"I'm an alcoholic but I'm a fussy alcoholic"


“I’m an alcoholic but I’m a fussy alcoholic”

Vera was the wage-earner of the couple and she retired from her polytechnic lectureship in Sociology shortly after I got to know the Derers.  But it was a case of: “when you retire, that is when the real work begins”.

I am not sure that this is what Vera wanted deep down.  She loved the drama and animation of politics but running CLPD was intense and stressful.  Together with her complicated relationship with Vladimir, it rather drove her to drink.  During the 1980s she was knocking back a bottle of red wine every morning, swigging it from the bottle as she updated the record of CLPD's Registered Supporters, or whatever it was that she was doing. 

But it was at least very good red wine.  She used to say “I’m an alcoholic but I’m a fussy alcoholic”. 



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