I don’t think tonight could have gone any better if I had actually planned it.

We held our proper AGM for a local branch of the UAF and despite my appalling organisational cock-ups recently and some unfortunate timetable clashes there was a reasonable turnout – certainly enough for a valid meeting.

The proposed constitution was accepted and then we elected officers and ended up with a Chair who is well-connected and committed, a Secretary who is the right side of 30, and a Treasurer with loads of experience. The other members of the committee represent different areas and not just Crawley.

I got what I really wanted: a campaigning organisation to join, without getting stuck with all the responsibility – but I’m still on the committee so I can throw in some of the ideas I have.

I think that everyone who attended signed up as a member and paid the membership fee – plus a donation in many cases – so there is enough to get things started, like getting a PO box sorted out.

We even had a representative of the local press there, which should generate some welcome (I hope) publicity. It has been like pushing water uphill trying to get people committed to something which does not exist and with any luck it will be a lot easier now.

I’m not going to assume that everyone will flock to the cause just because it exists. “If you build it they will come” is fine for sugary films about baseball but in the real world you have to build it and then work hard to fill it, but at least its now built. If you see what I mean.

In the last few days Jayne has mentioned the meeting to a lot of people who said they wanted to come, or would have come if they had known earlier – now they don’t have to fit in with a fixed timetable: they can join at their leisure and get notice of anything that is going on.

I am just glad the wait is over. For the last week I have been worried that tonight would come along and me and Jayne would be the only two there.