Beeston, Saturday 5th May, 2018

Now that was a proper May Day! Blue skies, blossoming trees, smiling families, people sitting on the grass and SUN...lots of it!

We gathered near the west entrance of the university campus, with banners, placards, song sheets and voices ready. Marching to Broadgate Park, we sang our first songs and encouraged the other marchers to join in with 'If you think the NHS is safe, think again' and "The Anti-cuts song'.

On through the High Street and to The White Lion, where the garden was the perfect place to refresh solidarity, enjoy the sunshine and be entertained with thought provoking words from The DIY Poets including our very own Andrew Martin. There were rousing speeches from, among others, the prospective Labour candidates for Rushcliffe and Broxtowe. Watch out Ken Clarke and Anna Soubry, this was serious stuff.

Our planned set list was shortened because of the number of speakers but what a perfect occasion to finish with The Red Flag and The Internationale!

On a wet and stormy evening we performed at The Session - a music and beer festival in the upstairs room at Bunkers Hill in Hockley.

We were greeted with excellent food and great beer. Other performers included the excellent Julie and Alisa Russel and the inspirational and spellbinding Rubaiyat.

Despite having no warm up (there was nowhere inside, and with the rain lashing down outside any attempt to force us to gather there would have led to a mutiny), we were in surprisingly good voice and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

On a cold night in March we assembled at the Lenton Methodist Church for an evening to publicise and organise support for refugees. Caroline Kerr, a local woman who set up the charity Bras not Bombs shared the story of the many ways that she and her charity have organised practical support for refugees. We heard about the campaign to support detainees and shut down the Morton Hall Detention Centre - and a call to join their regular protests at Morton Hall. And a speaker from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade talked about the local campaign against the arms manufacturer Heckler and Koch and their factory on the Lenton Lane industrial estate, and the links between the arms trade and the wars that force people to flee to seek safety elsewhere.

And, of course, we sang!