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Another good start: an interview with Rufus on the local radio station made our bedpush headline news and people were talking about us before we had even started! Raring to go and dressed in stripy pyjamas with a giant syringe dancing around behind us, we stood in the psychiatric hospital grounds while staff entered the hospital by the back door. Only the communication manager dared to approach us: "If this won't bring psychiatry down a peg or two I don't know what will."
TV crews from both ITV and BBC local news filmed us running away from the hospital, with George The Dummy happy to be liberated from the psychiatric institution.
As we paraded through Brighton City Centre, we offered the public free electric shock treatment and explained our preference for consensual hugs rather than forcefully applied drugs. Radio and TV news broadcast regular updates of our exploits.
In Churchill Square people were keen to give us some money for the cause. People couldn't believe that electric shock therapy (ECT) was still happening. One woman said how good it is that we are trying to campaign for a mental health service that allows people to talk about what they've been through rather than one that just drugs them up.
Some teenagers were intrigued by the psychadelic decorated bed and enjoyed talking about the dangers of mechanisms of social and thought control. As they cheered us on our way we told them "Be mad!" Despite still being in Brighton at 2pm - way behind our schedule - we managed to power up to Ditchling Beacon, down through Ditchling village and on towards Haywards Heath, our planned stop for the evening. However, upon arrival in Haywards Heath George The Dummy was pounced on and romantically ravished by a local youth who had perhaps had one too many shandies. After very quick consideration we decided to walk the extra 2 miles to Lindfield. Here we found a lovely pub that fed us and let us park the bed in their car park. Today was a great first day. The public gave us loads of support and we encountered some very patient drivers! |
