Flags of Hope

WARNING

Please heed this warning....what might seem like a perfectly 'nice' post at first may turn out to be 'not so nice'...its like one of those films where you are lulled into a false sense of security...so this post has an 'R' rating...please do not let impressionable young people or small animals read it as they might find it upsetting.

Josh & Josh, Thomas, Sarah & Craig were centre stage again tonight at 3 Mills in a procession of flags as part of the Bridging the Lea project. Virtual bridges were created to figuratively bridge the gaps socially, geographically or between communities or in issues such as communication or culture. There were bridges of light, water, sound and flags across the river.

The young people designed the flags in the Olympic Colours with motifs and ideas which represented their prayers/hopes. Hopes for the future incuded peace, improved environment, happiness, love, health, sports facilities, less-pollution, better communication, more transport & business links, more sustainable power sources, friendship and equality.

The flags were designed by Newham and Tower Hamlets young people and carried by them, led to the river by drummers...followed by Newham welcoming Tower Hamlets via the sound bridge...and a trapeze artist finished off the show surviving his bridge of wire across the river.

All the event lacked was the usual - better treatment of young people.(c below 4 details)

• while champagne & strawberries and all manner of other confectionary and soft drinks were given to adults in the downstairs-nicely laid out room....in a back room and up at least 3 flights of stairs was an otherwise bare table with two large packs of crisps and three bottles of cola (with no glasses) for the young people...not a problem unless you have just gone through a room with lovely chocolate muffins and the like...
• the young people were asked to wait outside during the speeches...well it wouldn't do for them to acually hear what was being said in case they might learn from it or be part of the whole event rather than just one aspect...and were told it would be for about 10 minutes (rather than the 25 it was) during which time they could 'choose their flags and practice' they were told (to keep them occupied it seemed)....it wasn't rocket science...they pretty much knew how to hold a flag seeing as they had been there a whole hour already...that and the fact that none of them had any impediment to prevent them from understanding how to hold a flag or physically doing it - despite what attitudes from organizers might have implied.
• then we had the games of 'car chicken' where I on more than one occasion feared for young people's lives...firstly where we had been positioned to start off from had not been closed off to incoming traffic and then for some reason the 3 vehicles that did come through were all driven by 'very angry people'...perhaps they all live in a 'very angry estate' or they all just had a 'very angry day' ...and it was fast becoming contagious because I was finding that I was gradually becoming a 'mildly angry person' with the addition of the drivers' rudeness to the group but I definitely reached 'moderately angry person' status when a car sped into the area beeping and then proceeded to try and barge its way into the crowd of young people. I have to tell the truth. I will admit - I was a very, very, very angry person...and now I am probably back to moderate...and intend to do something quite moderate about it...because just as the car sped off I took a photo of the number plate and will report the driver for dangerous driving.

And if you see the driver of the above number plate...perhaps you would like to check to see if they are driving with enough care and attention and perhaps you would like to communicate your displeasure if it is not the case and your pleasure if it is...because drivers need to be praised too...if there was more praise on the road there would be less rage....MORE PRAISE LESS RAGE!

It is at this point in time that I wish i lived in Tunbridge Wells...cos then i could finish this post with an anonymous 'Outraged from Tunbridge Wells'...

On a more serious note...Young People are for Life not just for Christmas!

Our Flags of Hope