Tracey turns Left

Tracey’s joined the Fabians. I suppose it had to happen. She’s very career conscious.

She showed me their secret handshake when we met at the bus stop the other day and told me about a Fabian forum she went to. I didn’t quite get it. The secret handshake I mean. Something between a hi-five and thumb sucking.

The forum was held at the local church hall after the pensioners went home from bingo. Tracey said the vicar’s partner sprayed the room with lilac room freshener which was very nice. I thought she meant the young man in the leather shorts, studs, and Star of David tattoo on his forehead who was living at the vicarage but Tracey said he’s gone and a lady with a burqa has moved in. Not that she’s Muslim, said Tracey. She wears it to show her solidarity with women of the Muslim religion who are oppressed by Western democracy.

Tracey said that they had free refreshments before the forum and everyone had a very nice time. The topic sounded informative. It was called “The One Nation Vote: Up for Grabs?” and Tracey said the speaker was very good and had a really smart tactic for the Labor party to pick up the One Nation vote which I thought couldn’t be right but she said it was.

Tracey said that they have had to cancel their next forum. Bernard Black, who is a long time Fabian, was to have spoken about “Indigenous Climate Change and Cultural Sustainability” but found his agent had double booked his schedule. He has had to go to Berlin for a history conference instead. Tracey said that on the way back he is doing stopovers in Havana for World Peace and Teheran for Human Rights.

Anyway, Tracey is a bit miffed. She had applied for some magazine job, and even sent them a video application but has missed out so I guess she’ll have to stay on at the checkout for a while yet. Still, she has great hopes in the Fabians.