This year, following up the One World themed party of 2023, I chose to devise a mock Citizenship Ceremony, satirising the kind of event that county councils offer throughout the UK.
My take was to invite my friends to become a citizen of the One World as introduced at my party in 2023.
The opening paragraph of the invitation read like this:
Dear Sir/Madam,
A note about the legality of your migration to the One World
It is noted that you arrived in the One World in a small vessel. Although this may be considered somewhat illegal, the Home Office of the One World celebrates this fundamental equality of entry of all humankind. We have no intention to stop such small vessels. On the contrary, you are granted indefinite leave to remain in the One World and the Home Office of the One World wishes you a healthy, long and fulfilling stay.
On receipt, my nephew Wattie rung me up and said “are you trying to institute some sort of cult?”, as the invitation expected participants to make an affirmation of allegiance.
So I had to sent a clarification to people I had invited, which helped a little.
On the night we had a lot of fun, starting with Heidi’s anthem for the One World, which she and partner Tony had adapted from ‘We Shall Overcome’.
Many people joined in offering performances, which also gave me licence to read some poetry, including this from Fleur Adcock:
Kissing
The young are walking on the riverbank
arms around each other’s waist and shoulders,
pretending to be looking at the waterlilies
and what might be a nest of some kind, over
there, which two who are clamped together
mouth to mouth have forgotten about.
The others, making courteous detours
around them, talk, stop talking, kiss.
They can see no one older than themselves.
It’s their river. They’ve got all day.
Seeing’s not everything. At this very
moment the middle-aged are kissing
in the backs of taxis, on the way
to airports and stations. Their mouths and tongues
are soft and powerful and as moist as ever.
Their hands are not inside each other’s clothes
(because of the driver) but locked so tightly
together that it hurts: it may leave marks
on their not of course youthful skin, which they won’t
notice. They too may have futures.
Derek kindly created another quiz for me, matching the kind of test that aspiring citizens for the UK have to pass.
UPDATE January 2025: Here are the answers!
1 1801
2 Wales
3 Cook Islands
4 D 13m
5 D
6 B
7 C
8 D
9 C
10 D
11 B
12 D
13 B
14 D
15 A
16 AM1954
17 Phil
18 AB 1960
As people performed, I gave them their Certificate of Citizenship, but at the end of the party I tried to make sure everyone got one, since performance was not compulsory.
I travelled to Dublin the following Tuesday for a final work meeting at Trinity College Dublin before the Christmas break, to review our year and plan ahead for OurKidsCode development in 2025. We had an amazing four substantial grants in the bag, thanks to colleagues Nina and Louise, although in my case I am winding down to one day a week in 2025.
In the evening I was pleased to invite friends for a drink in O’Neills in Pearse Street, so enjoyed a second party, although I was sharing the night with oldest-friend-in-Ireland Eileen, who’s birthday was also nearby.
On returning to Brentwood, I had one more surprise birthday – my asylum seeking friends from El Salvador had got together for their traditional Christmas Eve party, but taken the trouble to invite me along, make me a birthday cake and treat me like a king.
It was lovely to catch up, as I hadn’t seen them for a good while nor had a chance to congratulate them for obtaining leave to remain.
Three parties eh? Must plan for four next year when I turn 70 – there will be dancing!