I have been thinking about this post for some time now, and I really do have a lot to say, and considering that I've not written anything for absolutely ages, I now find it hard to get back into the swing of it, and that as they say is one of those things. I think one reason for this, is a feeling that I've felt and developed over a time about sitting behind a computer and becoming just yet another armchair activist, spawning and propagating my kind of Socialist ideas, and spawning is a very good description really, the in-game creation of an internet blog entity, a player character or a non-player character in what we may call and do call the class struggle. So having spent some time out and about, away for a time from this hyperspace and odyssey of parallel universes. I have come back, for a while at least, this is not a re-spawning of an entity after its death, as there has been no death just an absence from this massive public spider-web of computer connections.
So please don't get me wrong here comrades, the internet and the use of it, plays a very big part in the way we do things these days, but just remember that there are many people, real people who are not connected by our activities on the internet and I have been on the search for them in the greater community.
I really do believe that we must mix the two, if and when we can, by building that bridge from one side to the other, my most resent experiences have indeed brought that home to me, for there are really some great people out there, and this year I have been fortunate enough to meet up with many during my eventful time with "Nomadic Occupy" here and about in East London, more about that in my next posting, and it is a real story that needs airing and will shine a light on the "Occupy Movement" that some try to gloss-over or hide away from mistakenly believing that the movement as such in the UK is still the way-forward, it's not, and experiences, the lessons of spending time along with a quite time analyzing and thinking over what can only be truly described as a remarkable movement has brought me to the final conclusion that we will always need more than just a protest or a demonstration to change the world we inhabit and the global system of capitalism.
At this time of writing I am sitting in the newly painted and decorated kitchen of my very good friend and former union man Rusty, who use to look after and keep lovingly the old cemetery at the back of Bow Road now known as Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Rusty was and still is one of our most enthusiastic supporters despite his disability that means he is reliant on moveability by way of a scooter, so much I can say about this very remarkable man who has lived in the loge at and indeed inside the cemetery for well-over 20 and more years, many changes have taken place in this time and in his time at the cemetery, but Rusty will tell you; that he loves the place just like and in the same way when he first took-up residents all those many years ago. I have been helping him along with one other to spruce-up the old place a real labour of love for us.
Just to say a few things about the cemetery, opened in 1841 and closed for burials in 1966. It is now a so-called nature reserve, with other land added over the years such as "Scrapyard Meadow". It was originally named The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery but the locals always called it Bow Cemetery, and as I sit here composing this post on a wonderful September afternoon I lookout of the lodge windows at the old tombstones and feel the history and a past that belongs to the East End. Local Heroes buried or have memorials here include:
Alfred Linnel - Trampled to death by a police house during a terrible demonstration of police brutality in and around Trafalgar Square, his funeral was organised by Annie Besant and William Morris.
Alexander Hurley - Singer and Comedian ( Music Hall ), second husband of Marie Lloyd.
Dr Rees Ralph Llewellyn - Who preformed autopsy on poor Mary Ann Nichols, generally considered the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
John "White Hat" Willis - The Original owner of the Cutty Sark.
At this time of writing I am sitting in the newly painted and decorated kitchen of my very good friend and former union man Rusty, who use to look after and keep lovingly the old cemetery at the back of Bow Road now known as Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Rusty was and still is one of our most enthusiastic supporters despite his disability that means he is reliant on moveability by way of a scooter, so much I can say about this very remarkable man who has lived in the loge at and indeed inside the cemetery for well-over 20 and more years, many changes have taken place in this time and in his time at the cemetery, but Rusty will tell you; that he loves the place just like and in the same way when he first took-up residents all those many years ago. I have been helping him along with one other to spruce-up the old place a real labour of love for us.
Just to say a few things about the cemetery, opened in 1841 and closed for burials in 1966. It is now a so-called nature reserve, with other land added over the years such as "Scrapyard Meadow". It was originally named The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery but the locals always called it Bow Cemetery, and as I sit here composing this post on a wonderful September afternoon I lookout of the lodge windows at the old tombstones and feel the history and a past that belongs to the East End. Local Heroes buried or have memorials here include:
Alfred Linnel - Trampled to death by a police house during a terrible demonstration of police brutality in and around Trafalgar Square, his funeral was organised by Annie Besant and William Morris.
Alexander Hurley - Singer and Comedian ( Music Hall ), second husband of Marie Lloyd.
Dr Rees Ralph Llewellyn - Who preformed autopsy on poor Mary Ann Nichols, generally considered the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
John "White Hat" Willis - The Original owner of the Cutty Sark.
Some Of the victims of the Bethnal Green Disaster
Hannah Maria Purcell - Widow of William Purcell, carpenter of the HMS Bounty.
The Great Will Crooks - Trade Unionist and first local Mayor of Poplar.
So it is great that my friend Rusty has spent some of his working life looking after the graves of the above mentioned and many more in fact Rusty says that 250,000 where buried in what he calls the bone yard, that's over a ten year period. I think they must have buried people on top of one another, and so comrades as we called this post or at least part of it "Love out Loud" we intend to take care of the graves of Will Crooks and Alfred Linnel and we will keep you posted.
Now it seems that I gone off on somewhat of a tandem, but there you go just nice to be back have a great week comrades and always keep the faith!"
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