Introduce yourself

[greatkingrat]

So you must be our youngest member, having celebrated your 8th birthday last year.

[anthony]

Jan 30, 2013 12:36:55 GMT greatkingrat said:

So you must be our youngest member, having celebrated your 8th birthday last year.

Indeed; I probably won't reach my 25th birthday . . .

[erlend]

Something which if were told that by most people before their 9th birthday might be rather distressing.

[Tony Otim]

Hi. i'm 37 years old, was born in deepest darkest Surrey and stayed there until I was 18. After a brief stint teaching in East Africa I came to Uni in Edinburgh and have stayed here ever since. I have a degree in English literature and a postgrad in Comm Ed and work for the council's cHildren & Families' Dept.

Joined the Green party in 2010, after successfully campaigning to get a Green councillor elected again in meadows Morningside last year I moved up the road to a ward with two conservatives and 1 Nat representing it.

Married for a year and a half, a father for almost a week. Old hobbies included watching lots of films and playing football. new ones include changing nappies and not sleeping much

[East Anglian Lefty]

I was born in Rugby but grew up just outside Colchester, where I went to the local grammar school. Not being good enough to do classics to degree level and not wanting to ever have to take another course on Hitler and Stalin, I leapt at the chance to do a degree on the languages and history of Dark Age Britain and related parts in Cambridge. I'm now doing a PhD at the University of Aberdeen in a related field, but permanently resident in Cambridge and temporarily resident in Oslo on a visiting studentship.

2005 was the first election I could vote in, and I backed the Labour candidate. This was a protest vote, as whilst I preferred Lib Dem policies at the time, their PPC struck me as a complete waste of space. I honestly can't remember whether I voted Lib Dem or Labour in 2006. If pushed, I'd guess it was the latter, but the ward wasn't marginal enough for it to make a blind bit of difference.

I joined the Labour Party in 2007 because I wanted a vote if there was going to be a leadership contest. I delivered a couple of leaflet rounds in Cambridge, but didn't start to get involved until I moved to Tottenham when I was taking my M. A. In 2009, back in Cambridge and unemployed, I really began to get active. I was a local election candidate in 2010, was elected chair of my local branch when we managed to reconstitute it after the election and helped run a by-election campaign. In Aberdeen I found myself CLP secretary when the previous incumbent left the city without telling anybody, and about six months later also found myself chairing the Labour Club (a post I spent the next six months trying to hand off to somebody else). I'm hoping to be a paper candidate this year and will be looking for a winnable ward as soon as it's likely I'll be living in the same city for four years.

I'm in a long-term long-distance relationship with a woman much smarter than me, who's also tolerant enough to have joined the Labour Party (though she still thinks I'm weird for regularly attending GC). She's right.

[Khunanup]

I'd noted this before on the previous forum, and it's confirmed by our information on this one (and introductions on here) that myself, Anthony and the Dok were all born within three and a bit months of each other, were all in the same school year (in three completely separate places), two were born thirteen days apart in the same town (now city) and we're all from the North West. We also all joined the same party before our 21st birthday and are still members of that same party today. Are there any other similar school/calender years for same party members from this forum?

If I remember correctly, NeilM who I know did register on this forum and was quite active up until some time ago on the old one was in the same school year as well though of course he is a Tory.

[johnloony]

Feb 3, 2013 2:18:01 GMT Khunanup said:

I'd noted this before on the previous forum, and it's confirmed by our information on this one (and introductions on here) that myself, Anthony and the Dok were all born within three and a bit months of each other, were all in the same school year (in three completely separate places), two were born thirteen days apart in the same town (now city) and we're all from the North West. We also all joined the same party before our 21st birthday and are still members of that same party today. Are there any other similar school/calender years for same party members from this forum?

If I remember correctly, NeilM who I know did register on this forum and was quite active up until some time ago on the old one was in the same school year as well though of course he is a Tory.

In another forum I was active in a few years ago, we discovered that (out of an active membership of about 15 people) three members had parents who were married on exactly the same date in the same year.

[Deleted]

OK so here is mine

Born in April 1972 at Moseley Sorrento to a parent from Ladywood. Adopted at birth to parents who lived in Great Barr, lived there till I was 26 and moved about 400 yards away (all to do with location and not staying close to parents) and not moved since. Married 8 years ago with a little girl of 6.

For schooling went to the local Primary where I Did well put up for Grammar school entrance exams and deliberately failed them as they did not play football. Hated school did OK at GCSE's without either trying hard, went to 6th form same school did OK without really trying (except for Geography which I loved). No idea what to do at 18, went to Uni at Bristol for quantity surveying degree, hated it so dropped out after 6 months and on the dole for another 6 months.

It was at this point I really hated the Tory philosophy that branded everyone as failures and somehow it was my fault being unemployed.

So found myself on an ET course, (which ran out of money half way through) continued it (rushed BTEC in computing in 6 months) was given a pass for my efforts and work, only one to pass.

Then I found a contract job in 1990 with Itnet (ex Cadbury's) loading computer tapes for the whopping wage of £3 an hour. From then on moved jobs a bit always moving up until at TNT in 1998 and stayed then until my new job in London a few months ago and getting used to virgin everyday.

For politics joined Labour at around 95, left for a couple of years between 2001 and 2005, rejoined after 2005. Funny enough got really involved at our lowest ebb in 2008 but was always on the edge of things.

[Benjamin]

Feb 7, 2013 17:18:05 GMT @ianrobo said:

Born [...] at Moseley Sorrento

Likewise. Reminds me of when I was living in Shetland next to an elderly lady who coincidentally was originally from Bournville. It emerged in conversation that we were both born in Sorrento, which confused the others present no end.

[Deleted]

ha ha most of Brum I think we were born there ...

shame it went, great name for an hospital.

[Deleted]

I'm loving the Avatar designs, by the way, and the amount of men who it seems don't suffer from any kind of baldness whatsoever......

[Deleted]

Agreed - my favourite avatar is probably tonyotim's. He looks like the stereotypical Green supporting man - and I hope he isn't offended by me saying so.
The thought of what the average political geek or academic may look like does rather conjure up images of bearded spectacled men. We are by and large a hairy bunch, it would seem. My avatar only shows a vague impression of what I look like from the front. It is the back of my head where my hair has thinned somewhat.

[Tony Otim]

Feb 8, 2013 21:41:28 GMT swanarcadian said:

Agreed - my favourite avatar is probably tonyotim's. He looks like the stereotypical Green supporting man - and I hope he isn't offended by me saying so.
The thought of what the average political geek or academic may look like does rather conjure up images of bearded spectacled men. We are by and large a hairy bunch, it would seem. My avatar only shows a vague impression of what I look like from the front. It is the back of my head where my hair has thinned somewhat.

Not at all offended - of course in real life I'm much more suave, sophisticated and devilishly handsome, but that's as close as I could get on a first attempt with the avatar.

[Deleted]

No, my avatar definitely flatters me. Of course, I don't mind this at all....

[xftrev]

Hi All.

Born August 1960 in back street Northampton. Nightmare father who's only gift to me was an interest in politics. He was a real Gaitskellite Labour man, and whilst never active, I remember him taking me to a hustings meeting in the town hall for Maureen Colquhoon in 1974 (first out lesbian candidate)who he couldn't stand. Mum made me a giant red rosette, and as we got on the bus, the driver pointed, laughed and said "I didn't know there were any of us left!". Did well enough to go to Grammar but Dad said I wasn't up to it, so off I went to an appalling sink comprehensive where I left with a GCSE GdII in English. And nowt else - so please excuse my paranoid lack of intellectualism. 

Miserable school years avoiding the bullies and sadistic "teachers", and hiding my sexuality. Went to work at 16, and cut mum's apron strings in 18th birthday to move to London to live with a boy I'd met through the small ads of NME. Have lived in Ilford, Barking (first flat purchase), Bow, Stepney Green, Walthamstow and now Wanstead. Live with partner who was 19 when we met, me 24, so together for 29 years. In a civil partnership, but no interest in marriage whatsoever. Not a typical gay animal at all - my main interests other than politics are cars, the aftermath of Communism and Indie music. Started my own business 10 years ago (boring widgets for manufacturing engineering) which is still small (4 people) but has made me quite comfortably off and possibly a closet Tory 

Politically - I joined the SDP shortly after it formed and was very active though in a totally hopeless seat. I remained a very active member of the party for years, and would travel all over the country to canvass at by-elections (remember Portsmouth South in particular). In 1992, together with a close friend, I worked in Brentwood for the marvellous Liz Bottomly to try and stop Eric Pickles's parliamentary career, and we won the award for "hardest working members of the team".

My time in Tower Hamlets led to a complete disillusionment with multiculturalism and my politics shifted rightwards. I left the LibDems in around 2000 and whilst I have little sympathy with their policies these days, I still vote for them as I can't stand the thought of either of the other two in power by themselves. My first vote was GE 79, which was Labour, then in every poll since it has been SDP/Alliance/LibDem other than for one solitary Tory councillor on one occasion. I consider the Blair/Brown administration to have been the worst in my lifetime hold the current Labour Party in complete contempt.

[Tony Otim]

Welcome.

[wondershowzen81]

Hi all,
I'm Steffan. Bit of a politics nerd but haven't been involved with party politics since my university days. Been meaning to get back into it but two young children and a long daily commute to work means a lack of time currently. Born in Harrow, London in 1981 to a white Londoner mum and a black Afro-Caribbean dad. Spent my childhood years in NW London and Brighton, Sussex. Went to university at London School of Economics and studied International History. Been a partner at an advertising agency for the last 3 years. Met my wife in Rome in 2004 and got married in 2006 and I have three kids, aged 13, 5 and 3. My interests include travelling, music, cooking, football, film, art, fashion and history. I drink and smoke too much but life is too short. I realise this is starting to sound like a lonely hearts column so I'll wrap it up. Been a Labour supporter since I was 15. I've voted for Labour at every general, local and European election except 2004 and 2005 as I was opposed to the war in Iraq. I have friends from all manner of backgrounds politically. Looking forward to posting here in future.

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2013 16:01:24 GMT wondershowzen81 said:

Hi all,
I'm Steffan. Bit of a politics nerd but haven't been involved with party politics since my university days. Been meaning to get back into it but two young children and a long daily commute to work means a lack of time currently. Born in Harrow, London in 1981 to a white Londoner mum and a black Afro-Caribbean dad. Spent my childhood years in NW London and Brighton, Sussex. Went to university at London School of Economics and studied International History. Been a partner at an advertising agency for the last 3 years. Met my wife in Rome in 2004 and got married in 2006 and I have three kids, aged 13, 5 and 3. My interests include travelling, music, cooking, football, film, art, fashion and history. I drink and smoke too much but life is too short. I realise this is starting to sound like a lonely hearts column so I'll wrap it up. Been a Labour supporter since I was 15. I've voted for Labour at every general, local and European election except 2004 and 2005 as I was opposed to the war in Iraq. I have friends from all manner of backgrounds politically. Looking forward to posting here in future.

Ah, another recruit from UKPR. A warm welcome to you.

[wondershowzen81]

Cheers Swanarcadian.

[The Bishop]

Get yourself coloured red, then you can post in our own forum