Subject: Late Night Listeners report : Sat 31st May 2025
It was always going to be a busy evening for the Fab Five LNL team - the weather was still relatively mild as the 'phony Summer' continued to lull the gardeners into a false sense of floral bliss. We set out onto the streets of Lichfield in an assorted array of Hi-Viz tabards and jackets alongside shorts and jeans (for the experienced LNL'er, covering all bases as night sets in is always a wise move).
Just a brief note to whom it may concern.....,the pedestrian barrier bollard that ascends and descends to let cars into the pedestrianised area did seem to be set a little tight in its rising back after a vehicle has entered. Both my car and a Police van that came though later were both caught at the tail end of our vehicles by the barrier rising. We do understand that it doesn't want to be so slow in coming up again that it allows a car coming behind to 'nip in' on one's coat tails but it does need to allow enough time for the vehicle to fully cross the line before it comes up again.
We set up our normal fayre with the addition of some decor that acknowledged our contribution to the end of a week of Lichfield Purple Flag Awareness. For those of you thinking 'what on earth is that?' ... back in September 2024, Lichfield was awarded the Purple Flag Accreditation, an award recognizing the city's safe, lively, and welcoming evening and night-time economy. The Listeners are just one part of a myriad of people, venues, agencies and council bodies who, together, look to keep the night time economy running safely for everyone.
So with our purple balloons and a flag banner (courtesy of LDC), we were ready to rock!
Our first oddity of the evening was a couple of young lads who had just procured their kebabs and were having a dispute about whether or not salad should be in a kebab...so we were interrogated as to our preferences - such is the impact of a night's drinking then having a kebab - apparently!! Following our 'walkabouts' we noted a definite lack of ANY homeless people in the City centre this particular night.
Speaking of young people, there was a seemingly noticeable amount of 20-30 somethings about this particular night, which made for a slightly noiser though clearly a more vibrant atmosphere. A more middle-aged couple stopped by to ask who we were and could not believe that we had been around doing this for the last 17 years, as they often have a night out in the City and had never ever come across us before. They were hugely encouraging saying we should become a Charity and we would get more money... we told them that was not the purpose or ethos of what we are about, though that did not stop them giving us a -not insignificant - donation, bless their hearts!
A lady asked if she could use one of our chairs for a while which instigated a conversation with one of our team. It transpired that said lady worked for 'Lichfield Live' and wanted to promote us so she was handed one of our cards. Would she remember us the next morning we wondered, when she had gone on her way.
There was a small police presence throughout the night but not in any heavy-duty capacity. Another couple of 'late teens lads' stopped by for a drink but were approached by a couple of older men who, at first, seemed very amicable as they all discussed football teams, but we did get a bit concerned when at one point the two older guys were getting a bit personal and slightly intimidating with their rather barbed comments. As all this was happening right in front of our table and we were considering stepping in, but it all got resolved and they eventually parted shaking hands...
Bobby came over with our, now legendary as well as very welcomed, box of chips and just as we started to make moves to pack down, we had a bit of a rush of people wanting a coffee/tea before we disappeared - naturally we obliged, after all that's how we roll!