I HAD an interesting trip to London with Robina last Monday.

In the late ’70s our main punk venue in Brighton was an old burial vault under the Presbyterian Church Hall in North Road. The latter had transformed into Brighton Resources Centre, headquarters of the local punk/anti-fascist/squatter movement, and one of its leading lights was Steve Bassom, whom I got to know well. He was a brilliant local activist who, as time moved on, became increasingly, erm, “respectable” as he moved up the ranks in the Labour Party. 

I bumped into him often as a Brighton fan, especially after he joined our campaign to save the club, and sometimes at political events too, but once he had become a fully fledged member of the “house of lords” (no capitals) I presumed my minor presence in his former life would be viewed as a complete liability. 

But no! A few weeks ago Steve invited me to “Time to Strike,” a People’s History Museum event at the house of lords (no capitals). I accepted with alacrity. There were two reasons for this. 

One: as many of you are aware I have a huge interest in radical history. I was very much looking forward to seeing the exhibits. Two: it meant Robina would accompany me to the house of lords (no capitals) not as a local councillor, as all her colleagues would have assumed, but as the plus one of her scruffy punk husband. I did find that funny. 

On display was a selection of artefacts brought to London from Manchester by the museum curator. Keir Hardie’s handwritten speech notes, documents from the Labour Representation Committee (out of which grew the Labour Party) women’s pamphlets, anti-apartheid material, miners’ support — the tip of a very large and massively underused iceberg stretching across all areas of popular history. 

The main point of the gathering was to elicit funds to develop the museum into a much more wide-ranging and high-profile resource, covering all aspects of our culture.

Now, the labour movement has never really harnessed the world of “the arts” — in the widest possible sense — to its full potential: after attending hundreds of Labour/trade union events over 45 years, from the sublime (occasionally) to the utterly half-arsed (sadly less so), I can vouch for this. Forty years after we met at the Houses of Parliament for the launch of Red Wedge, Neil Kinnock gave a stirring speech bemoaning this very fact.

I have a big archive of my own (starting with a copy of my autobiography which documents my experience of major struggles from the ’70s onwards) which I intend to donate. I’d encourage any of you with such material to do the same, and for trade unions and other bodies with access to funds to support the museum financially. At the moment they don’t get a penny from the trade union movement, despite holding a selection of banners which cost a fair whack to preserve! 

There were some interesting attendees. The first person Steve Bassom introduced me to was former Labour Party general secretary David Evans, and I pretended not to know who he was! But he knew who I was, because as one of the leaders of Brighton Independent Supporters’ Association during our battle to save the club I spoke at a rally he organised as his club Chester City were suffering the same fate. I remember it well. Made no difference to me though: his track record in politics is appalling. 

Much happier to meet Rhoda Dakar whom I respect enormously and have bumped into many times over the years. She is a huge supporter of the Music Venue Trust, as I am, and stands up against bigotry in all its forms. 

And I want to pay a heartfelt tribute to Robina. A few weeks ago she fell backwards down 13 stairs and fractured a vertebra in her back. It could have been a million times worse — we both know that — but she is in constant pain. Despite this she is still fulfilling all her commitments to ward members as a councillor, managed to make an appearance at our last ever Glastonwick, paying for it afterwards, and came with me last Monday, still paying for it now. I am so proud of her. 

Talking of Glastonwick, our final beer and music festival here in Sussex went out in a blaze of glory, but we will be promoting many local events — the first of which was two days ago, French duo Stanley Brinks and Freschard at the Duke of Wellington in Shoreham. Onwards. 

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