In Paradise?

And so to blogging again. It is not so easy to be here in all this happening and to even attempt to keep the blog up to date; certainly while events are unfolding so incredibly nearly all day, every day.

Incredible actually means ‘not believable’; which seems to fit so many things here, from the outpourings of love that flood us, the amazing connections we are making and confirming and developing, the behaviour of the police and authorities – both in the sense of ‘unbelievable that they can destroy our home’ and amazing to see the transformation of a police officer who came in all curt and official, challenging that we are an obstruction here, and that we were upsetting the businesses, particularly Autolift Recovery Ltd and their staff, one of whom, we have been informed, has taken time off with stress from the effect of the combined phone calls and emails.

On that note, we very much hope that anyone who phoned or emailed the company did so in a loving and concerned manner. I can understand that people would feel angry towards the staff there for their ignorant and seemingly stubborn involvement in this outrage. But do not be outraged and please do not vent any anger on anyone; that would undermine what we are setting out to do and would not represent the way we travel through life: in peaceful non compliance.

We are overwhelmed with the goodness we have received in all of this and we would be most sad if those who care for us and care about us did not show that same kindness and understanding to others as they show us. We do not wish any harm on Autolift or, indeed, anybody. All we request is that they learn the human cost of their actions, and we are here reflecting that. We accept any hardships we meet in this in the hope that it may save others from having to fight and struggle for their inalienable right to be free.

I am sorry to have left you all on tenter-hooks last night, particularly after such an eventful day. But I haven’t even told you about curry night, the night before yet!

So much has happened and so many visits things are bound to get left out and we are contemplating doing an audio blog, so as to be able to report more. Some of the conversations we have had with our guests have been simply wonderful. We have managed to record many of our conversations with officialdom. Perhaps we even have most of this morning’s conversation with PC John, but I regret that I think I missed recording his closing words, “Well you have certainly given me a great deal to think about.” We don’t have the equipment, in any case, to really capture the change in his general demeanour between when he arrived and when he left.

One thing that we missed from the blog, but that raised our spirits to bliss level, was the arrival of a postcard from our dear friend, Sarah Jane. It was addressed to Kazz and Prajna, “Occupy Autolift”, Liverpool Road, Backford, Chester, CH1 6PE. It was hand delivered by one of the Autolift drivers, with a big grin on his face. For anyone visiting by bus (novel idea, huh?) there is a bus stop almost directly opposite us. It is the Rake Lane stop on Liverpool Rd heading in to Chester and, for anyone in the Mersey Travel area, it is within the SaveAway All Zones travel card.

I should really hand over to Kazz to tell you about curry night; otherwise there is a danger I might crow about having torn strips off a traffic cop and sent him packing…

So over to me it is… (should have a different font so you can differentiate, but you;re just gonna have to work it out from the syntax.) :p

Right, so, curry night, PC Rimmer and the amazing green laser…

Prajna had made a lovely pot of curry while I went for a snooze in the afternoon. Guests started to arrive and the evening was going beautifully. Indie, an honorary Cree Indian, possitioned his Landy in such a way that we could strap a tarp over it and our wee gazibo, until yesterday, our only shelter outside of the tent. Then we fashioned a screen using a fluffy white towel and the back of Indie’s Landy, got Alans projector out and strarted ‘Gandhi’ rolling. Class! 🙂

All was going beautifully when a passing car was flagged into our spacious car park by a cop we’ve not seen on this beat before. We paused our movie and turned to watch ‘Rimmer’, as we named him, give the two girls in the car a good ticking off for driving 10mph over the limit before sending them on their way and proceeding to pull up opposite our camp to survail us.

That’s when Prajna decided to start playing with his laser in the smoke from the fire. Sure enough Rimmer lept into action and came over to warn Prajna, in no uncertain terms, that such a device can be potentially hazardous to both road and air traffic. Indignantly, Prajna demanded to know if he spoke to his father in such a manner, where upon Rimmer asked for Prajna’s name…

“Do you have any evidence I have such a thing to give you?” asked Prajna.

“I have the best kind of evidence there is” replied Rimmer, “I have video evidence.”

“How on earth is that a response to what I just asked?” demanded Prajna…

That question melted Rimmer’s brain. He just couldn’t get what he was being asked, even by the fourth or fifth attempt! Just then a car went past, horn tooting support for us. So Rimmer, once again leapt, panther like, into action to deal with the ‘illegal tooting’ incident (after all, it was after 11pm).

When he returned a short while later he was a little more amiable and cautious. He began to warn of the risks involved with using lasers around air and road traffic, risks that Prajna was already cognisant of; grannies and sucking eggs generally summarises the situation.

And so poor Rimmer got the telling off of his career.
“Was I using that laser, in any way, irresponsibly?” demanded Prajna.

Both men proceeded to talk over each other until Prajna exploded…

“You’re a public servant!” He said, “In fact you’ re MY fucking servant. When you’re ready to sit and have a proper conversation with me over a cup of tea that’s one thing but until then stay right out of my fucking life!”
And with that Rimmer jumped into his car and went off with his tail between his legs.

– It’s incredibly rare for my Prajna to raise his voice but when he does it’s usually pretty spectacular! 😉

And back to now…

Right at this moment (just after 1am) prajna has fallen asleep next to me in bed. We suspect that he broke his big toe today whilst saving himself from a trip so he’s been hobbling around injured for most of the day. – Oh no! Looks like I’m gonna be in top physical shape when this is all over.

Last night we were visited at 5.30am by three lads on their way home from a night out I guess. Hard as I tried I couldn’t rouse myself enough to get up and talk with them. Prajna did manage but is now also suffering from lack of sleep… that is, even more lack of sleep then he was before.

Is our motorhome in paradise, gone, deceased, a dead motorhome? The tale of the ‘disposal’ of our motor home…

So, following our film and curry night myself, Prajna and Indie, who’d stayed over, rose early (at least it felt early) and started planning a way to give us more shelter using one of the two tarps Rob ‘ gave us.

Next thing PC Dave Walton is pulling up alongside our camp and pointing to our home being taken away on the back of one of the autolift trucks. “Who has authorised this unlawful action?” I asked. Dave gave us the name of a chief inspector from Chester, which escapes me right now but which we have recorded and which we have passed on to John Hurst.
Within an hour of our van being taken away for ‘disposal’ we had ourselves, thanks to Indie and his vast experience in such constructions, a fine and spacious temporary shelter; much to the chagrin and dismay of the autolift staff, who watched from across the car park.

In the meantime Prajna had been on the phone to John who instantly set to work and got the name and contact details for the head of complaints for this area. – I’ll have to let Prajna fill you in on the details here because I’m not fully aware what followed regarding that.

As we were building our shelter Adam, a fellow traveller (as I refer to all those who share this path of truth and freedom) and local to this area, came along to offer support and help. So together the four of us got the shelter finished just in time for the arrival of Aidy, Carl and Aidy’s mum (‘Mum’ to all of us here, she is 80-something and insists Aidy brings her to our camp and we wrap her up well against the cold, then she sits, bright as a button, interjecting love and support). And from then our day continued in the same vein as all our days here: we were visited by old friends and new and, yet again, had the most amazing interactions.

And then(!) when we came to bed, relatively early, at about 11pm we heard the sound of someone pulling up outside and a man’s voice saying he was just leaving some things for us. Prajna pulled his clothes on and went out just in time to see the little green bus driving off; obviously the old ladies had put together another lovely, lovely (no really, we both nearly cried we were so touched by their kindness and generosity. I mean, we’re talking about people living on very little, yet sparing what little they can for two people they don’t even know, but only know of) parcel of packed lunches for us.

And back to now…

My eyes are closing and the words aren’t quite flowing as they should so I hope you don’t mind me signing off until tomorrow when I, or we, will tell you about today’s encounters with PC’s Dave and John, the pleasure of Rev Phils company and, yet again the overwhelming support of the local community.
Good night my little chickadee’s, sleep tight.
Kazz and Prajna. xxxx