Belfast city centre was a no-go area to cars on Saturday as thousands of workers marched to the City Hall – health, transport, education, civil service all were represented in the good natured crowd kept warm by the excellent music of Blood Brothers, but when it came to the bit, there was no doubt about the anger that was on display, the rousing speeches from the platform, Chris Heaton-Harris must have had burning ears and righty so. He can bluster as much as he likes it doesn’t wash, bypass the politicians here and allow the civil servants to apportion the vast amount of money available for wage increases. This was the call from similar protests throughout Northern Ireland. No one is asking for a fortune they don’t deserve, equal pay for equal work isn’t asking too much and if we are to remain part of ‘the union and an integral part of the UK’ then we should have parity. I was proud to be part of the protest although only in support, as journalists were not striking on this occasion, along with many other trades unions represented to lend their voice.
Are we building a better future for our young people? Will it make any difference? Not until our political representatives grow what’s necessary to stand up to the naysayers and get on with their job. Dereliction of duty comes to mind.
Wrecking Ball
I made a mistake. I thought I won’t be concerned at the thought of Havelock House being razed to the ground last week despite the request by campaigners to have a few minutes inside the building to measure rooms and staircases and count the windows, purely to archive this famous building. However, when I saw that mechanical rhinoceros poke its horn through the window into the film library where I started my career, I had a lump in my throat, I bet Robin Hood had too! It’s bricks and mortar of course and memories are more important, but the building was one of a kind, a factory built in the late 1870s, a thriving time in the era of the textile boom, handkerchiefs and shirts were made there no doubt employing women from the maze of streets and the rows of red brick two up two down houses on streets named after respected local men and army top brass – Sir Henry Havelock himself a British general during the time of the 1857 Indian Mutiny and his memory is celebrated with a bronze statue which stands on one of the four plinths in Trafalgar Square London.
Last week I sat with Miss Adrienne of Romper Room fame, now Adrienne Catherwood, and we talked of past times and how we were two of the first into the duck egg blue painted building, through those imposing oak doors leading to a promised land.
We hunted out an old photograph of the time capsule being panted in the foundations in 1961.
“I remember that day so well, Anne Gregg and I set it down with Lord Antrim looking on, a black tin box with a TV Post and a Belfast Telegraph of that day, some coins, some film and photos and it was agreed it would lie there for 100 years before being opened. We gathered in the boardroom and had coffee before going downstairs, Anne had borrowed her mother’s mink coat and I’d borrowed my mum’s pony skin jacket! It was important to look glamorous for the photographers! Then it was back upstairs to the boardroom again for a more substantial celebration although not for me, I was back at the announcers box writing the next script and when you speak three words a second a three minute long introduction to a programme is not an easy job!”
It’s So Sad To See
So many buildings are being treated in this caviller fashion, the old Toll Houses, gracious city centre architecture scrapped and not least, in 2002 the house in Ashley Avenue off the Lisburn Road where Seamus Heaney spent much of his creative life. Our towns and cities once had such character unlike the high streets of today which are chrome and glass and could be any street in any town in the UK. How can you have pride in these undistinguished buildings. Praise to the city council who took over the bank at 2 Royal Avenue, retained the beautiful structures inside and turned it into a popular venue for people of all ages to enjoy, an example of good planning, a rare thing it would seem.
There is a lot of talk about ‘anti social behaviour’ these days especially in London but experienced in most major cities, not least in Belfast with young people being drawn into rioting. There are lots of other examples of offences against members of the public. And why? It’s mainly young people who presumably have nothing better to do with their time than to cause upset through violence of some sort or another. The question has been asked over and over, how do we stop this. Perhaps inspire young men and women by challenging them, open up youth clubs where they can work out physical aggression in a boxing ring or on a badminton court, a skate park, a cycle track, get involved in debating, there are hundreds of ways but it takes planning and persuasive people who know how to engage with those with a grudge against society. Oh Yes, and money to set up and support such a plan.
Is There Good In Everyone?
I believe so but drawing it out and giving confidence is not easy. And adults can be just as socially disruptive, what do you do about them? Have a stable society, good government, determine well structured financial support and music. In Los Angeles during a riot, some bright spark thought of playing loud classical music over speakers to drown out the noise and there was a remarkable reaction from the crowd, they stopped in their tracks, listened and disbanded. If only it was as easy as that.
Determination certainly paid off in the postal debacle, the fastest developing story in a long time, they certainly have the government by the short and curlies which must be some satisfaction but there is a long way to go yet and thousands of heartbreaking stories to come. Sadly there is evidence that some of the public are expressing boredom with the story. I mentioned last week that I’d written to the local representative of the National Federation of Subpostmasters for a comment. No reply! Surprising? Hardly.
I apologise for this but, as they say, facts is facts!
