february continues... page 3
saturday 19 feb saw me in the bow
back rivers again, on another walk looking at the areas threatened by the
london 2012 olympic bid. we walked along the northern outfall
sewer from stratford high road to old ford, then along the old river lea
and back down the city mill river. traditionally an area for dirty industries
on the east of the city, a health and safety hell-hole, now with plenty
of derelict land, but still providing local jobs that will all disappear
if the bid goes through. much of the area will disappear under concrete,
almost all redundant after the big event, with plans for its after use unpublished
and unfunded.
at the moment it's a rich wildlife environment, but all that will go, and
the tidal bow back rivers are likely to be lost or severely
altered. if the bid goes ahead it will severely distort a regeneration that
needs to be based on local needs and priorities, and the trumpeted increased
investment will largely create unwanted facilities that will be future millstones.
not to mention the disruption over perhaps 15 years as the site is developed
and then (if finances materialise) restored for use.
more pictures
after the walk, we went to join the demonstration
and protest march that was forming in meridian square outside
stratford station. it wasn't a huge event, with just over
a hundred marchers, but i was surprised at the positive response from those
hurrying by to catch trains or go shopping, many expressing support. the
march, on a bitter, dull afternoon, ended on hackney marshes, where considerable
local sports facilities are due to be covered by car parks if the bid succeeds,
with people playing games and a very spirited sack race.
more pictures
i walked back to stratford, again through the
olympic site, crossing over the lea at one of the locks and along the side
of the waterworks river, with often dramatic lighting and the occasional
light flurry of snow.
more pictures
sunday was another bitter day, and i froze on
butlers wharf waiting to see ellen macarthur aboard her
catamaran as it was driven up to tower bridge and back
from greenwich, disappointingly not a sail in sight. the crowds were not
huge, but respectable, but like me, few could be bothered to go to greenwich.
the various press boats buzzing round the catamaran added a little interest,
but made me glad i wasn't on one.
more pictures
i was more interested in taking some pictures
along the riverside, then took the tube to westminster to call in on brian
haw, still in parliament square since 1st June
2001, with the government now cooking up a personal law against him. the
signs on the square are no augmented by a line of mute london 2012 flags,
and along in trafalgar square (on my route to the national
gallery) was a giant tent and olympian figure. nobody can accuse london
2012 of not spending money on promoting their cause.
more pictures
shi'ite muslims in london were celebrating
the stand of the grandson of the prophet, imam hussain, who died a glorious
martyr along with his small band of supporters at karbala in iraq, choosing
death rather than dishonour, in the year 680. ashura represents
a key point of difference between sunni and shi'a traditions and saddam
hussein rigidly prevented its observance in iraq during his years in power.
more pictures
back to feb page 2
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some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.
this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of the
rest at
london pictures
londons industrial history
and you can read what I think about photography at
>Re:PHOTO
All pictures on this section of the site
are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to buy prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this
site, or for any other questions,
contact
me
your comments may be added to the site - or
not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.
some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.
this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of
the rest at
london pictures
londons industrial history
and you can read what I think about photography at
>Re:PHOTO
All pictures on this section of the
site are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to but prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this
site, or for any other questions,
contact
me
your comments may be added to the site -
or not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.
