks, both bald, shaven headed, big pot bellies, an even fatter women with frizzy hair and thick glasses and the wiry, intense Nick Boscombe.
Alright, Nick said. Strong local accent. There’s usually another couple of people who can’t make it tonight. Should we all introduce ourselves for anyone new? I’ll start. Keep it short. I’m Nick. Councillor for Castle Ward. Full time for CWF, Community Wealth Fund at the moment, background in the third sector, current focus on a number of Next System projects.
Andy. Twenty years in the Navy, then worked for B.P. on projects in the Caspian sea. retired. Do a bit of consulting work for B.E.C. Interested in transition to sustainable energies and local energy infrastructure. So…
He nodded toward the young graduate.
…So, I’m Lucy I have a degree in engineering and I am working on the wind turbine farms that are part of the Energy Coast. Labour Party member. What else? Originally from the north east. So, I work quite closely with Andy on trying to get the council buildings and partner institutions to shift to renewable powers and be more energy efficient.
Dave. Green party councillor, head Porter at the local hospital, worked there best part of thirty years, co-ordinating things between the hospital and the co-operative Laundry
I took a quick sip of water. I am Carl. I am a teacher, I have just moved down, back really, I am from Barrow originally, and I have come down specifically because I want to get involved in the project you have going on here. Labour Party member.
A pause then it was the very overweight woman sitting directly to the left of Nick Boscombe’s turn.
I’m Christine, she said.
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