The traditional view of Cheltenham is that of an affluent town, home to prestigious boarding schools, world-respected music festivals and dinky boutique shops.
That's one side of the town, but there are other strong and distinctive cultures, most of which make their way through the doors of Cheltenham public library, where I work.
In fact, the beauty of the place is that anyone can walk in and invariably they do...
There's the woman who fought with the Dutch resistance during the Second World War. Or the children who persuade me to create Despicable Me minions, all of us trying to learn the banana language.
Increasingly, I have met a great many job seekers – all with tales to tell. Some have been made redundant right before retirement age; some are starting again, retraining from scratch.
Many are learning to use computers for the first time in their working lives – and these computer beginners are not so old, many in their late 20s and 30s. They now need access to a computer, the internet and the requisite ICT skills to find a job or receive jobseeker's benefit. It's to the library that they turn.
The library is a beautiful Victorian building, topped with a statue of Shakespeare and, despite the recent cuts to the Gloucestershire library service, I like to imagine it standing proud, a force for progress.
Or so it always seemed. However, Cheltenham library, like all of the county's libraries, has had to face the most severe cuts in recent history. So while the building still stands tall, staff are stretched, often dealing with the workloads of two or three people. In line with national trends, our numbers have been heavily cut.
For many of us who went on strike last Thursday, the dismal below inflation pay offer was not the only reason that got us out on the picket lines (for the first time in many cases). It was also about fighting against the erosion of a service that helps so many local people.
Our music's a riot
My other "job" tends to bring with it a little more noise than the library allows. Gloucestershire is full of musicians – jazz lovers and classical aficionados yes, but also reggae bands, post-hardcore bands, socialist choirs, funk bands, neu-folk bands and punk bands.
My band is a messy riot grrl outfit inspired by the likes of Pussy Riot, Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. Our bassist and I may just be learning how to play our instruments, but we have had no problem in writing feminist, socialist, "time for action" pop songs. The loud harmonies help – managing to cover up some of the more confusing chord changes!
The joy of free speech
Writing music for the band leads to writing a speech for the post-march rally at Gloucester's Shire Hall. I was asked to speak by our local Unison branch – my first time speaking at a rally. I have many concerns – waffling on for too long; wasting an opportunity to speak to people I respect and care for; boring them; and, yep I'm vain enough to worry about not getting cheered.
But on the day, I feel a surge of joy to be among so many people all united to make things better. We hoist up our banner, like a huge sail in the wind. When I am given the microphone, I am so overcome and so moved by all the people I have met and marched with over the previous few days. But mostly I think of the people I work alongside everyday at the library.
I put my fist in the air and pour my heart out... It's a move I'll try to incorporate the next time I'm on stage with the band.
