Last Brexit From Boston

On EU referendum day I had my first funeral at Boston Crematorium, the English heartland of Brexit, with a higher percentage of people who want Britain out of the EU than anywhere else in the country.  It was a damp, grey morning as I drove from Newark across miles of largely empty farmland.  As I pulled into the car park of a large Asda, the Boston Stump loomed out of the mist.  Driving on through the town I saw rows of neat terraced houses interspersed with Eastern European food stores.

The crem. is a grim fifties edifice in some well-kept parkland.  I was shown into the Vestry and later given a quick tour of the chapel and shown the buttons for changing the music and closing the curtains.  I drove back to Newark at lunchtime, and in the afternoon picked up my motorbike from the garage and had a nice chat with the garage owner about bikes and touring and double-checking the bill he even found a mistake and knocked a few quid off.  Then I went to the Polling Station where the Poll Clerk offered my a munchie before handing me my ballot paper.  "How very English" I thought, in a good way as a rode my motorbike back to Dobson's Quay.

After a run along the Trent I kicked back in front of the TV and got ready for the first referendum results to come in, convinced of a win for "remain."  I became hypnotised by the results strapline as the votes for Brexit piled up until it was clear by the early hours that a majority had voted to leave the EU.  It was fascinating to watch the ill-disguised shock on the faces of the presenters who had obviously voted mainly for "remain" and could scarcely believe what they were seeing.  I voted "remain" too but at the same time felt a certain guilty pleasure in watching so many smug professionals have the smile wiped off their faces, though that was obliterated by the ghastly spectacle of a triumphant Nigel Farage.

Now, two days later I feel anxious, but also excited.  For good or bad this result is going to lead to change and already it's interesting to see even some of the most die-hard remainers beginning to start seeing the opportunities.