Take a walk in the park over the festive season

Christmas is a magical time for a walk in Wanstead Park. A chance to work off any over indulgence on food and drink during the festive period. The weather ofcourse can be a variable. Lots of people hope for snow - a white Christmas. But that has been a pretty rare event over recent times. More commonplace is a clear, chill day, perfect to shake off the cobwebs. A wet Christmas is another fairly common occurrence over recent times. Back in 2019, there was a deluge of rain, causing the River Roding to burst its banks. The water filled up the adjacent Ornamental water and surrounding woodland. It became something of an epic journey just trying to get round the lake. However, the waters quickly subsided, with the now virtually empty, Ornamental water, quickly draining. Today, the Ornamental remains a shadow of its former self, overgrown and waterless. Happily, though, there are now some plans coming together to improve the situation. One addition, this Christmas for those walking in the park are the three longhorn cattle grazing on the plain, by the Perch pond. They have been out for a while now, chewing down the grasslands, whilst encouraging a greater biodiversity. The cows are such peaceful creatures, going about their daily activities, offering a glimpse of the past, as well as the present and future. It is the long and distinguished history of the park that fascinates so many who visit. The former grounds of Wanstead House. The Temple, the Grotto down on the Ornamental. That history always seems especially real on a day when the mist is just lifting over the lakes, with the crows calling in the background. A heron may lift out of the reeds, flying off overhead, like a remnant of a prehistoric age. The multiple colours of the trees, many still clothed in leaf, are another fascinating sight to behold at this time of year. The park is a great place to go at any time of the year, with always something different going on. But at Christmas, there is always that extra bit of magic. So, if you have the chance get out there over Christmas and the New Year. Treat yourself to a warming tea and cake at the kiosk, whilst watching the world go by. It'll be time well spent, for mind and body alike. Happy Christmas

You saw me standing alone by Alex Williams Published by Bucko Media Ltd. £15

Former professional footballer, Alex Williams, tells his fascinating story of involvement as a player, then coach and community activist at Manchester City. The first black goalkeeper to play at the highest level, till his career was tragically cut short by injury, Williams goes on a footballing journey. A boy from the local streets around the old City ground at Maine Road, he progresses to become the first team goalkeeper in 1981. He looks set for big things, having become the regular keeper but a career ending back injury brings all to a halt in 1985. He then plays a few games for Port Vale but the playing side is over. Williams has to endure all the racism thrown at the pioneer black players of the 1970s and 80s. He graphically recalls a fan at Everton creating a burning cross, remnant of the Klu Klux Clan, on the terrace. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was at the game that day with his Dad. He recalled the incident, meeting Williams years later. Williams also suffered a hail of bananas at Leeds United and razor blades sent to a hotel City were staying, when about to play Chelsea. Williams also recalls the casual racism of white teammates - defined as banter then but what would be regarded as racism now. Williams is a tough character, enduring the abuse and coming out the other side. He also provided an important inspiration for later players, including Arsenal and England's Ian Wright. He goes onto coach goalkeepers at City and work for City in the Community (CIC). CIC has been running since 1986. It has ploughed millions into community development, addressing all sorts of issues, impacting on young people. One encouraging thing has been how this work has deepened and expanded under the new ownership of the club under Sheikh Mansour. So much negativity, surrounds the role of big money owners in football, it is good to hear some positive impact. The story of Alex Williams is a fascinating one, well told. There is the first person narrative, punctuated with testimonies from the many people he has worked with over the years. City fans will love the book but it has a wider appeal. Williams time in football covers a period of great transition. Many of the players come from the surrounding Manchester streets, when Williams is setting out. There is no Premiership. By the time, he finishes (earlier this year), football is a multi-national, multi-billion pound business. There are still some local players, like Phil Foden at Manchester City, but it is the exception rather than the rule. The game has changed but the work of CIC is a cause for hope. The club has not lost it's roots, which still lie deep in the Manchester community. Published by Bucko Media Ltd - £15 published - Morning star - 19/12/2023 A good read, telling the story of one remarkable man and the changing football landscape around him.

A Christmas Carol provides a message of hope for today

The now annual performance of Charles Dickens' play, a Christmas Carol, at the Old Vic, is one not to be missed. This year, Christopher Eccleston stars as Scrooge in an energetic production, that resonates so strongly in today's world. The Scrooge character has stored away all his wealth, unwilling to even give to charity at Christmas. When asked to donate, he responds saying there are prisons and workhouses for the poor. Scrooge idealises money, luxuriating in the power it gives him. The love of money, though, leaves him a very lonely man. It is only after visitations from the ghosts of Christmas, past, present and future that he mends his ways. The transformation sees the emergence of a much loved generous man, playing a full part in the community. Dickens' play has endured well down the years since it was written in 1843. It is as applicable today, as it was in those Victorian days. The love of money is writ large across our society today. Almost, everything seems to be evaluated as to what it cost. Christmas itself has become incredibly commercialised, a bumper season for retail, but what about the true meaning of Christmas? The coming together, in community? A Christmas Carol draws attention to the polarisation of wealth in society. The class of Scrooge, profiting from other people's debts, while the mass of people struggle by. The Scrooge's of today are the billionaires and large companies who don't pay their taxes, preferring that people get by on the charity of foodbanks. The idea of deserving and undeserving poor was rampant in Victorian England, with the workhouse always awaiting those who fell on hard times. Today, society is moving back in that direction. Rights to welfare support are being rolled back. Recipients of benefits are readily punished, should they fail to jump through every hoop. The welfare safety net is being removed. So, the society revealed in a Christmas Carol is not that far away from our own today. The play though offers hope. Scrooge goes on a journey of redemption, finding fulfilment in his new found generous disposition. He saves himself and many of those around him. The message of the play is that we can all change for the better and with that change transform the society around us. It is a message of hope that can be applied as much today as back in Victorian times. * A Christmas Carol runs at the Old Vic until 6 January.

Time for reality check at West Ham - David Moyes is the most successful manager, results wise, the club has ever had - why, then, do some want him gone?

It's an up and down world being a West Ham supporter, beating Spurs (2-1) away one day then getting thrashed by Fulham (0-5) a couple of days later. All that, having started the week dropping two valuable points at home to Crystal Palace (1-1). But overall it has been a promising start to the season for the Hammers. West Ham sit just outside the top six of the Premier League. They have progressed to the knock out stages of European competition for the third year running. In June, they won the Europa Conference League, the first trophy since 1980. Why, many might ask, given how well things seem to be going, is there a constant griping group who want to see the back of manager David Moyes? Moyes has a claim on results alone to be the most successful manager in the club's history. He's saved them from relegation twice - after the club were put in jeopardy by Slave Bilic in 2018 and Manuel Pellegrini in 2019. Indeed, the first time, having pulled off the escape act, Moyes was snubbed as the club's owners went for Pellegrini, over his claim for the permanent managerial role. The club's form this season has been even more remarkable, given that in effect they spent no money in the summer. The funds received from the sale of Declan Rice and Gianlucca Scamacca funded the purchase of Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Yet, arguably the team is better than ever. So why the criticism of Moyes? It mainly comes down to style of play, which is not very exciting. It is quite prescriptive and predictable. Very direct. Hitting teams on the break, rather than dominating possession. An over reliance on set piece goals and balls down the flanks to cross for big men in the middle. Also, an inflexibility to change the system to suit certain players. A feeling of it's my way or the highway. But the approach works, Moyes result record, given the resources at his disposal, must make him in the top three of managers in the Premier League. There is much talk about "the West Ham way", which harks back to the days of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire and more recently Paulo Di Canio. Days when the football was all about attack. You would go to West Ham and always be entertained. The team might lose 4-3 and be fighting relegation more often than not but it was entertaining. I have a lot of time for that approach, after all football is entertainment, it's not war and shouldn't be all about corporate business. The unpredictability, though, obviously still exists, given the Spurs and Fulham results. But the achievements of the Moyes years have appealed to most fans.The purists would say Pellegrini and Bilic were the last two managers to play the West Ham way and look how that ended. Moyes probably won't come back a third time to save the club, after a "big name" has brought them to the verge of relegation. The whispers for the change of manager come mostly from social media based football outlets. They struggle for content much of the time, so make a lot of this stuff up. Quoting "experts" or/and has been players, with a gripe. Deliberately misinterpreting something said that is then taken out of context. The concern is that some of this stuff seems to be getting into the mainstream. Fortunately, it seems West Ham's owners are taking little notice. They stood by Moyes, when results got a little sticky last season and have been rewarded. Why now half way through, what looks another successful season, would they sack the manager or make decisions about renewal of his contract next summer? If, say West Ham won the Europa League, so qualified for the Champions League next season, the club would hardly change manager. Then, what of Moyes himself, who does hold most of the cards. He has done a fantastic job at West Ham, with often limited resources. There must be any number of Premiership, clubs who would employ him. The bigger danger, maybe, is that he walks to a more lucrative job, rather than gets the sack. Something for the boo boys to remember. There is always the mantra about being careful what you wish for - Arsenal fans know a bit about that from the immediate post Arsene Wenger days. Maybe, West Ham fans cannot have it all. They have a successful club, on the verge of good things. The football may not be as exciting as in past times but it's getting there. Why not give David Moyes a bit of praise and support, enjoy the moment, rather than carping about what might or might not be and looking back to an often mythical age?

Time to bust the myths on migration

The national obsession with immigration in this country is often difficult to fathom. The latest furore concerned net immigration figures of 745,000. The throwing around of such figures is misleading, pulling together refugees, economic migrants, students and others in a headline figure that Daily Mail leader writers can then fulminate about. The small boats coming across the channel have become a focus of government policy - despite the relatively small numbers involved. The dehumanising approach of politicians generally explains much of the failure of policy. Crazy schemes like basically trying to scare already frightened refugees into not coming because they could end up in Rwanda, rather than on the gold paved streets of Britain, makes no sense. There is much talk of targeting the traffickers but they are just an effect of the problem. The causes behind the creation of these refugees are things like war and increasingly environmental degradation. Address these causes, if the small boats are such an issue. Maybe , a bit of circumspection on Britain's own role in wars, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Britain is also a major arms seller. Also, Britain's increasingly backward looking policies on climate crisis. The hierarchy of suffering is another thing difficult to fathom, with Britain having a far more welcoming attitude to those coming from say Ukraine and Hong Kong compared to Afghanistan and Iraq. The mindless attitude to economic migration is even more difficult to understand. In a country with an ageing population and labour shortages, migrant labour is essential to fill the gaps and keep the economy going. The statistics show migrants add to revenues, they are not a drain. True, infrastructural support needs to be provided but the extra tax coming in from migrant workers should meet this need. Migrant workers should not ofcourse be allowed to undercut indigenous workers pay and terms and conditions. Also, why are asylum seekers not allowed to work while they are here, especially given that they can be waiting years to have their claims heard? Possibly, the most ludicrous target in the migrant wars are foreign students. Further education is one of the few growth areas in this country. It is largely kept going by fees from foreign students but apparently some in government want to stop them coming. Utterly ludicrous. As with many other categories foreign students are mostly only here for a limited time, so make a net gain for the economy. In fact taking economic migrants and students as indicative categories, the large number coming in is an indicator of a health economy. Migrants come to get work or learn not as the tabloids myth would have us believe to take benefits. The unhealthy obsession with migration threatens to do great damage to the economic and cultural fabric of society. The categorising of migration as "a problem," helps build fear. The opposition to migration is driven by fear based racism. This is aided by a wilful racist misuse of data by some media to drive sales of their own products. This national racist driven obsession with migration helped bring Brexit (something ironically that has cut the overall wealth of the country and helped create the skill shortages). It will do more damage, if right wing politicians, and their media megaphones, are allowed to create unfounded fears and divisions in society. What is needed is a proper recognition of the pluses and minuses of migration. There then needs to be a humane, efficient and welcoming system develop for all the different categories of migrant. The backlogs need to be cleared. Using people's lives as political footballs is not acceptable.

Fight back - people want people

Is there some sort of fight back taking place against the onward drive of automation, forcing people out of work and ever more into isolation? The thought occurs, despite the onward march of Artificial Intelligence, with all that could bring to the jobs market. The high street has been decimated due to moves to seemingly cut ties between customers and those providing the services. There was an outcry recently when Nat West closed the branch in Wanstead High Street - the last bank to move out it's physical presence. Supermarkets have for some years been seeking to force people onto self service tills, rather than staffed ones. This is aggravating for the customer, who wants to be served by a person. Doubly irritating is when self- service is deserted. It is remarkable to witness empty checkouts, whilst the few that are open have people queuing round the shop. I cannot be the only person who endures taking longer to pay and get out of the shop than you do actually getting the shopping. It is a deliberate policy to force people onto the self- service tills. A number of supermarkets are removing staffed tills in favour of self service. But there are signs of a fightback. Upmarket Northern supermarket chain Booths have restored staffed checkouts. They have found the self-service checkouts to be "slow, unreliable and impersonal." Shop lifting has been a growing problem and people want the personal touch Booths has been described as the Waitrose of the north, operating across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire. Another stand was made over the closure of railway ticket offices. The train operating companies wanted to close ticket offices, leaving customers stranded in some cases. A successful campaign led by the RMT union saw the government force withdrawal of the proposals, following a public backlash. So there are signs of people taking back control. Not that all change should be resisted. Many automation based changes make life a lot easier. But things need to be viewed in a far more holistic way. The reason for change cannot just be the businesses desire to make more profit for shareholders. Customers and service users must have a say A lot of people are very concerned, as the provision of all sorts of service become more remote and impersonal. People still want a human being to talk to at the end of the day. The removal of human contact can lead to feelings of isolation and anxiety - especially in older people. This should not happen. No one opposes change that makes life better but as some supermarkets, train companies and banks are finding, people want people. They also don't appreciate being treated as just another commodity. The Artificial Intelligence era threatens ever more change but let's make sure the changes work for everyone, not just the bottom line.

Transformation of Redbridge streets

The streets of Redbridge are undergoing a slow but steady transformation, becoming more biodiverse and bastions of sustainable living. The process is slow but change is coming. The impetus is coming from the local communities. So, more and more tree pits are being adopted by residents. Individuals are provided with seeds to develop the pits. We have been doing this for many years in the road where I live. The transformation in the street is amazing to behold in spring and summer. There has also been the positioning of planters around the borough, which again encourages biodiversity. The ones outside the town hall are particularly splendid. Voluntary groups like the Wanstead Community Gardeners and other offshoots have done fantastic work to improve the streets The council has been encouraging different streets to become pollinator pathways. This scheme extends sustainable living, so that residents take over management of much of the biodiversity. So, people in the road agree to deal with the weeds and care for tree pits. It is an important way of cutting back on pesticides. One ambition for Redbridge going forward must be the phasing out of pesticide use. It damages human and plant health. There are also the Growzones, that have been allowed to go wild. The biodiversity coming from these developments has been most encouraging. More are needed borough wide. Tree planting has continued in open spaces, as well as on the streets - this helps remove the carbon dioxide from the environment as well as increasing biodiversity. On the active travel side, the cycle network is growing all of the time. If people feel safe, they will cycle to get around. That safety, includes clean air to breath. So the improvements coming from ULEZ and the expansion of the school streets program improves that air quality. It is excellent in Wanstead that it is now possible to cycle in protected lanes or through Wanstead Park to get from the north to the south of town. There is much still to be done, with expansion of cycle hangars on residential streets a must. More 20 mph areas across the borough are also important, especially for safety. The advance of the electric car is another plus when it comes to expanding sustainable living. There are plans for more charging points to be rolled out across the borough. Better public transport is another must. London is fortunate with the public transport network compared to other parts of the country but availability and affordability can always be improved. So there are a lot of positive things happening, they just need to be speed up. Funding is often key, with environmental issues not being given the priority they should be. Budgetary cuts from central government has not helped - more could happen more quickly if this funding were restored. We are in a climate emergency - it needs to be treated as such and given the priority merited.

Banning free speech builds dissent

There has been a growing mood of censorship across the UK, as the level of dissent amongst the mass of people grows. The Home Secretary recently met with the police, over demonstrations taking place about what is happening in Gaza. She seems to have a limited concept about what free speech is all about, suggesting that carrying the Palestinian flag could be an infringement. This overly robust attitude has become prevalent over recent years, relating to protest. But there has also been the increase in what is known as cancel culture. This too has been evident regarding events in the Middle East, with a talk about a visit to Palestine by National Education Union members due to take place in an East London library cancelled a week before it was due to happen. The organisers found a new site for the talk. One of the most blatant examples of censorship has been the cancelling of the film Oh Jeremy Corbyn: the Big Lie. The film is about the Corbyn years and how he was brought down. There are a series of interviews with key players, narration comes from Alexi Sayle. The film was released earlier in the year in Liverpool but it was later that the cancellations began, the biggest being Glastonbury. Other cancellations have followed, across the country, including Carlisle, North Ayrshire and Walthamstow in London. Complaints often relate to how the film deals with issues of anti semitism in the Labour Party. What the rights or wrongs of the film are is not for discussion here but the act of outright censorship at this time in the 21st century is breathtaking. The lessons really should be learned from Ireland, where such a heavy handed approach during the years of the conflict made the voices of dissent ever louder. Many will remember the Broadcasting Ban brought in by the Thatcher government. This meant Sinn Fein leaders, like Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness, having their words delivered by actors. This did nothing to stop what they said , coming over. Indeed, there was the mystique of the banned message, which often sounded better coming from actors. Then there was the long list of banned films. Ken Loach's Hidden Agenda was often delayed or cancelled, if due for screening at the time of some atrocity. There was no question that people might have been able to tell between fact and fiction. Film producer, Kenneth Griffith's film Hang Out Your Bright Colours about the war of independence was banned in the 1970s. The public finally got a look, a couple of decades later. Another huge act of over reaction. What the deniers of free speech never seem to understand is that banning dissent does not make it go away, rather it just gets displaced elsewhere. The whole conflict in the north of Ireland is a classic example of this. The legitimate protests of the civil rights activists were not addressed but met with a violent response. This in turn bred more violence, which led to decades of conflict. Banning protest and imposing censorship just displaces grievances to other areas of life. It is only when the causes of dissent are addressed that problems can be resolved. The present British government has developed it's so called culture wars, largely as a distraction from the appalling mess it is making of the country. It seems to turn people against each other, creating ever more distraction and division in society. Fear is constantly used to legitimise censorious type actions. Much of the media help in this enterprise by creating false narratives. This then stokes the fire of those who preach fake news. None of this is healthy for a democracy. A functioning democracy is one at ease with itself. Such a democracy will have high tolerance levels, little will be banned, and if it is. a high bar should be set, for such a draconian action. Unfortunately, in Britain today, there is no democracy at ease with itself. Instead, there is an unpopular government elected by a minority of the population, which imposes suffering on many people - at home and abroad. A growing number of people dissent from their mantra, so the response is to shut down the avenues of free expression. It won't work, the truth will out and with it those who seek to deny it.

Need to hear the voices calling for peace in the Middle East

The appalling tragedy that is occurring in the Middle East has dominated headlines over past weeks. The horrendous attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 1400 on 7 October. Many more have been injured and some taken hostage. Now, the death toll is mounting in Gaza, as the Israeli military offensive intensifies. The approach of Israel has echoes of the US response to the attacks of 9/11, which led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Neither, ended well The anger on the part of Israel is understandable but it must act, proportionately, within international law. The early rhetoric in this conflict did not seem to distinguish between the actions of Hamas and the Palestinians living on the Gaza strip. The crude categorisation was a bit like making all Irish people responsible for the actions of the IRA during the war in Northern Ireland. History teaches that an all out assault based on vengeance does not in the long term solve anything - in fact it makes things worse. In Ireland, the demands of civil rights protesters in the North were denied, lethal force was deployed and decades of violence followed. Violence begets violence. Order and the rule of law get subsumed in conflict. Innocent lives are lost. It is important in such situations that the voices of reason and restraint are heard and listened to. Internationally, there have been worrying precedents set regarding the breaking of international law, over recent years. The Americans going into Iraq in 2003, without a supporting UN resolution. Most recently, Russia's illegal assault on Ukraine. The move to violent reprisal seems much quicker these days - international law being too easily set aside. The lack of calls for restraint result in a narrative of inevitable conflict. The previous experiences of such an approach really should counsel caution. Violence is proven to beget violence, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine or Northern Ireland. The violent actions of western powers in the Middle East 20 years ago, led to the emergence of Isis and all that followed. What is needed now is to hear and act upon the counsel of those urging peace - like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols.. The hostilities need to end now. Maybe, then the Middle East can be pulled back from the brink of escalating conflict. Then, genuine negotiation can eventually lead to a peaceful settlement for all who live in those lands.

Wanstead Beer Festival raises more than £3,000 for local charities

The recent Wanstead Beer Festival proved to be a great community event. People coming in from far and wide, as soon as the doors opened at 1 on Saturday. Tickets sold out days before the event, leaving some people disappointed. Hopefully next year, we'll get a few more people in the door. The weather smiled on the day, allowing drinkers to spill out from the main building into the Christchurch gardens. There was a good choice of drinks for all. The variety of casks varied from Pride of Prague (for West Ham supporters),that sold out quickly, to Billericay Dickie. A nice pale ale, Sussex Hoppy, from Listers brewery was a favourite. Local brewers did us proud, with three beers from the East London Brewery and some popular varieties from Beerblefish, Redemption, Pretty Decent and Neckstamper. Brentwood Brewery were superb, providing beers and doing the set up. Not to forget those brewers from further afield, such as Mighty Oak (Malden), providing the popular Captain Bob and Gorgeous George beers and Harvey's Best Bitter (Lewes). The ciders were also popular, especially Farmer Jim's, Rhubarb Bob. Staff and volunteers put in a huge effort to create such a special day. A number commented on the friendly atmosphere. The organising team got great support from Christchurch. Local business sponsors also played a major role in making the event possible. So, thanks to all. The success of the not-for-profit event, saw more than £3000 raised for good causes. The two nominated charities Tin in a Bin and the Wanstead Charity will soon receive their cheques. There certainly seems to be a good appetite for a beer festival in Wanstead. This event came together quickly, due to a lot of work from a few people. Hopefully it can now go on to become a regular local feature of the calendar, alongside the Wanstead Festival and Fringe So big thanks to everyone who came along and the team of volunteers who made it all possible. Onto the next one - see you next year. Cheers.

Violence begets more violence in the Middle East

The appalling tragedy that is occurring in the Middle East has dominated headlines over past weeks. The horrendous attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 1400. Many more have been injured and some taken hostage. Now, the death toll is mounting in Gaza, as the Israeli military offensive intensifies. The Israeli government has mobilised it's army, calling up reservists in readiness for a mass military action against Gaza. Palestinians have been told to leave likely conflict zones. The approach of Israel has echoes of the US response to the attacks of 9/11, which led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The anger and desire for revenge on the part of Israel is understandable but it must act, proportionately, within international law. The early rhetoric in this conflict did not seem to distinguish between the actions of Hamas and the Palestinians living on the Gaza strip. The crude categorisation was a bit like making all Irish people responsible for the actions of the IRA during the war. History teaches that an all out assault based on vengeance does not in the long term solve anything - in fact it makes things worse. In Ireland, the demands of civil rights protesters in the North were denied, lethal force was deployed and decades of violence followed. Violence begets violence. Order and the rule of law get subsumed in conflict. Innocent lives are lost. It is important in such situations that the voices of reason and restraint are heard and listened to. Internationally, there have been worrying precedents set regarding the breaking of international law, over recent years. The Americans going into Iraq in 2003, without a supporting UN resolution. Most recently, Russia's illegal assault on Ukraine. The move to violent reprisal seems much quicker these days - international law being too easily set aside. Going back to the days of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, when the world was brought to the brink of nuclear war, it is interesting to read counts of the whole process. The ongoing analysis and weighing up of options, the measured and statesmanlike approach of President Kennedy. Also, a wise decision to relegate the opinions of the military, who it seems always want outright war. Why do we hear so many soldiers giving their opinions on the Middle East situation in the mass media? Also, the crucial brokering role of the UN. In the end, nuclear Armageddon was avoided over Cuba because of effective diplomacy, cool heads, international pressure and a wise president. Unfortunately, there are no President Kennedys around today. Nor is the UN the force it was for peace. Today, too many world leaders rush to take sides, setting a background context that justifies and legitimates revenge based actions. The lack of calls for restraint result in a narrative of inevitable conflict. Rather than opprobrium being directed towards those who may kill in vengeance there is an urge to act, ever more violently. The previous experiences of such an approach really should counsel caution. Violence is proven to beget violence, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine or the north of Ireland. The violent actions of western powers in the Middle East 20 years ago led to the emergence of Isis and all that followed. What is needed now are cool heads counselling caution. The voices of peace, not the militarists preaching war, need to be heard. International leaders need to lead, not join in a one sided dash toward oblivion What is needed now is more jaw jaw, not war war. Maybe then the Middle East can be pulled back from the brink of escalating conflict. Then, genuine negotiation can eventually lead to a peaceful settlement for all who live in those lands. Published - Irish Post - 28/10/2023

Dysfunctional political system must change

Journalist, Ian Dunt, offers a withering analysis of the dysfunctional British political system. "One of the core features of the British system, at every level, is that no one knows what they're talking about," says Dunt."And if by accident someone who does know what they're talking about finds themselves in a senior position they're quickly moved on." In his book, How Westminster works...and why it doesn't, Dunt chronicles the problems, from a selection system for MPs that ensures many inappropriate people end up in Parliament to the country being run out of a 17th century terraced house (10 Downing Street). Ministers and civil servants are all moved rapidly on before they have a chance to get to grips with their portfolios This results in crazy ideas being implemented, which by the time the true impact is realised the minister has long since moved on. Dunt illustrates the point, using the example of Chris Grayling's career as Justice minister, privatising ( destroying) the probation system. The House of Commons has been effectively gutted as a place where government business is scrutinised.The brutal whips system ensures for the most part MPs don't step out of line. Most are lobby fodder, with little capacity for independent thought - this ofcourse also goes back to selection process. The select committees in the House of Commons and the House of Lords are the only bodies exercising a proper scrutiny function on government business. Some, will have been lucky enough to attend the session with Ian Dunt during the Wanstead Fringe. He enlarged on the themes in the book, including highlighting how things could change. He suggests a public primaries system for MP selection and the introduction of PR. The Prime Ministerial function needs to move from the terraced house to a more appropriate premises. Scrutiny powers need strengthening, with greater specialism amongst MPs and civil servants. His ideas are a start. There certainly needs to be fundamental change. It was striking attending the Fringe session and reading the book how many of the issues highlighted resonate at local government level. Too much of what goes on at all levels is about marginalising people with important skills, reducing important functions to political posturing, rather than playing effective roles in governance. Reform is desperately needed at all levels to revive our fading democracy. More people genuinely representing communities across the land need to be persuaded to come forward. Then, once elected, supported and encouraged to take an active part in governance. It will take a huge effort to effect such change but things cannot continue in the present regressive state for much longer.

Cars need to slow down

The implementation of 20 mph speed limits across these islands appears to be gathering pace. Ireland has become the latest to move to restrict speed, following a rise in deaths on the roads. Wales recently brought in such a limit across the country. In England, as with many things car related, the approach has been slow and piecemeal. Many different areas have brought in 20mph limits. This limit is becoming the norm in London, with Transport For London seeking to persuade many of the boroughs to comply. More of Redbridge is coming under 20 mph restrictions, with expansion ongoing. Pedestrianisation of areas, as has happened in neighbouring areas like Walthamstow, would be a welcome next step. How about some of Wanstead High Street? There has been opposition from some in the motor lobby to 20 mph restrictions. In Wales, there have been claims of economic loss - how that works is a mystery. The oppositional stance adopted by many in the media to such developments is a wonder to behold. So out come the routine lazy vox pop interviews flashed up on the screen, with Joe Blogs saying he's going to lose thousands because he can't drive fast anymore. Similar vox pop interviews have been used regarding the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London. Maybe, some of these claims need checking out. In Britain, it has become impossible to have a rational conversation about the car. There are a vociferous group of drivers, who see any restriction, as some sort of infringement of their human rights. Never mind those being mown down by reckless drivers or the poisoning the air breathed by children, causing them to get asthma. The London Mayor has a target of 80% of journeys being by foot, cycle or public transport by 2041. In order to achieve such a goal, ways of getting about have to radically change. Moving forward the car driver has to be prepared to give a little. Reduce speed, stop polluting and recognise the right of others to safely use the road space. The measures taken in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and parts of England to make the roads safer for all should be applauded and supported- they are to the benefit of everyone. They are also the future.

Farmers and Environmentalists must work together

There has been a recent focus on the cost of agriculture in terms of greenhouse gas generation. The agricultural sector accounts for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions in Britain, with methane from the livestock and nitrous oxide due to the use of nitrogen fertilizer and manure management being the main causes. The problem is bigger in a country like Ireland, where agriculture accounts for 38.4% of emissions. In Ireland, radical moves like mass cattle culls are under consideration by government. What the call for a cull highlights is the often blunt instrument approach to the emissions issue. There is a divide between farmers and environmentalists. Recently, attending a talk in Rye, Sussex, about wildlife and biodiversity in the area, the division between farmers and environmentalists became immediately obvious. The talk was being given by a National Trust representative. He was explaining what was happening, with a rewilding plan, putting back hedges, returning to nature to restore biodiversity - so enhance carbon capture. It was all good stuff. A couple of farmers in the audience, though, were less impressed, criticising certain elements of the plan. The speaker was unwilling to dialogue, so the farmers were shut out. Speaking to one afterwards, he was just keen to work with the program in order that it worked better for everyone. The farmers, though, had not been taken into the equation. This type of polarisation of opinion is not uncommon. The farmers in one camp, environmentalists in the other, and never the twain shall meet. Writer and Cumbrian hill farmer James Rebanks has explored some of these dilemmas. In his excellent book, English Pastoral, he describes a journey, which results in him totally changing his farming methods. So the farm still deals with livestock, only much more sustainably produced. He also does all that is possible to promote biodiversity, so reduce emissions. He has also been an advocate for this approach, working in co-operation, with his farming neighbours. The two things can work well together - producing food and enhancing the environment. Nations need feeding but the livestock must be dealt with sustainably. The consequence of a Rebanks style approach is the products like meat will cost the consumer more. Whether the consumer will accept such developments, especially at a time of a cost of living crisis, remains to be seen. Though, government subsidy for this form of sustainable farming can soften the blow. What is for sure is that this more co-operative approach must be the way forward. Farmers and farming cannot just be slashed to meet an emissions target. Working together in the way Rebanks and others suggest must be the way forward. Another project that shows real initiative in this area is the Our Food 1200 in Monmouthshire and the Breacon Beacons. The local bodies there are trying to bring new farmers in to take on small holdings. There are 1200 acres of plots to be handed out - the amount needed to feed the region. The plots vary between 3 and 10 acres. The new farmers then produce the food required in the area. It becomes a virtuous circle. No more transporting food around the country, generating emissions, it is being produced sustainably and consumed locally. This type of imaginative project must be spread across these islands and beyond. In areas like Redbridge, this locally produced food can be further enhanced by expanding allotments and community gardens, as well as promoting food production in private gardens. What the moves being taken to address greenhouse emissions to reach net zero underline is the need for change. The world has been slow to address the crisis. The warnings of scientists were at first ignored, then only given secondary status.Even today, many governments still believe climate issues can be put on the back burner until affordable. Though, an increasing number of governments realise delay, means an even greater cost down the line. People's lives do need to radically change, the deniability bubble is no answer. At least in Ireland there is a will to embrace the challenges, the UK government seems determined to promote the most damaging ways of living, aka fossil fuel extraction, in a populist desire for electoral success. There is a recognition in Ireland and Britain that less use of petrol cars and planes plus a better diet all have parts to play. It will mean a different way of living, maybe a step back in some ways to a simpler way of life. But the benefits are manifold, not just saving the planet from climate and biodiversity disasters but also bringing about a healthier more fulfilled way of living, embracing the land in a more holistic way. The future can be bright.

The Wanstead Beer Festival is nearly upon us

So if you haven't got a ticket get one now. Tickets are going fast and it's cheaper in advance than on the day. There has certainly been a lot of keen interest, since the idea of the Wanstead Beer Festival was launched earlier in the year. A small group of devoted beer drinkers have come together to make the event happen at Christchurch Halls on Saturday 14th October. The event will bring together a whole variety of beers, ciders and some wine from around the country There has been great support from a number of brewers, including, Brentwood, East London, Exale, Beerblefish, Pretty Decent and Redemption. But there are beers from across the country from the Vale of Glamorgan to Burton on Trent and Harvey's in Sussex. Hopefully, all tastes will be catered for. There will also be a selection of ciders - a drink that is increasingly popular with youngsters. Not forgetting the commemorative glass, which is included in the ticket. The heron themed Wanstead touch gives it that real cache feel. This year has been an important and challenging one for the beer industry. Clear of COVID at last but then along came the cost of living crisis. It has been a struggle, especially for our pubs, trying to keep their heads above water. This year, has seen a full program of beer festivals across the country, with the punters flocking in. Many locals will have attended the Epping and Ongar Beer festival in July. Not only was the beer great but there was the opportunity to travel on the trains between North Wield, Epping and Ongar. Great work in organising the festival from the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branches. The East London & City Camra branch really does punch above its weight, partnering in Epping & Ongar as well as running the hugely successful Pigs Ear beer festival in Hackney at the end of November. The event attracted 3,000 ale drinkers last year. So anyone whose appetite is wetted in Wanstead, why not go onto the Pigs Ear event in the run up to Christmas (. ). The Wanstead Beer Festival is a not for profit event, with any money made being divided between three local charities. After the successful Wanstead Fringe and Wanstead Festival it is hope that the Wanstead Beer Festival will also become a regular fixture in the calender of events in the area. Hopefully it will bring in people from beyond Wanstead for a first taste of life here. Then they might come back to visit our pubs and restaurants and go to the shops.

Pygmalion at the Old Vic

The timing of this excellent production of Bernard Shaw's play could not be more prescient. The two month run coinciding with sex scandals in the news - the play is recast for the modern era. The rubbing up together of gender and class in a play written in 1913, then later adapted for film in the 1930s, could not be clearer. The play has bred a number of variations over the years from the My Fair Lady musical, starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, to later offshoots like Educating Rita and Pretty Woman. But director Richard Jones production brings the whole thing bang up to date. The timeless nature of the content is testimony to Shaw's vision and the slowness of society to change. Bertie Carvel is brilliant as the mercurial, eccentric Professor Henry Higgins. Those who last saw him tread the boards of the Old Vic, as Donald Trump in the 47th have to pinch themselves. Rushing around with a constant nervous energy, the Higgins character is reminiscent at times of John Cleese as Basil Fawlty. Though, in terms of appearance with stoop and red cardigan, images of Monty Don and Richard Briers as Tom Good in 1970s comedy the Good Life, merge in the imagination. Patsy Ferran is equally good, brilliantly dramatising the metamorphosis from working class flower girl to middle class ornament. Her comic timing is superb. There is another excellent performance from John Marquez as Eliza's dustman father, Alfred. A man satisfied in his world as immoral working class rogue, who betters himself materially but also loses himself to middle class morality. It is the working class who come out on top in this production, with Eliza turning the tables on Higgins and her father triumphing in material terms at least. There are many currents running through this play, from misogyny and discrimination to outright exploitation. Jones production brings the play right up to date in a very contemporary way. But as ever one is left to wonder at the perceptive insight of Shaw on society. It also poses the question as to how much has really changed in society relating to class and gender over the last century? To 28th October - oldvictheatre.com

Triple lock is the least pensioners deserve

There has been much talk recently as to whether the government will be keeping the triple lock on pensions going forward. The triple lock was introduced by the Coalition Government in 2010 to counter pensioner poverty. It ensures that the state pension rises each year by the greater of average wage growth, inflation or 2.5%. The rise was over 10% last year, with 8.5% predicted this year in line with wage growth. The triple lock was created to counter pensioner poverty, that had risen to 28% at turn of the century. The level is now 15% - still, well above countries, like France (4.4%) and Germany (9.2%). These other countries devote more of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to pensions. In France, 11.7% of GDP goes to the state pension. 11.5% in Italy. In the UK, just 4.7% of GDP goes on the state pension. The cry has been that the triple lock can no longer be afforded. The debate is very unhelpfully framed in the context of intergenerational conflict. The debate being that if the elderly get a decent pension, the young suffer. This is totally wrong. The elderly are entitled to a decent state pension. They have contributed for 35 years plus in order to receive a secure, decent pension. It is a right, not a privilege. The argument should be about how things can be improved for all generations. How the overall cake can be split more fairly. Inter-generational solidarity. How can the appalling inequalities in this country be countered? Maybe the rich, old and young, need to pay more. What of the companies that use the educated workforce, then take their profits offshore. Could they not pay more tax? The debate should be about how the overall pot can be increased, not how the present diminishing take is split. If the pensioners are doing relatively better, then look to move others up to that level, not drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator. Maybe a Universal Basic Income for everyone should be considered to level things up. What is certain is that the triple lock must remain. It is not excessively expensive but the least a civilised society can do for its population. Let's also remember that life expectancy in the UK is in decline, in marked contrast to other European countries Politicians will be loathed to cut pensions, not least because older people are more likely to vote. Nor does it look good, given the gold plated pensions that MPs award themselves. What is needed is to build on the triple lock to ensure pensioner security. Promote intergenerational solidarity, making sure that everyone gets a fairer deal.

Time to call out the policy of promoting hunger

What an immoral country the UK has become, when government uses hunger as an instrument of policy. Or put another way, the British government seeks to starve many of the people it is elected to serve. It is a scandal that in one of the richest countries in the world (the fifth largest economy) that over 2 million people are reliant on food banks. The major foodbank provider, the Trussell Trust, has seen the number of foodbanks it provides rise from 35 in 2010 to more than 1400 today. Altogether, there are more than 2,500 foodbanks in a country that is home to more than 300 billionaires. The reluctance of government to feed people is shown in the way children are treated. Back in 2020, it took footballer Marcus Rashford shaming the government into providing free school meals for children. Support has remained but the quality of provision has reduced. One of the reasons successive governments have got away with starving the nation is that not enough voices have been raised in opposition. Foodbanks have become institutionalised. Thousands of fantastic volunteers across the country run the foodbanks, without them things would be far worse. But foodbanks have been normalised, where are the voices - particularly in the political sphere - asking why we need foodbanks in such a rich country? Where is the commitment and policy to make foodbanks unnecessary? It could be done. VAT is a tax on the poor. It is levied on food, which hits the lowest earners hardest, so why not cut this regressive tax for food? Impose price controls on a number of foodstuffs. Why, at the time of a cost of living crisis, have supermarkets been allowed to make obscene profits, often on the backs of the poorest people? Wages need to increase, with implementation of a Universal Basic Income a possible option. Benefits need to be increased and made more accessible. One of the major causes of people going to foodbanks are benefit issues. There needs to be a culture change in benefits, recognising that people need and are entitled to them. The attitude to benefits under recent governments is more akin to the 19tb century, with punitive sanctions applied wherever possible. It is back to the world of the workhouse and deserving poor (who received charity). Some of the changes mentioned would help level up society and reduce hunger in the population. It is something that needs to happen. Starving people is a policy that no government should be able to get away with - it needs to end.

Unequal UK

The UK is one of the most unequal countries in Europe, second only to Bulgaria. Not that this was always the case. Back in the 1970s, the UK was one of the most equal places, with the gap between rich and poor at it's lowest point. Life expectancy was on the increase. The burgeoning inequality of the past 40 years has brought the UK to the point where it is a shattered nation - things just don't work. Academic, Professor Danny Dorling has produced a devastating critique of how the UK got to that state it is today, with education increasingly the preserve of the wealthy, a health system that is falling apart and homelessness and hunger on the increase. In Shattered Nation, Professor Dorling highlights how according to the census figures there are 66 million rooms available in the UK, with 22 million empty. There needs to be adjustments made, penalising those with second homes and bringing in rent controls. In Oxford, the biggest cause of death for under 65s is homelessness It used to be possible for anyone to go to university for free. Grants were provided to see students through. Today, fees of £9,000 are charged for the course, with most students now having work to pay their way. Few leave university without a huge debt burden round their necks. The health service has been cut, so the UK was more badly hit by COVID that other countries with fully funded services. Transport in the UK is amongst the most expensive in the world Whilst most European countries have seen life expectancy increase, it is now in reverse here Indeed, other countries are all moving toward a more equal harmonious status. The home country closest to the European model is Scotland where university education is free. Water and railways reside in public ownership and child benefit support is not restricted to the first two children. The ongoing shattering of the UK is likely to see Scotland get independence, with the other home nations not far behind. Professor Dorling offers a devastating critique as to how a few grow ever richer, whilst the mass of people struggle. It is not a model of development that can sustain much longer. The next government needs to start moving the leavers to make the UK a genuine, more equal, egalitarian place to live. Failure to do so will see the divisions grow ever deeper. Professor Dorling will discuss his book at the Wanstead Tap in October.

Review - Shattered Nation by Danny Dorling

This excellent book from Danny Dorling provides a comprehensive picture of the way in which the UK has effectively shattered as a functioning country. Education, health, welfare, transport and the utilities have all been destroyed by the neo-liberal creed of the market knows best. A society that knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The central thesis of Shattered Nation is how the UK has become one of the most unequal countries in the world. In Europe, it is second only to Bulgaria, when it comes to inequality. Not that it was always thus - the UK was one of the most equal countries back in the 1970s. Income disparities were at their lowest in 1974. Dorling adapts William Beveridge's five evils from his famous 1940s report - want squalor, idleness, ignorance and disease - for today. So, the new categories are hunger, procurity, waste, exploitation and fear. The analysis of how things have and continue to break down is alarming. Also, the malaise that seems to stop the country breaking out of this mess. The text is illuminated with a variety of alarming facts, such as that there are 66 million rooms available in the UK, 22 million of which are empty. Homelessness is the main cause of death for those in Oxford under 65. Dorling does suggest solutions along the way, such as increasing the cost of owning second homes and providing rent controls and greater security of tenure. Dorling takes a very internationalist stance in the book, underlining that apart from the US, no other country is on this divisive path of destruction. Greater solidarity and cohesion is developing, particularly, among other European countries The closest any part of the UK comes to heading in such a direction is Scotland, where the limit on child benefit to the first two children does not exist, while, rail and water are under public control. Nor do Scottish students have to pay University fees. The splitting up of the UK seems an inevitability if the inequalities continue to grow and the society shatters. Dorling also highlights a dysfunctional electoral system that saw the Conservatives gain an 80 seat majority in 2019, despite getting just 14million votes. Some 17 million voted for other parties, whilst 23 million did not vote at all. The electoral system has to change. This book provides a masterful critique of just why this country is in the shattered state it is. Austerity cost more lives than the COVID pandemic. The pandemic was handled so badly due to the inequalities of the society and fragmentation through privatisation of so many parts of the public sector. A country as unequal as the UK is also more unhealthy, so a health emergency costs more to address than it would in a more equal country like say Finland. The book also provides some pointers as to how things could be put right. But the warnings are clear as to what will happen if the UK continues along this disastrous path. It will become an increasingly isolated island that operates in a situation of perpetual crisis. In the end, it simply won 't function at all. There are messages for everyone in this book, none more than politicians across the board, most of whom seem determined to move ever more quickly toward the abyss. The message is that red lights are flashing, it is time to act. Published by Verso - £14.99

Time to be bold on transport infrastructure

Time to be bold on transport infrastructure There need to be some radical measures taken to change the transport system of the UK. These would include making public transport cheap or free, providing a proper cycling network and cutting the cost of electric cars. Free or cheap public transport would bring people off the roads and out of the skies. There needs to be a truly comprehensive, safe cycle network of the type seen in other European countries. Finally, the whole electrification of vehicles needs speeding up. The charging network needs to expand and cost of electric vehicles brought down dramatically. All these measures will require government investment on a large scale. The fruits of such a policy, though, will be many fold. Not only would such measures dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions but they would also contribute to equality in society. At present, those with the most have the biggest polluting vehicles that cost everyone a disproportionate amount of money to keep on the road. Public transport in the UK is amongst the most expensive in the world. It is cheaper to drive virtually anywhere in the country, if there are three or four of you than to buy rail tickets. The costs are so ridiculous, that flying can be the cheapest form of transport. Looking to the way other European countries operate is instructive. In Germany, responding to the cost of living crisis, a ticket was introduced last year costing £6 a month with unlimited travel. This saw internal flights drop by 49% in the first month. In Spain, free travel was introduced, while Italy brought in low cost travel for low income families. Transport in France has always been at a nominal cost. Polluting vehicles reduce, whilst those on lower incomes benefit from free/cheap travel. Ofcourse, these countries have strong, progressive political leadership In the UK this is often lacking. The Prime Minister has become the champion of the polluters, based it seems on one by-election victory in Uxbridge, where he believes opposition to the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) won the day for his candidate. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has shown the sort of leadership on ULEZ and other transport issues that is needed. Indeed, right through the political system there needs to be leadership shown. We can't just talk the talk but need to walk the walk - literally. The pattern of transport used by local councilors would make for interesting reading. If set against the Mayor's active travel targets, some 80% of us should be getting around by public transport, cycle or on foot. Returning to the original theme, which is the need for some major interventions to make non- polluting transport affordable and safe for all. At present, what is being done across the country is at best piecemeal - many good things in some areas but the lack of an all encompassing vision. Also, increasingly a fear of offending the motorist. Free or very cheap public transport, a comprehensive cycle network and speeding up of car electrification seems like a no brainer, it is good for the economy and levelling up as well as the health of people and the environment. But some strong political leadership will be required, otherwise the slow piecemeal approach will continue. And we don't have the time for that.

Soaps need to cheer up

Has EastEnders become the drama wing of the cancer charities? The thought occurs, as the soap moves at almost unseemly haste from the death of one character (Lola Pearse) with cancer to the diagnosis of another ((Alfie Moon) with prostrate cancer. Surely, the viewer deserves a bit of an emotional break? The soaps have become the place where health and social issues are played out. They are popular with campaigning organisations and charities seeking to get a message over to the nation. In fact, they seem to be queuing up to be part of a plotline. This popularity goes back to when EastEnders carried the story of a character (Mark Fowler) with Aids. It was a long-running storyline that was found to resonate with more people than all the government advertising campaigns and warnings to the public about HIV and Aids. Now, though there are so many cause based storylines that they are literally bumping up against each other. Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease (MND) eating disorders, miscarriages, stalking, drug addiction, grooming, rape and domestic abuse just to mention a few. The subjects are usually handled very well, the soaps production department working closely with organisations and victims from the various areas. ITV's Coronation Street did a particularly good storyline about a young boy (Max Platt) being groomed by a far right gang. It picked up on how vulnerabilities are played upon. Presently, there is a very contemporary theme, as the iconic pub, the Rovers, struggles to survive amid the cost of living crisis. No doubt the soap remains an important medium to communicate such themes. The concern would be as to whether so many public information themes running at any one time take from the efficacy of the drama. Will people simply switch off if the drama is made up predominantly of these themes? The soap is a strange dramatic format. Its power to appeal is in the characters ability to entertain but also resonate with ordinary peoples lives. The soaps have become part of the wallpaper of everyday life. It is why so many seem to think the characters are real. That said, you'd be pushed to find anywhere like Eastenders Albert Square in the East End today or a Coronation Street in Manchester. It would be a shame if the soaps lost their appeal due to an over reliance on social problem based plotlines. The predominance of often depressing themes also does little to uplift the audience, as at present it moves from cancer in EastEnders to MND on Coronation Street. Yes, it is good to cover these important issues but maybe not quite as many, at the same time. Also, what about the odd good news, uplifting story? The life of working people maybe tough but it is not all about suffering and despair, there are the good times too. So let's cheer up a bit in those soap based efforts to entertain and educate the public. Some uplifting themes, a bit of hope, as well as public information scenarios.

Time to focus on the media role during the Troubles

The legacy business, when it comes to what happened in the north of Ireland, seems to be in full swing. The 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has been the spur for much activity Two contributions have been the BBC's Once Upon a time in Northern Ireland series and the exhibition: Northern Ireland: Living with the Troubles at the Imperial War Museum. Both have shown different aspects of the conflict - how people from the two communities could see the same incident in opposite ways. The documentary went through the different chapters of the conflict largely via interviews of those taking part. The exhibition has striking statistics highlighting the deaths in the 70s, with civilians always making up a large part of the casualties. A short film also emphasises how in many ways the Good Friday Agreement institutionalised the divisions. However, what is lacking in all of this is any analysis of the media. The media is crucial because it played a key role in how the conflict unfurled and now how the history is being written. The latter is so very important if the same mistakes as those made over the years of the conflict are not to be repeated in the future. The media played a major role in adopting the British Government's propaganda model for the conflict, namely, two warring tribes with the army and security forces in the middle trying to keep the peace. This image was never better personified than when the troops were greeted on arrival in 1969 with tea and cakes on the barriers. Ofcourse this all quickly changed, with internment and the army effectively picking a side. The coverage that then followed seemed to normalise the violence. Bombs going off in the north and in England became the staple diet of news bulletins. Yet, although at times Belfast could resemble any war zone around the world, the whole thing became normalised. Indeed, the phrase "the Troubles" was a term devised to trivialise what was happening. There was effectively a war going on, yet, seven general elections passed without it being a major issue. There was also a tendency to blame Republicans for the whole thing. Journalists lacked good sources on the Republican movement to explain what was happening. So, it went on, never a mention of cost either. Billions were poured into the conflict, yet, whether it was affordable never featured. True, this mantra regarding conflict does extend beyond the north of Ireland. There always seems to be money for war. Today, the same sort of rationale applies to Ukraine. The damage done to the system of law, with developments like the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Diplock Courts were not questioned. Nor do the lasting effects feature in the legacy events. Collusion? There is so much missing. The media frame of coverage on the conflict was revealed somewhat in the aftermath of the GFA. As the violence faded, so the North fell out of the headlines. There is some serious work to be done on looking at the role the media played during the conflict and today, as to how it is being seen looking back. There were some efforts to unravel media coverage during the conflict, with Liz Curtis's Ireland and the Propaganda War, then Don't Mention the War by David Miller making outstanding contributions. The Irish Post ofcourse came about due to the appalling coverage of the conflict and to give voice to the Irish community here and in Ireland. The paper was a must read for anyone who wanted an idea about what was going on. The real concern of the moment is that much of the commemorative stuff relies too much on that original British Government/media frame of the feuding tribes, with the peacekeepers in the middle. If that is how the conflict is still being seen, there is a long way to go in terms of really recognising and reconciling to the past. At best, the media can be said to have normalised rather than questioned what was going on in the north of Ireland. A failure to dispassionately and honestly view what happened over those decades of conflict will only ensure that at some time the same sort of scenario plays out again. One important factor to ensure this does not happen is a proper evaluation of the role of media during and since the conflict. It maybe painful for some but only then can a more balanced view be achieved and a repeat of the past avoided.

Football gives a whole new meaning to the word inflation

The money in football is crazy. Over the summer West Ham captain Declan Rice moved to neighbours Arsenal for £105 million. This sum though was soon surpassed, when Chelsea paid Brighton £115 million for 21-year- old Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo. Brighton bought Caicedo for £4 million two years ago. Harry Kane moved from Spurs to Bayern Munich for £100 million. There seems no limit to what clubs can and will pay for players These top bracket players will command wages upward of £200,000 a week. A salary beyond the wildest dreams of most of those who watch the game. The game has really become something of a commodity market, with the players being traded. The one qualifier being that the players do now wield a lot of bargaining power themselves. Caicedo was wanted by Liverpool and Chelsea, so he was able to choose which to join. All the Premier clubs have huge financial resources, much of it due to the money pumped into the game by TV. There are, though, the super rich clubs, like Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, who have very wealthy foreign backers. These clubs have bIllions to dish out. The rest have almost becoming feeder clubs. Not that long ago, a player like Rice would have led West Ham for his whole career - remember the late great Bobby Moore. Now, a club like West Ham are lucky to get a few seasons from such a top player. Then they cash in. At present, West Ham are trying to emulate the likes of Brighton, who have performed brilliantly over recent years, due to a very astute recruitment policy, that has included managers and players like Caicedo. Such recruitment, enables a club to punch above its weight as it were. West Ham recently recruited Tim Steidten, as technical director, with this strategy in mind. Known as the pearl diver Steidten is renowned for discovering potential young talent. Unfortunately, in the West Ham case Steidten's choices don't seem to accord with what the manager David Moyes wants, so an impasse has been reached. Not good news for anyone. It's all a long way from the days when most the players came from the local area, where the club was situated. The bond between the players and the community has weakened. It is now all just big business. The game is popular and entertainment value great but it is difficult not to feel the male football has lost its soul. Back in 1979, Trevor Francis became the first £1 million, when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest. Sadly, Francis died recently but I wonder what he thought about player values today. Francis played at the last time that this country endured high inflation - I doubt though, he ever envisaged the price inflation in football today, that sees players of his quality retailing for more than 100 times their value some 40 years plus ago.

Too much virtue signalling on equality issues

It was excellent to see the recent Disabilities Festival on Christchurch Green in Wanstead. Supported by Redbridge Council and Vision, the event saw people coming together to celebrate in community. But it was one ill informed comment on social media that brought home how important such events are. Another, able bodied person sounding off about what was happening on the Green. How dare they interfere with the normal activities of the day for the able bodied? This person was quickly informed by a disabled person just how important the event was to her. The original complainant would have done well to inform themselves exactly what was going on before leaping into print on social media. But then when in the social media age has actually knowing the facts been a prerequisite to not sounding off? What the episode brought home is how invisible the disabled are to the able bodied in the population. This has become more of a personal reality over recent years, as my hearing has deteriorated. Little adjustment is made in daily life. Adjustments have to be made but that shouldn't all be down to the individual. The one thing that becomes clear is how many others have similar problems but struggle on in plain sight - invisible. One person who has been an inspiration to many in the area is Churchfields Councillor Rosa Gomez. A Columbian human rights activist, Rosa was shot in 2010. She is now blind, with little use in her arms. She suffers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Despite these huge obstacles, Rosa became active in the Woodford area. She stood as a Labour councillor in 2018 and won. Her service to residents was so good over the next four years, that she was returned with an increased majority last year. Life though has not been easy for Rosa, more could have been done to make her life as a councillor easier. Disabled people are entitled to have reasonable adjustments made to help them cope. Rosa's excellence in the role of councillor was rewarded last year by a shortlisting in the category of Recovery and Resilience in the Local Government Inform Unit national awards. She did not win but there was recognition of her excellent public service. Rosa is an inspiration to anyone who meets her. And she has urged more disabled people to come forward to get involved in politics. Champions like Rosa, athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, actress Rose Ayling Ellis and others show what can be done. The challenge going forward is to make it possible for more disabled people to achieve their hopes and dreams. That means creating a really inclusive society. At the moment there is too much virtue signalling across the equality agenda. Anyone can get up and spout the rhetoric on equality, making it happen is often a very different matter. There really needs to be some proper auditing and inspection processes to ensure that private and public bodies, like councils, are really practicing equality. Otherwise, it can all be window dressing. One thing for sure is that plain ignorance is no excuse for inaction.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has shown real leadership on ULEZ and active travel agenda

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to go ahead at the end of the month. The high court recently dismissed the efforts of five London boroughs to halt the expansion to cover the whole of the Capital. So everyone in London will now be able to breath cleaner air. There have been objections raised about the impact of the charge on those struggling to get by in the cost of living crisis. But it is a bit rich of the Tory government, who created the crisis, to now target ULEZ as a cause. They have also made life more difficult for the Mayor in terms of making a more generous scrappage scheme available by not providing more funding. Central government has continued to play politics with London's transport system, ever since TFL were plunged into financial difficulties, courtesy of COVID. What the Mayor could do is look to provide some more imaginative solutions. How about providing a year or more of free travel on public transport in exchange for scrapping or giving up a ULEZ non- compliant vehicle? A win win, contributing to the Mayor's active travel goal of having 80% of journeys being on cycle, on foot or by public transport by 2041. Or following French President Emmanuel Macron's example, by offering low income families electric cars to lease for £88 per month - including maintenance and insurance? There is a real challenge moving forward if we are to address climate and biodiversity crises. Many London boroughs have made huge strides in terms of active travel: rolling out controlled parking zones, 20 mph speed limits, school streets, comprehensive protected cycling networks and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN). Hackney and Waltham Forest have been particularly successful. Hackney has reduced car journeys by 37%. These boroughs have shown strong leadership on active travel, seeking to take their local populations with them on the journey of change. They have also had the funding for schemes. In Redbridge there have been steps made. The number of school streets schemes and protected cycle lanes have increased. 20 mph speed limits and controlled parking is spreading across the borough. But funding is often an obstacle to providing more and more quickly. The efforts of Mayor Sadiq Khan and several leaders of London boroughs is to be applauded. They have shown real leadership, stood up and faced down much opposition to bring in measures that will in the long term ensure we all live healthier, more sustainable lives.

Dispatches from the Diaspora by Gary Younge

Published by Faber Price -£14.99 Gary Younge has been one of the outstanding journalists and commentators of the past 25 years. In this book, he pulls together reportage, comment and reflection to present a fascinating journey from the election of Nelson Mandela as the first black president of South Africa to the advent of Black Lives Matter. Also, along the way Barack Obama is elected the first black President of America, though as Younge insightfully reveals that was his greatest achievement. The lot of black people in America did not materially change for the better over the Obama years. Younge chronicles the 12 years he spent living in America reporting for the Guardian. The book is made up of Guardian pieces together with other contributions to the Nation, New Statesman and other publications. Younge skillfully weaves together his reportage of events like Hurricane Katrina and the shooting of black people in America with his own experience as a black person, with a young family, living in the US. The ability of the good journalist to get under the skin and dig out interesting slants is never better illustrated than in the piece on Rosa Parks - the black woman, who refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Younge reveals how another younger woman Claudette Colvin had done the same action months earlier. Colvin, though was a pregnant, unmarried teenager. Parks was a much better fit for the story, as far as the civil rights movements was concerned - married, middle class and church going. So it was Parks story that became prominent. Colvin went on to have a hard life with little respite or recognition. The hypocrisy of Britain with its empire legacy and imperialist pretensions also features. The book splits into four sections - looking at hope for change with the likes of Mandela, then how many of those hopes were unfulfilled. Then, how different interpretations can be applied to situations and how individual actions of witness can make a difference A favourite in this section was the piece on John Carlos, who made the iconic black power salute, when receiving his gold medal at the 1968 Olympics. A man, who subsequently suffered for his action but who remains unbowed. There are some excellent profile type interviews with the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Andrea Levy. Maya Angelou and Angela Davis. Younge's authenticity comes out throughout but particularly in the latter chapters of the book when he recalls his own experiences of racism in Britain and America. In an interview with racing driver, Lewis Hamilton, there is great empathy, as both grew up in Stevenage, so experienced similar racism. Younge manages to produce an authentic body of work that chronicles class and race over the past 25 years. Never sentimental but always prescient and aware as to how far society has to go in order to create a better more equal world. An excellent book from one of the best journalist and commentators of recent years.

What is going on at West Ham?

A lot of fans are wondering what is happening at West Ham United Football Club? It is just two months since the club won the European Conference League. Hopes were high for the new season but that all quickly dissipated after the celebrations on Stratford Broadway. Top player Declan Rice has departed for neighbours Arsenal in a £105 million move. Other players have wanted away. Few seem to want to come to the London Stadium. All this despite winning the club's second European trophy in almost 60 years. So, what is going on, are West Ham's owners once again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? The biggest stumbling block appears to be the appointment of Tim Steidten as technical director of football. He has been charged with buying and selling players but his choices seem to be at odds with those of manager David Moyes. Moyes clearly stated, as far back as the final press conference at the London Stadium, last season, following triumph over Leeds, that he wanted English based players to build the side around. The manager rued the difficulties when a lot of foreign players were brought in last season and took a long time to settle. Leicester City's Harvey Barnes was believed to be one of the players Moyes wanted - he has since joined Newcastle United. Then, West Ham appointed Steidten, known as the pearl diver due to his ability to discover potential talent. Steidten favoured younger foreign players with potential, rather than tried and tested campaigners. The owners drew their inspiration for the Steidten strategy from clubs like Brighton, who lack the spending power of a Manchester City, United or Chelsea but have operated an excellent recruitment policy. The pearls Brighton have discovered like Ecuadorian Moises Caciedo has enabled them to punch well above their weight. Bought for £4.5 million two years ago, Caiciedo now commands a fee in excess of £80 million. Whilst the policy may seem enlightened in financial terms, the way it is backfiring at West Ham spells disaster. Manager and technical director have to be in agreement. Despite, European success, the club struggled against relegation for much of last season. Now, Rice has gone and not been replaced. More European commitments beckon in the Europa League this season. West Ham should have brought in at least 5 or 6 players but at time of writing there have been no additions. There is talk of Steidten or Moyes leaving. The two men have to be in agreement. No club works where the director of football is buying players the manager does not want. The manager must have the final and predominant say. These are worrying days for West Ham supporters. When they should be looking at the new season, with hope and optimism, most are apprehensive, fearing another campaign fighting relegation. It doesn't have to be that way if the board backs Moyes and gets the players in he wants.

Will brave new world of automation lead to a lonely world?

The recent announcement that NatWest Bank in Wanstead is closing caused dismay in the local community. The last bank on the high street gone - they used to be numerous. Then, came the news that ticket offices are to close at railway stations across the country. So, if you have a problem, where do you turn? What of disabled people needing help? There seems to be a de-peopling process going on across society. Supermarkets have been endeavouring to force customers onto self-service check outs for years. Many have stubbornly refused, preferring to be served by a real human being. Post offices have been shutting down across the country - some migrating into shops. The advance of technology has meant that fewer people are needed to provide these services. A lot is now done online. The COVID pandemic saw much of this automation revolution accelerate in its application. A lot of shopping moved online, with deliveries coming to the door. Helpful in days of lockdown. The move from cash to credit cards also accelerated. Today, a number of businesses will not accept cash - whether this will last as they miss out on business remains to be seen. The worrying thing is what about the human being in all of this? Job losses but also people who don't want to do everything online. Lonely people who may look forward to some interchange with fellow human beings at the bank, post office or supermarket. What about people who still like to talk face to face with someone rather than communicate by phone? People cannot just be cut off because they don't want to go online. What modern society is creating are soulless oceans of loneliness. We saw how damaging this can be to mental health at the time of the pandemic. The advance of artificial intelligence is likely to accelerate the automation process further So what can be done? Businesses would argue they are there to make money, not provide some sort of social service. However, some recognition that not everyone wants to be forced online, away from people would be helpful. If all the jobs go, what happens to the people? Maybe some businesses might consider swimming against the tide. New staffed banks providing in-person services. The demand could be there - people may flock to them. A similar approach in other businesses. They would, though, have to be supported by customers. Whether, any of this can happen remains to be seen. What is for sure is that not everyone wants to sign up to the brave new world of automation. It makes many feel increasingly isolated, anxious and insecure. It does ofcourse make life easier for many others but there needs to be some sort of middle way found that puts the well being of human beings as the central concern.

Just oil protesters are right

The Just Oil group have been causing a stir, with their direct action interventions, from Wimbledon and the Test match to the Chelsea Flower Show. The target has always been those with links to fossil fuel industry. There has been outrage expressed, often by the group of politicians who seem completely oblivious to the threat posed by climate change. What the protesters are saying is that this is an emergency, demanding a proportionate response. That response would be of the type seen for the COVID pandemic. It is no use just putting climate change on the back burner, waiting till a day when the actions required can be afforded. The evidence of the devastation being caused by the climate crisis is all around us. The soaring temperatures, droughts and floods. Those connected to nature, growing food and managing the land see the impact. Anyone who has a garden must be aware of the rapidity of change. A creaking infrastructure will require much investment to cope. Thousands are dying, every year, due to heat waves and floods. People are on the move. This government maybe fixated by the so called small boats but they ain't seen nothing yet. Watch out for the mass migrations that will come from the climate crisis. The protesters are right to take actions that highlight these issues. This head in the sand denial of so many people - not least the politicians - cannot go on. The British government having at one point been at the forefront of those seeking to tackle the causes, has now slammed into reverse. It has issued new oil and gas licences, as well as opening new coal mines. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak does not include climate as one of his five priorities for action. The government continues with the stubborn and ridiculous policy of blocking wind turbines on land. There should be a full scale switch to renewable energy sources. All new properties should be zero carbon, with a major program to retrofit older property. This was set to pass into law, until scrapped by David Cameron's government in 2015. The electric vehicles industry is another in need of heavy subsidy to bring down the price and build an adequate infrastructure. If the crisis were being taken seriously this would happen - not leaving it to the market to slowly respond. At the moment, politicians maybe listening but they are really not hearing what the likes of Just Oil are saying. It is the failure to respond that causes the protesters to move to more direct ways of protest. Their actions are certainly getting people's attention. Politicians across the spectrum from national to local government need to take this climate crisis seriously, give it the priority it deserves. We cannot just go on with business as usual. Nor is it any answer to simply criminalise the protesters whilst ignoring their message. We need urgent action now - not when it is too late for all of us. The protest must go on.

Time for common good to take centre stage

How different the world would be if things operated on the basis of the common good? So, policy would be made according to what was good for the mass of people, not the benefits of a few. Take the utilities. Thames Water is the first water company to run into trouble, with orbiting debt. It has been run for the benefit of shareholders, not customers. Billions have been paid out in dividends to shareholders, since privatisation in 1980s. At the same time it has been running up debts, which the tax payer may now be forced to pick up. Meanwhile, the underinvested infrastructure is creaking. Millions of gallons of water are lost every day due to leaks. Restrictions on water use once again loom for Londoners. Then, there is the problem of sewage being dumped in the rivers. And these problems are common to the whole privatised water network. Southern Water were given a record £90 million fine for discharging sewage into the rivers and coastal waters. None of this is for the common good of the population. As climate change bites deeper, the impact increases. Everyone needs to adapt and pull in the same direction. Water needs to be taken back under government control. Rail is another area, where funds that should be invested in the infrastructure are channelled off in dividends to shareholders. Ironically, the shareholders are often the state owned rail companies of other countries. So we effectively subsidise rail travel elsewhere. It is partly due to the way the railway is run that the ticket prices in this country are the highest in Europe. At a time when we need to get people off the road and onto the trains, the policy skewed toward individual profit is stopping this from happening. Utilities like water, rail and energy must be run for the common good of all of us, not the benefit of the few. The climate emergency now upon us is having impacts across the board. The common good must be the mantra, which means taking some of these services back into public ownership. Then, the country will be more ready to face oncoming threats that confront us.

Wanstead Beer festival in October

The Wanstead Beer Festival is set to join the calender of local events for the autumn. Save the date: 14 October in Christchurch Halls - for one day only! There has been a great response since the idea was first voiced back in February. A team of enthusiasts have come together, to bring the event to life. Never too late though to join in - all volunteers welcome. There will be an excellent array of cask beers on offer, mainly drawn from the local area but some from further afield. Craft, lager and wine will also be present, so catering for all tastes. It is amazing just what an ale centre East London has become over recent years. There are many brewers around the Blackhorse Road area of Walthamstow, including Beerblefish, Wild Card, Pretty Decent, Excel, Hackney and Signature to name but a few. The tap rooms of these breweries offer a real chance to try beer within a real brewing environment. Now, ofcourse is a time when the beer festivals come thick and fast. Ealing and Chelmsford have had festivals in the last week, with Epping & Ongar this week. Epping & Ongar has the added attraction of the trains going up and down the track between Epping and Ongar. Beer and steam trains, what's not to like? Then, there is the biggest of them all the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia, during the first week of August. All these festivals are run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) who have done so much to promote ale, as well as pubs nationwide. The Wanstead Beer festival will draw on many breweries and volunteers in seeking to create our own unique event amid the picturesque setting of Christchurch. The WBF is a not for profit event, with excess money made being distributed to local charities. So don't miss out on this unique event, to come and enjoy a drink with friends and neighbours in the community. Tickets will soon be going on sale. So watch this space. See: wansteadbeerfestival.co.uk Contact: info@wansteadbeerfestival.co.uk

Positive biodiversity steps being taken but genuine conversion still required

The crisis in biodiversity does at last seem to be registering across the popular consciousness. The recent Chelsea Flower Show was notable for the biodiverse theme. Rewilding and re-use were at the heart of many of the designs. Locally, it has been great to see biodiversity taking a greater hold over the daily fabric of people's lives. More and more people have adopted tree pits and planters. The work of the community gardeners from the high street beds to the work around the tube stations and on Cambridge Park at the approach from the Green Man are fantastic to behold. The beds around the top of Draycot Road could warrant a place at the Chelsea Flower Show on their own.The move toward a genuine Greenway through Wanstead via Cambridge Park Road seems underway. Many shops along Wanstead High Street and Leytonstone High Road are doing their bit for biodiversity with some great planters. The Growzones on Christchurch and George Greens are bringing forward all sorts of natural surprises. There is also the start of a community orchard on Christchurch Green. The Growzone at the Roding Valley Park, neighbouring Elmcroft Avenue, has been supplemented with a tree planting program earlier in the year. All of these developments are positive but there needs to be more. And more means a human conversion to nature. The human being still seems determined to dominate rather than partner nature. Rewilding is the essence of living with nature. A walk across Wanstead Flats or in the park reveals wild flowers a plenty - if areas are left to grow. The Growzones epitomise the let nature breath approach. Yet move into the private sphere and what I call the window box mentality abounds. The human wants total control. This can involve concreting over areas, using artificial grass or simply regimenting everything rather than letting it go a bit. There is probably some deep psychological reasons for how people manage their open (and closed) spaces. A sign of the need to control and lack of conversion is evident in some of the objections to Growzones, such as the long grass etc. Some are desperate to control, others happy to let go a little. The best is when humans and nature work in unison, then the real natural creative spirit takes hold. But there needs to be a real change in lifestyles. Recycling a couple of yogurt pots is not going to save the planet, though recycling ofcourse should be encouraged. There needs to be substantial change in the way we all live. Far less waste far more preservation and sustainable growth. It is great that in so many ways things do seem to be changing for the better but there is no room for complacency. The world is in a biodiversity and climate emergency. Bold steps are urgently needed if the situation is to be saved. All is not lost and there are signs of recovery but everyone has a role to play. We can all do our bit for nature, whether in the domestic or public space, helping with tree pits, Growzones, tree and shrub planting. So let's double down on the conversion to an ever greener more biodiverse world.

Fear factor

Why is it that there seems to be a continual feed of things to frighten people with. The latest subject is Artificial Intelligence - this will be the end of life as we know it. The technology poses a threat to the very existence of the human race. It is no doubt right to be cautious about AI. There does need to be proper regulation but is the fear factor being overdone. Another recent phenomena used to maximum fear effect was COVID. Then, fear was used blatantly as a tool to control people. Remember the daily death and infection figures - a regular part of daily news bulletins. People were scared into complying The terror threat posed by one group or another is regularly run out to frighten people. Often, as a precursor to more draconian legislation, taking away people's human rights. Immigration and crime are other subjects regularly deployed to frighten the populace. At another level there seems to be a morbid fascination with life threatening illness. The number of news stories, documentaries and dramas on things like cancer, dementia etc is incredible. Not that it is wrong to educate and inform on these matters. People can learn about healthier lifestyles and maybe ways to avoid such conditions. Some inspirational stories portray heroic efforts to overcome adversity. The problem is more when this all fits into an overall picture that ensures fear and insecurity in people. Fear is certainly used to control. At the depths of the great depression of the 1930s, US President Franklin D Roosevelt famously declared that the only thing to fear was fear itself. A statement as true today, as it was then. There are certainly plenty of things around to be scared of but everyone needs to be aware as to how such concerns can be used to manipulate and control people.

Passing of Hugh Callaghan reminds that the travesty of miscarriages of justice remains with us

The recent death of Hugh Callaghan at the age of 93 brought back all the memories of the Irish miscarriages of justice of the 1970s. Hugh was one of six Irishmen who got wrongly convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974. Collectively they became known as the Birmingham Six It took 16 years of campaigning, that drew in Mps, bishops, cardinals, congressmen and lots of ordinary folk - including the men's families, to eventually establish their innocence. That day, in 1991, when the six walked free through the front door of the Court of Appeal was vindication for the men and all who worked so long and hard to secure their freedom. Hugh later wrote a book titled Cruel Fate, which told the story of the years of suffering. The graphic account of how the police, knowing Hugh was frightened of dogs, would let alsatians free in the cells, only calling them back at the last moment. The treatment of the six amounted in many ways to torture, seeking to force confessions out of them. The men were finally cleared but those responsible for their wrongful conviction were not held to account. In the Birmingham Six case, three middle ranking police officers were prosecuted but the cases collapsed. Indeed, the police seemed to spend a lot of time trying to prove that they were right all along. There were whispering campaigns, questioning the men's innocence. Even to this day the police have been pursuing veteran journalist and former MP Chris Mullin over his interview with one of the bombers. Mullin claimed journalistic confidentiality, regarding a source, which was recently upheld by the courts. Mullin played an outstanding role in securing the exoneration of the Birmingham Six and other innocent victims. He wrote the book Error of Judgement, as well as helping with the ground breaking ITV World in Action documentaries on the case. Mullin received much abuse over the years that he championed the cause. The campaigner then went on to pursue a successful career in Parliament, representing Sunderland South as an MP and rising to ministerial rank under Tony Blair. The former Sunderland South MP is also well known for his volumes of published diaries, depicting life in the corridors of Westminster. Witty and revealing, Mullin's diaries are regarded as amongst the best of recent times. Not that leaving Westminster in 2010, seems to have stopped the diarist in Mullin. He has just produced a highly entertaining volume covering the time after he left Parliament. Titled, Didn't you used to be Chris Mullin, the diaries take their title from a comment made to the author by another MP on a visit to Westminster. The diaries cover such events as Brexit, COVID and the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed, Mullin castigates the way his fellow miscarriage of justice campaigner, Corbyn, has been treated by the Labour Party. So Mullin continues to write and campaign on issues that matter. For those victims of miscarriages of justice, life once back outside was not always easy. There was a populist view that the victims of miscarriages of justice all got handsomely compensated to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Little could be further from the truth. Most struggled with physical and mental health problems. Few ever worked again. I remember one member of the Birmingham Six saying how he could battle the Home Office and criminal justice system but dealing with the frictions in his own family was another matter altogether. Members of the Six did great campaigning work to set other innocent prisoners free. Billy Power named Prem Sivalingham and Sam Kulasingham, known as the East Ham Two, amongst the innocent. They were cleared of murder in 1994. Billy also campaigned for Irishman Frank Johnson, who was eventually cleared in 2002, after serving 26 years for a murder he didn't commit. Paddy Hill helped establish the excellent Miscarriage of Justice Organisation (mojo), which campaigns across the criminal justice system. Hugh Callaghan was the oldest of the Six. After, giving his account of what happened in Cruel Fate, Hugh faded from the public spotlight getting on as best he could with family life It is more than 30 years now since the Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Judith Ward and others were freed but their legacy lives on. There are better systems now for those wrongly convicted. The establishment in the mid 1990s of the Criminal Cases Review Commission created a resourced process to look again at cases. This was a direct result of the Irish miscarriage of justice cases. There are though still many innocent people routinely convicted and incarcerated for crimes they did not commit. Those caught up in such injustice always end up paying a heavy price. No amount of compensation can make up for the loss of liberty. What is important though is that the innocent victims are not forgotten. Lawyers like Gareth Peirce, MPs like Chris Mullin, campaigners and dedicated journalists all have a role to play in setting the innocent free and holding wrong doers to account. Hugh Callaghan RIP. * Did you not used to be Chris Mullin is published by Biteback Publishing, £20