Don't become a slave to slavery

Today was the 200th anniversary of a hollow and watered-down law banning slavery in the British Empire. It was basically implemented by a very young Prime Minster (Pitt the Younger who was 24) with the help of a young minster and advisor- William Wilberforce. Parliament 200 years ago didn't look anymore kindly on 2 whippersnappers making laws then than they do now. In fact the youngest current MP is 32 (Sarah Teather). The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act which became law in March 1807 by which time William Wilberforce was 48 and Pitt the Younger had been dead for 1 year and he was 47 when he died. But they were both very young when they started the abolitionist movement. Slaves were still be traded in the empire decades after the law was pasted because it was difficult to stop the super-powerful slave-owners. Some slaves were even worse off after the law was passed because they were kicked off of the plantations but nobody wanted to hire them anymore. At least when they were slaves they got shelter and food.

Nevertheless I went to Brixton (the heartland of Afro-Britons) and watched a movie about apartheid at the Lonely Planet film festival. The film I saw was called Catch a Fire. It was an excellent film. It reminded me of Hotel Rwanda. Catch a Fire was about a black South African in 1980 and his struggle against the white South African secret service.

Anti-slave protester who tried to attack the Prime Minster and Queen today on the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery service at Westminster Abbey

The Domino effect.......

Yesterday Robyn and I were in a pound shop in East Ham called Manny's Two. It is a very cramped shop with many objects piled up high and narrow walkways between the veritable Aladdin's cave. As Robyn and I were picked our way through this treasure trove of delights we spied an elderly eastern European woman. She had a sour, wizened face and she grimaced at us with contempt of our age and stunning good looks (we are a handsome couple you see). Anyway we were going opposite ways down the walkways until we got to a 90degree bend. Then, suddenly, almost slowly, a stack of pots, pans and crockery about 4 feet high started toppling- set in motion by the old lady as Robyn (who was the closest) was at least 1metre away. We both lunged towards the declining mass of kitchenware. We just about caught some of it but it was too late; the initial topple had triggered a domino effect round the store. Half of the central area was crashing down around Robyn and I (strangely enough not the old lady). We struggled to catch the falling kitchenware and housewares but it was a largely futile attempt. Pots crashed onto the floor, saucepans clattered onto cheese graters and lemon zesters toppled casserole dishes. After half of the central stack had fallen there was a sudden, uneasy silence. The woman scowled at us; she may as well have pointed a finger. But she broke the silence by muttering a couple of sentences of a Russian-like language before turning tail and disappearing the other way down the aisle. Robyn and I tried fruitlessly to pick up the merchandise off of the floor. 2 male shopkeepers were bearing down on us in seconds. Robyn prompted me towards the door. We escaped Pompeii and burst out onto the street laughing.

We only wanted a small plastic basket.

First List; Mountain Ranges

I have decided, for want of any better subject to blog about, to do lists every week or so. These lists will be informative and interesting and give the impression that I regularly update my blog. The list this week will be:

Mountain Ranges I Have Been To:

Canada:

Rocky Mountains
Alberta Badlands#
Coast Mountains
Canadian Cascades*
Pierce Range
Beaufort Range
Pelham Range
Somerset Range
Seymour Range
Gowlland Range
Inside Passage#
Niagara Escarpment

Rocky Mountains October 2005 Columbia Mountains

USA:

Cascade Mountains*
Adirondack Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Olympic Range

Shawangunk Mountains

Taconic Mountains

Okanogan Range

Cascade Mountains October 2006

England:

Chiltern Hills
Cotswolds
Dartmoor Hills
Exmoor Hills
Lake District
Malvern Hills
Mendip Hills
North Downs
Peak District
Pennines
Salisbury Plain Downs
South Downs
Lake District June 2006

Wales:

The Brecon Beacons
Black Mountains
Cambrian Mountains

Black Mountains September 2006

Scotland:

Southern Uplands
Scottish Highlands
Cheviot Hills

Southern Uplands August 2006

France:

Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord

Crête de Valenciennes August 2005

Greenland:

Watkins Range

Watkins Range from the air November 2006

*= Geographically the same range

#=Strictly speaking not ranges but still peaks of elevation

Bloody Yuppies.

This has to be a defining photo of the changing face of Pakistan- a human rights lawyer after being whacked with a police trucheon. He was protesting over the senior Pakistani lawyer being put in prison. He has ruined his nice suit.

Last Day at the Smart Centre

Friday the 9th of March was my last day at the Smart Centre, Morden. The children made me a card, the adults bought me a card and gave me a box of celebrations. Also 4 people gave me their phone numbers. I had only worked there for 3 weeks.

Lunar Eclipse

On Saturday evening of March the 3th there was a lunar eclipse. Robyn and I drove out across the Hoo penisula until we reached Northwood Hill RSPB Reserve near High Halstow. It was very dark and there were plenty of stars. Slowly we saw the earths shadow cover the moon until it was blood red. It went red at around 11:15pm. Below is a photo of the lunar eclipse and the picture of Northward Hill during the day.