london diary

may 2005

 

my london diary

george's triumph

respect mp george galloway was treated to a tumultous ovation when he arrived at the trafalgar square rally following the free palestine march in london on may 21. it's a cause that galloway has long supported, and he has always been popular, but the mood reached a different high plane because of his performance earlier in the week in front of the us senate committee, greeting him with a warmth and exultation i've not seen from a british crowd before.

probably most of us there had watched the recordings of the hearing; i started meaning to flick through the highlights, but ended rivetted to the screen for the full 45 minutes. the senators were clearly outclassed and outgunned as galloway gave them a verbal 'glasgow kiss.' it was an impressively sustained performance of concentrated power, a pit-bull seeing off a pack of ineffectual spaniels.

clearly the committee had not done its homework - either in checking the evidence or on the man.

george galloway was not the only fine speaker at trafalgar square. tony benn is always worth listening to, probably the best living political speaker at least using the english language, like me he was happy to miss some football match that was taking place to take part in the real world, and his performance today was as good as ever. jeremy corbyn, not so happy to be missing the football as his local team were winning the cup, is another fine speaker, as too is paul mackney of the higher educaction teachers' union, natfhe.

but it was clearly galloway's day, and he was in a mood to enjoy it, though there was certainly passion and fire in his words about palestine. after his speech, many from the crowd came to meet him, to congratulate him on his performance earlier in the week, and to have their photographs taken with him. in particular he has built up a great rapport with the many muslims now living in this country, not least in his own bethnal green constituency, the youths from bradford were excited when he promised to come and visit their city.

i don't know how long it took him to make his way out of the square, there was still a large crowd surrounding him when i left.

earlier, there had been a reasonable but not huge number of marchers from embankment past the houses of parliament to trafalgar square. arriving at the square they were met by a group of outrage! protestors led by peter tatchell, supporting the palestinian struggle for freedom and justice, but demanding an end to the "so-called 'honour' killing of palestinian women, and the arrest, jailing, torture and murder of lesbian and gay palestinians by factions of the plo, hamas, islamic jihad and the palestinian authority."

at first, police stood between the outrage! supporters and the demonstrators, but after a complaint by tatchell, allowed them to hand out leaflets. although some of the march stewards tried to stop the marchers taking them, there was little of the actual interference seen at last year's march, and many of the marchers took leaflets and expressed their support for this protest.
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the weather alternated between sun and heavy rain, at times making picture-taking impossible. earlier in the day i'd been at primrose hill, where the parade from the top of the hill to cecil sharp house for a 'may fete with a twist' was abandoned. activities at the house and in the garden there, organised by 'stacked wonky dance company' and the english folk dance and song society were going ahead. i was sorry to have to leave just as things were getting going.
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the bbc had an africa week and as a part of this there was an african event in kingly court, off carnaby street, but there didn't seem to be a great deal happening while i was there. carnaby street always strikes me as a very sad mega-commercial remnant of the sixties, where you want to shout out to the crowds of tourists they are forty years too late. kingly court is a new development, a shopping court on three storeys with a central courtyard, and it needs something rather more going on it.
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chelsea flower show is the biggest event of the gardening season, and the crowds are huge. this year an extra day was added to cut down on the jams, though i don't know how effective it is. unless you are a gardening photographer, the most interesting part of the whole event is the end, when many of the plants on show are sold off and proudly carried home by their purchasers. as you can see from the pictures, they carry them along the streets to the bus stop or car park or coach, providing a rather unusual spectacle.
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the beltane bash takes place annually in london during late may, and is a gathering of "pagans of all traditions, whether they be witches, wiccans, druids, odinists, asatru, shamans and egyptian traditions" to celebrate the changing seasons of the year. the event starts with a pagan pride parade around bloomsbury, with a dance and a certain amount of splashing around the fountain in the middle of russell square. the fountains have a number of jets which rise and fall, and some play is made of this in the proceedings. the procession, led by the green lady, includes the jack in the green - a dancing bush - along with a whole band of green men, the bogie drummers, giants including herne, lord of the forests, the ravens and much more.

beltane bash is also a fund-raising event, helping to ensure the future of an area of 25 acres of ancient woodland, raven's wood, near tring in buckinghamshire
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some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.

this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of the rest at

london pictures
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and you can read what I think about photography at

>Re:PHOTO

All pictures on this section of the site are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to buy prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this site, or for any other questions,

contact me

your comments may be added to the site - or not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.

some of my work gets put into nice organised websites.

this isn't meant to be like that, but you can see some of the rest at

london pictures
londons industrial history

and you can read what I think about photography at

>Re:PHOTO

All pictures on this section of the site are © Peter Marshall 2005;
to but prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this site, or for any other questions,

contact me

your comments may be added to the site - or not.
Payment may be waived for acceptable non-profit uses.


Free Palestine Demonstration

London, May 21 2005

George Galloway waiting to speak at Trafalgar Square

George Galloway heads for the microphone

George Galloway talks to well-wishers in the crowd

Galloway surrounded by an excited crowd in Trafalgar Square

Galloway greets orthodox Neturei Karta rabbi demonstrating against Zionism in Trafalgar Square.

George Galloway talking to well-wishers in the crowd in Trafalgar Square


Marchers arrive at Trafalgar Square


Peter Tatchall and others demonstrate against Palestinian homophobia in Trafalgar Square.
More pictures

 

May Fete with a Twist

Cecil Sharp House, London, May 21 2005


The procession from Primrose Hill to Cecil Sharp House, London, May 21, 2005
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Walk the City

Christian Aid Sponsored Walk, London, May 22, 2005

Walkers begin their visits to London churches

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Africa event

Kingly Court, London, 28 May, 2005
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Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea, London, 28 May, 2005

Leaving the show after the flower sale on the last day
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Beltane Bash - Pagan Pride

Bloomsbury, London, 29 May, 2005

Spiral dance around the fountain in Russell Square, London.
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earlier may events

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