The Secret History of Our Streets

Soon I will be moving back to South London to work as an Assistant Curate in the Church of England. I have to admit that London was somewhere that we ended up through no choice or design of our own and, though my father was originally from Lambeth, I have often felt like a resident alien amidst the tumult of humanity. However, while on my sick bed this morning I watched this program on the BBC iPlayer:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01jt9bv/

If you can then I urge you to watch it, especially if you have a connection with London and its communities. It broke my heart to see what has been done to certain parts of South London in the name of progress, the fracturing of lives, families, communities and urban topography (yes I do care about geography, people and places are intimately linked). Hearing the stories of injustices suffered and inflicted, wounds that have never healed and scars that are likely to be with us for many years to come.

I thought it was a well made documentary, you hear from a number of different parties and, although the emphasis is placed on the community, there didn’t seem to have been an attempt to vilify the councillor involved. I was particularly impressed with the small coverage of a Christian pentecostal church where, through the art of good editing, there was an implied spiritual dimension to the consequences of the injustices acted on the community and, at the very end, a sense of hope restored for the future.

Hung or Hanged?

Well, it's taken five days of wrangling but the UK finally has a government and I don't mind betraying myself and saying that I am a little hopeful. I had expected the idea of having DC in No.10 to be utterly depressing and the notion of a Con-Lib Coalition as horrifying, but I am... pleased and hopeful.

I don't know if it's the fact that Cameron didn't win his outright majority, but I have found his statements to the press in the last few days to be without his now signature smarmy tones and public school arrogance, possibly even with a certain amount of humility that I think is essential for the job.

As for hopeful, I think that the idea of UK politicians having to listen to one another and come to a mutual understanding that benefits the whole nation rather than there own support-base is very exciting. I think that the two party system where every 10 years or so you get a completely polarised new government trying their hardest to have their way until they're ousted again has led to inefficiency in economics and public services.

I'm hoping that a coalition government will bring balance, fairness and stability to the UK, however I am realistic that the signs aren't all there. I am particularly concerned that the press has already begun to say that "it'll never work" and is publishing stories that appear aimed solely at driving a wedge between either the parties of the coalition or them and their supporters.

Come on UK, lets reject our national cynicism for a change and give hoping a little go!