Brian and Frances had to go to Oxford today, to a party, and I was invited to go with them. Displaying my usual reluctance, I suggested they leave me to my own devices but they insisted, saying that I was expected.
The party was in honour of Suzanna, who has just been given the all-clear after a cancer scare. They were expecting about 90 guests, and set up a marquee in the garden. They live in the country so we parked the car in a farmer's yard alongside his various bits of machinery. Suzanna greeted me with a hug and thanked me for coming. That was nice. Everybody was friendly and I found myself talking to a young exchange teacher from America. She had been dumped in a secondary school in Bradford, of all places, and she was counting the days until she finished (12 and a half to go).
There were few white faces in the school and she didn't have a single Anglo in any of her classes. I read in the newspaper that Anglos are moving out of areas which have high populations of immigrants, which is leading to the establishment of ghettos. The population of London is something like 62% immigrant. Because of the EU, the doors are open and an extra 200000 Romanians are expected in the UK in the next twelve months. And we think we have a problem in Australia!
Anyway, back to the party. I felt very privileged to be part of a very moving celebration and I was pleased that I had allowed myself to be persuaded.
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