Over the Moon
Cos there's more than one way to represent your community
When I’m not posting on the internet, or looking after my girls, you’ll most likely find me at Moon Under Water. That’s not just cos it’s my local, but cos I work there. Moon opened in Somerfield not long after we had moved to the area, and fast became a local institution. It is a genuine community space, in a way that is both hard to define - and impossible to replicate. It’s a great place to work, as a huge number of the patrons are locals. They live in the same community as we do, complain about the same roadworks, comment on the prices that houses are selling for. For many, Moon exists as a “third place” - not home, not work - where they can come, relax, socialise, and feel comfortable.
It was a pretty busy Sunday in the pub yesterday, with many people getting in ahead of the public holiday for the Queen. Through the day, I had a number of people coming up to tell me that I had their vote, which was heartening. Some were people I’ve known for a while, who just happened to be dropping by for a drink. Others were regulars who I’ve met through work, and who live in the area. There was even someone who saw me at one of the local candidate meetings and wanted to grill me on policy and what I think I can achieve if I get in. Lots of campaigning feels like shouting into a void - telling people about your credentials and your policies, but getting real feedback from actual voters is really nice. It’s only a handful of people, so I’m not saying that it’s enough to get me elected, but it is a nice little pat on the back. It’s also reinforced to me that if I don’t get in, I’ve still got a great job, at a place that is an important part of the local community, and that I still have a role to play - even if it’s over the bar, rather than around the table.