A memory of Jonathan Fryer...

It is somewhat difficult to think of Jonathan as being dead, and his sudden demise on Friday produced an outpouring of sorrow, second only to that which took place when he announced that he was terminally ill only a few weeks earlier.

Many will remember him for his writing, others for his commitment to internationalism, yet others for his campaigning and leadership, and all with good cause. I'll remember him partly for his insatiable curiosity about the world and partly for his sense of humour.

And so, perhaps to offer an unexpected insight into someone I was lucky enough to know, here's a piece that he wrote nearly a decade ago. There may be goatherds involved...

Moravian food for the soul

And so, as noted on Liberal Democrat Voice, Ros and I had gone to Vienna to attend a slightly odd meeting of the ALDE Party Council. Odd, because it felt a bit like a contractual obligation which it is kind of is. But that's a story for another post.

Having arrived in Vienna after a fairly uneventful flight, we had arranged to have dinner with the ever enchanting Jonathan Fryer, and Iain Smith, who I first met as a Young Liberal Democrat in, of all places, Aarhus, in 1989. He went on to rather better things, as an MSP and, to be honest, he's aged rather better than I have. The only catch was that we hadn't really given much thought other than where to gather, the courtyard of our hotel.

After a small libation, we headed out, only to be confronted, across the street, with a Moravian beisl, a quintessentially Austrian concept, a bit like a neighbourhood kitchen - cosy, informal, but with authentic, could have been cooked by someone at home, sort of food. And so, we decided to give it a try.

There were, as one might guess, bread dumplings involved - I love bread dumplings - meat and decent Czech beer, all combined with easy conversation and stories of politics and travel.

All in all, a very gentle introduction to Vienna. However, there was work to be done...

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music...

An evening of high culture here in Suffolk, as we've been to Snape for a singalong Sound of Music, accompanied by the charming and erudite Jonathan Fryer.

I know what you're thinking - it isn't obviously a place for a jobbing bureaucrat, but I do enjoy a good sing from time to time. Perhaps that explains why I tend to avoid Glee Club at Party Conferences...

However, having been persuaded, somewhat against my better judgement, that it would be fun, we set off for Snape, taking the opportunity to tell Jonathan a bit about the old demesne - he may have been to nearly two hundred countries, but not to Suffolk, it seems. We detoured to Aldeburgh which, despite the rain, put on a decent enough show. One must, I admit, ask how many wine merchants does a town that size need - three is possibly excessive - but it is wonderfully genteel.

But, time was passing and, if you're going to sing, you should do so well-fortified. The Plough and Sail at Snape Maltings is apparently under new management, and their food was marvellous. Duck liver parfait... mmmmm...

Sometimes, I'm told, Sound of Music singalongs are done with the film, and you join in. This evening, it was rather more of a performance. Accompanied by a three piece band, with Alex Woolf on piano (I know this because he subsequently contacted us via Twitter - @alexwoolf), who looked as though they were enjoying it without any loss of professionalism, we ran through the songs with proper musical direction, although not so much as to make it stilted and overly serious.

And with an audience who were clearly up for a fun night out, some dressed as nuns, others as brown paper packages tied up with string, as well as the odd Maria, singing was done. There was the occasional dress that looked like it was made out of curtains... or it could have been Laura Ashley - I often find it hard to tell the difference.

By the time we'd made it to the interval, we were tolerably good, but the second half was going to be the test. With a proper West End singer, and the Aldeburgh Choir, to do the hard bits, we'd have to be up to the mark. And we were or, at least from my untutored ear, we seemed to be.

Having approached the event with a degree of dread, I found myself enjoying the sheer silliness and enthusiasm of the thing. Surrounded by hordes of people out to enjoy themselves come what may, and steered gently by musicians who had a finely tuned sense of what worked, we gave it our best shot, and Rodgers and Hammerstein would have probably enjoyed the fact that we were doing so.

We started at the very beginning (a very fine place to start, it seems), we yodeled along with the lonely goatherd, and we climbed every mountain (without leaflets). And all too soon, it was time to escape over the mountains to Creeting St Peter, stopping only to generously and enthusiastically applaud the real performers. Luckily, the mountains of East Suffolk aren't too high...

A rummage through the memory vaults

And so to Harlesden/Neasden/Stonebridge (delete as appropriate), for the second Brent Liberal Democrats Annual Dinner. Daniel and Valerie (old friends and now Brent councillors) had invited me last week and, given my historic links to the borough - my parents still live in what is now Fryent ward and I fought Roe Green ward in 1990 - it seemed like an opportunity to meet some old friends.

Somehow, I shouldn't have been surprised to see Jonathan Fryer there. There is a theory that there is more than one Jonathan Fryer wandering around London because, to paraphrase, everyone knows someone who has met Jonathan at a Local Party event. Anyone would think that he wanted to be selected for something...

I ended up on a table with Jonathan, John Hammond and Alan Johnston (two of our original councillors from the early days in Barham), Daniel and his wife Karen, and a charming evening was had by all.

The guest speaker was Lembit Opik. Now I remember Lembit long before he was an 'out' Liberal/Liberal Democrat, having attended the Winter 1985 National Union of Students Conference in Blackpool (if you think the town is bad in September, try December...) where he ran as an independent to fill a vacancy on the National Executive (unsuccessfully, as I recall). Coming on stage wearing a white lab coat and carrying a guitar was a USP, and somehow persuading 1,500 fairly politicized students to make sheep noises was pretty impressive. Amazing how he ended up in Montgomery, when you think about it...

It is sufficient to say that he gave an excellent speech, laden with jokes and asides, demonstrating beyond any shadow of a doubt that he can work a room. Whilst this does demonstrate his entertainment value, I'm yet to be convinced that he has the gravitas to be an effective Party President.

Of course, Brent has its own MP, the increasingly prominent Sarah Teather. She rallied the troops in advance of the May elections and gave a passionate call to vote for Ming (too late, Sarah, I've already voted...). She is impressive. If she were six inches taller, she'd be quite intimidating, although I'm not sure if that's a good thing...

So, all in all, a good evening and an event I would recommend to anyone. Perhaps next year...