Sometimes Great Britain ain't that Great.

Service has been suspended due to riots, but I think I'm back now! It seemed a bit inappropriate to write about how I done fun stuffs when the country was experiencing a moral and practical breakdown. And I felt an enormous urge to write about my thoughts on the events but it has taken me a few days to put them into order, and also pipe down my anger enough to write sensibly about it. I'm amazed how some journalists put out such insightful and reflective commentaries within hours of stuff taking place. But I guess that's why they get paid to do writing about important topics, while I don't get paid to write about what I did at the weekend...

I've been angered by the perpetrators themselves and their blatant disregard for the communities around them, a disgusting show of greed, violence and disrespect. That goes without saying. But that wasn't where my anger ended. I was astonished, over the first few days, by a complete refusal amongst much of the public to seek and discuss possible reasons for what was going on. I know full well that the rioters were on the whole not acting with any agenda, let alone one that justified their behaviour. When journalists managed to talk to youths involved, the reasons they gave were often confused, vague and showed a clear lack of understanding of political and social issues. But that does not mean there's no wider social issue to address.

This refusal to look for an explanation seemed to stem from the fact that people felt that by rationalising the behaviour, they were somehow justifying it, saying it was right. But you can rationalise and condemn, surely, just as you can rationalise and condone. In many ways, I feel the disorder we've seen across England is no more than a vastly overblown reflection of the kind of activity seen in certain areas of towns and cities every single day.

Neglection,
Kids carry guns for protection
Weapons, buy that on the street for pence
Direction
Kids lost that a long time ago

Cos all you hear is BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP

There is a massive underlying problem at play in our society here. The riots were just the inevitable blow up, as a window of opportunity was seized by kids normally pushed to the fringes of society. We can't pretend it happened in a bubble.

The proposed solutions have so far done little to calm my nerves. Water cannons, rubber bullets, live ammunition (apparently people genuinely thought this should be used? If I ever meet one of these people, shoot me...), these are confrontational, aggravating methods of controlling disorder that long term risk reactionary blow-ups. I have renewed respect for the police for not resorting to these methods, despite the violence they were facing.

Cameron's initial statements recognised a problem and I was briefly optimistic. However, his more recent comments have been vague and I'm not sure he is showing an understanding of the bigger picture, nor the ability to engage with the right people. I was concerned by his announcement of a 'war' on gangs. We've had the war. We don't want it again. We need the peace talks now. I'm not sure such a loaded word was the right choice. And the 'marriage solves all society's problems' line needs to be dropped. Seriously. I hate the generalising absent father argument. What's the implication? That women make ineffectual parents?

Role models
They say we need some black role models
That ain't footballers, rappers actors and no models?
Father figures
They say we need some more father figures
Like you can't grow if your mothers there but your father isn't?
F*** that, I say we need to put something back
Into communities where they think the way out is shottin crack

And I think I'm most worried of all about the justice system. Yes, everyone involved needs to be punished, but this needs to be proportional, fair, and each offence must be punished individually as it would be if it had occurred outside the riot period. Politicians need to keep their noses, and policy, out of the judiciary.

Discipline is very necessary. But what about the longer term? We can lock everyone up, but last I heard, prisons were full? We can evict them from their council homes, but where will they go? Take away their rights and there will be a bigger backlash. I don't pretend to have the answers, but I think we need a wider plan, more investment in these communities. We need to work towards inclusion, education, greater communication. I believe in the goodness inherent in everyone, and we need to find a way to bring it out. I don't think that's 'liberal', I don't think that's 'hippy'. I think that's just basic, civilised humanity. That may not be what the rioters showed, but if we all abandon it, what hope for us then?

----

Title lyric from 'Great Britain' by danlesac vs Scroobius Pip; lyrics in the rest of this post from 'Don't Come Around Here' by Kano. Listen to the Kano track here. It's a favourite grime track of mine and one I think is pretty pertinent in its message, particularly at the moment.

Jack in the Green

In Bristol, we have a traditional May Day celebration every year - Jack in the Green. The Green Man, Jack, is led through the city, attracting followers along the way and is led to Horfield Common, where he is killed and the spirit of summer is released.

This year it happened on the 7th of May, and, being in Bristol for Jack in the Green for the first time in a while, I decided to follow the procession. Pere also joined me.

After a quick stop in the Amnesty Bookstore on Gloucester Road, where they were having an epic sale and all books were about 10p, we joined Jack and his followers in Redland, where they were having a dance.



He was then led onwards through Redland, down to Gloucester Road, and all the way up towards Horfield, singing all the way.





Pere took the photo of me with Jack. As you may see, I have a green nose. That is Jack's magic - his followers offer some of Jack's magic to everyone we pass.

Jack was pretty wayward on the route. He tries to run into pubs, chases women and frightens children. He has to be controlled with sticks.





We turned up Ash Road and headed for the common, with quite a crowd following Jack now. There were a lot of people waiting on the common for Jack, as this is where he meets his death.



Jack tries to escape, but he is penned in for his final dance. His fate is sealed as his followers recite the Green Man verse...

Like antlers, like veins of the brain the birches
Mark patterns of mind on the red winter sky;
‘I am thought of all plants, ’ says the Green Man,
‘I am thought of all plants,’ says he.

The Hungry birds harry the last berries of rowan
But white is her bark in the darkness of rain;
‘I rise with the sap, ’ says the Green Man,
‘I rise with the sap,’ says he.

The ashes are clashing their boughs like sword-dancers,
Their black buds are tracing wild faces in the clouds;
‘I come with the wind, ’ says the Green Man,
‘I come with the wind, ’ says he.

The Alders are rattling as though ready for battle
Guarding the grove where she waits for her lover;
‘I burn with desire, ’ says the Green Man,
‘I burn with desire, ’ says he.

In and out of the yellowing wands of the willow
The pollen-bright bees are plundering the catkins;
‘I am honey of love, ’ says the Green Man,
‘I am honey of love, ’ says he.

The hedges of quick are thick with May blossom
As the dancers advance on the leaf-covered King:
‘It’s off with my head, ’ says the Green Man’
‘It’s off with my head, ’ Says he.



Jack is thrown to the ground and a spear is hurled through him. The spirit of summer is finally released!



Jack is pulled apart - if you take a piece of him home you will have good luck all summer!

And so summer began. And for me has been incredibly busy. I'll hopefully get some updates up this week so my faithful readers can see what I've been up to!

Paperwork mountain

Even though we've been back in England for going on four months now, I still feel like I'm living in both Australia and the UK sometimes. Especially when I try to cope with my paperwork and finances. My red folder blows my mind right now. For every UK bank account there is an Australian one. I have separate plastic wallets for my separate tax returns, bills, statements....I started doing my UK tax return and got out all my Australian group certificates. Help?

Fun in the sun

Photograph: Michael Lloyd/Bristol News and M/PA

Greetings from Bristol!

I have so much to post, but so much of it has accompanying photos and I have one big problem - my MacBook's hard drive is full. Stuffed. Clog. Oh dear. So photos must for the moment remain on my memory card, which is a shame as I have a mega awesome new camera that I currently have on generous loan (Canon EOS 30D) - THANKS PÈRE!!!! And it is full of lovely lovely photos of all the things Mark and I have been getting up to over the Easter holiday.



The weather has been amazing. Honestly, I don't even remember Sydney ever serving up such a long-lasting chunk of sun. As a result, many many daytrips have happened - to Caerphilly, Cheddar, Glastonbury, and all over Bristol. And Mark has been off on tour with his new band for a week up and down the country. I am loving England a bit right now. We had a brilliant Royal Wedding weekend, got up early to watch the whole wedding build up on the telly, loved it! It was so perfect. I want a wedding now, with visiting dignitaries and trees in Westminster Abbey. After the wedding, we caught the bus to Bedminster to hang out with Miri and Mark (other Mark) at a street party, ate lots of cake and drank cider, then ended up in Tobacco Factory with coffee and gin and tonics (not at the same time). Mark was working that evening in the Grapes so we all went up to Clifton and hung out there all night, and they screened the Sex Pistols movie the Filth and the Fury, haha. I had to work Saturday morning in the Post Office though, which was a bit painful, but still, I quite enjoy working Saturdays, it's a different kind of mood to the week. Monday we had a really long walk in Leigh Woods with Lep and Pere which was relaxing.

You may have seen the great BRISTOL VERSUS TESCO struggle in the news, which is where the first picture in this post is taken from. I don't really know what is going on at the minute, but there has been one full blown riot and another protest turned nasty. The area concerned, Stokes Croft, is close to my house, and is somewhere I have been spending a lot of time since I came back to Bristol. There has been an enormous campaign against the planned Tesco opening down there going on for ages, but they just didn't listen. They opened the store almost in secret overnight, one day it was boarded up shopfront, the next day open for business, which came as quite a shock to all, and a vocal group of protesters set up in front of it, chatting to people and giving out free cake (tasty) for the first few days.


A longstanding squat, Telepathic Heights, stands opposite the new store and it was a reportedly heavy handed police raid on this building that triggered the original night of trouble. We were driving home from pub tea and there were police EVERYWHERE, but it wasn't until next day we realised what went on. Tesco's shopfront was smashed and has since been closed and boarded over, someone has scrawled a very beautiful poem across it in black paint. There was a lot of criticism of the way police dealt with the situation, and this was the root of the second protest last Thursday.
I believe Tesco is planning to re-open, but I'm not sure why. I am not sure Stokes Croft is the place for it now, as a business, it does not quite embody what many people see as the ethos of the area. Granted, if you sit in the window of Cafe Kino or on the terrace at Canteen for a couple of hours with a flat white or a cider, you will see what my mother would call 'a slice of life'. Yes there are still the drug addicts and street drinkers that inevitably remain in any inner city area of this type, but Stokes Croft is not a 'disgrace to Bristol' as I have recently seen it described. Look closer and you will see a thriving creative and bohemian centre, the world of the co-operative and anti-capitalism, and Tesco goes directly against these values.

There is of course an argument that a small, well-run supermarket would be a good addition to the area, as I believe some residents feel that this is something currently lacking. Certainly it may be a welcome business for many people who will now be able to get affordable fresh food without having to travel further afield. However, Tesco has never sat well with Bristolians and the surrounding south west - agressive expansion over the past decade or so and a seeming refusal to really listen to local people has left a sour taste. Their controversial and stealthy opening on Stokes Croft and refusal to engage with the local community is clearly not going to help their local reputation, and it is sad to see Tesco persevering with this behaviour despite the disruption already caused.

The fiery portals of the east (and the west midlands)

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England

What better way to mark a return my return to England, after almost three years away, than with John of Gaunt's monologue from Shakespeare's Richard II. Settling back in to life on the top end of the world has its ups and downs, but England has undeniable gravitas.

I was fortunate enough to see a brilliant production of Richard II at the Tobacco Factory last weekend. It was the first time I had seen Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory in action and they were so good. I think when you see a good Shakespeare production, you understand it completely even if you don't fully understand all the language. This was one of those.

John of Gaunt's son was Henry IV of England. Richard II's father was Edward Plantagenet, the Black Prince. The tombs of both lie in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, and I visited them a few weeks ago. Well, primarily I was visiting my sister, but Henry and Edward were almost as exciting. Bec was doing a concert with her Chamber Choir in the cathedral crypt, but we spent the day visiting firstly the Museum of Canterbury, then the Cathedral.

Canterbury is a lovely city, very small and neat and old and historic. We learnt its history in the museum, right through from its beginnings and Roman occupation, to the building of the Cathedral, Thomas Becket, Christopher Marlowe, Bagpuss, Clangers and Rupert the Bear (as a long-term collector of Rupert annuals, my dad was EXCITED).



Clangers are knitted bodies on a meccano skeleton! The museum is really good and at little over 3 quid quite a bargain.



Through the gate to the Cathedral. The Cathedral is huge, monumental and magnificent.



Inside there is so much atmosphere and history - a small flame marks the site where the tomb of Thomas Becket stood (destroyed by order of Henry VIII). Around this lie the aforementioned tombs of Henry IV and the Black Prince. We spent a good long time inside, gallivanting around. It was cold though, but I imagine the heating bills must be pretty high.



Bec's concert was really good, and well attended. The following day, we left her behind and journeyed up to Wolverhampton so Père could attend the football at Molineux and we could visit uncle Alan and auntie Jenny. We had a nice quiet Saturday evening in with them, then on Sunday morning went to the Beacon Hotel to drink the best beer in the world (if you are my dad), Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild (brewed at the pub). I am actually also a big fan of Ruby Mild, it is TASTY.



I love this picture of Père and uncle Alan as it shows what a serious business drinking Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild is. I also love the Beacon, as it is a perfectly preserved victorian pub. It's like a museum pub.

Return

I think it is time to write again.

England is like another world. Adjusting back is strange and harder than I thought.

But I am not going to talk too much about England yet. On our way back from Sydney, we had an amazing stopover in Hong Kong and I must commit my memories to type.

We arrived direct from Sydney on Tuesday, early evening. The flight went well, plane was near empty so we had a row of seats to ourselves and it was really quiet, no queues for toilet etc. Landed in Hong Kong in some serious fog, boarded a train to HK Central station, then squeezed our mega amount of luggage into a Tardis-like HK taxi for a crazy-driving mad dash to our hotel in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island.

The hotel was amazing. We got a deluxe room which had plenty of space, and a great view over the racecourse and the edge of the skyscrapers. But we were hungry so headed straight out on the free shuttle bus to get the Star Ferry across to Tsim Sha Tsui on the mainland.



The Star Ferry is brilliant! The view from the water is fantastic, and with all the bright lights at night the fog didn't matter so much. And it only costs about 20p for a crossing. The ferry dropped us off in the heart of Kowloon and we made our way towards HK's mega shopping street, Nathan Road, endless shops, designer and more traditional, huge crowds and the obligatory shady men offering "copy bag, copy rolex". I completely misunderstood what was going on at first and was wondering what "coffee bag" was, whether it was like a tea bag. Then I realised that was Chinese pronunciation of 'copy'.

Somewhere off Nathan Road we found a vegetarian restaurant recommended in our Rough Guide, which had all you can eat Cantonese vegetarian buffet. It was so cheap and had free green tea and the food was really good - we were so hungry that I definitely had my money's worth anyway! Then it was train back to HK Island and bed.

The following morning we made our way over to the central business area of Hong Kong Island, walking around super-smart malls on our way to get the Peak Tram. The Peak Tram is a funicular railway that takes you up to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, an upmarket residential area that until 1930 was reserved exclusively for non-Chinese.



The tram ejects you into a little shopping centre that seems especially designed to prevent you getting out. We did find the exit eventually though and had a good walk round. There's a great view from the top over the harbour, although unfortunately the fog was still thick so we couldn't see as much as we would have liked. We climbed up a bit further and found a pleasant garden, with a signposted walk that we did, thinking it would take us in a circuit but we ended up somewhere completely lost on the mountain with no people in sight! We retraced our steps in the end and found our way back to the tram.

We found a gallery cafe in Central for lunch with a thai vegetarian buffet - really nice. Then we caught the Star Ferry back over the Tsim Sha Tsui and wandered around a bit, got a coffee, then realised from the guide book that the Hong Kong Museum of History, which was just round the corner, was free entry for the afternoon. We went along and it was a brilliant museum - really well laid out and with plenty of detail covering the whole history of Hong Kong, from pre-history right through to HK being handed back to China and the creation of the Special Administrative Region. In one bit they had done a reconstruction of a Hong Kong street circa 1930 and you could wander into all the shops, it was fascinating!

We headed back to HK Island and got some sushi rolls in the mall near the hotel for dinner. We were stuffed after lunch still. We had a look round the shops too, which were really festive as they had late night shopping for Chinese New Year (a few days later) - it's like Christmas there! Then bed.

Thursday morning we made our way down to the Ferry Terminal once more, but this time not for the Star Ferry, oh no! We boarded the Lantau Island Ferry, to Mui Wo.

The ferry was pretty awful. Even though it only cost about 80p, it took almost an hour, was really rickety, and the route was really unscenic. The fog was still really thick so you couldn't see far enough to see anything interesting, but parked out in the sea between the islands are all these horrible huge industrial junky boats, container ships, some boats that just look like they are rotting away. These things kept looming out of the fog at us as we sailed past. Blah.

Lantau Island is the largest of HK's islands, and very mountainous. It feels very rural, even the town Mui Wo seemed rather sparse. We boarded a bus next in the main square and that wound its way up high into the mountains, giving some amazing views! Hong Kong is very craggy. After about half an hour, we arrived at our destination, Ngong Ping, next to which lies the Po Lin Monastery and its massive 26m high bronze Buddha statue.



The photos really don't give the best impression, the Tian Tan Buddha looms over you wherever you are.






It's very beautiful around the monastery. We went up into the dining hall where the monastery dishes up hearty vegetarian meals for a tiny price. The food was quite basic (mostly just plain rice and vegetables) but nice and there was plenty of it! We had about 5 different dishes.

After filling up, we made our way up to the summit and the statue.





After a good look round, we were back on the bus to Mui Wo and back on the boat to Hong Kong Island.

We wandered back to the hotel and kind of spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around in bed, drinking green tea and watching the sun set out of our huge window. It was really nice. We got up again eventually and went for a really nice dinner at a crazy cantonese vegetarian restaurant we found online. You had to go into this slightly grotty looking tenement building and up in a lift to get to it, but once in it was great, really busy, and even though there was a slightly awkward language barrier the staff were really welcoming - I think being slightly off the tourist trail, they weren't really used to international visitors!

A last look round the lights of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, and we went back to the hotel to pack up and sleep before the long long long flight the next morning. There was a slight mis-hap checking in when my suitcase accidentally went down the luggage chute without a luggage tag, but it all got sorted in the end! The flight this time was not so fun. Halfway through I genuinely thought I was going to DIE of BOREDOM (13 hours aghhh) and this time the plane was really small and really crowded, and the seats didn't recline properly. McWrinkle wasn't too happy as he had his own seat on the first plane but this time had to go under the seat in front with my bag. I did fall asleep for an hour or so though, and the rest of the time watched Tudors.

Then we arrived back in Heathrow, passing through the corridors of arrivals with cheery photos of London sights on the walls, a positive beginning. Then it was COLD. SO COLD. And dark. I had two nights in a row without a day in between. And thus, with a seemingly endless night and some photos of London on the walls, began a new chapter of life.

Bye January, Bye Australia

January has seen some crazy times, that seem a world away now as I sit here wrapped in blankets, fire blazing, looking out of the window over frosty English countryside...

...The new year 2011 started as it meant to go on with layers of thick, sticky heat falling over Sydney.



We took a trip out to visit our old house in Meadowbank and caught the Parramatta River ferry back to the city, like we always used to do back in the day.



We hung out at Sydney Observatory and on Observatory Hill, my favourite place in the world...we did the night tour at Sydney Observatory also, got to look at Jupiter and a lovely nebula!



We took our last day trip out to the Blue Mountains - where the air was fresh and clean and delicious - walked the giant steps, Furber steps and through the Jamison Valley. I ached for the next 3 days.

We've seen the sights, walked over the Harbour Bridge, swam at Balmoral, and spent a lovely evening with Dean at the free open-air concert in the Domain, Sydney Symphony performing a Shakespeare-themed set of works, with our accompanying selection of wine, cheese and antipasto. We saw Kitty, Daisy and Lewis play some fun rock 'n' roll at the Sydney Festival, and The National play an amazing gig at the Enmore Theatre. We braved the queue for the Annie Leibowitz retrospective at the MCA and found it thoroughly worth the wait. We had flat whites and falafels at Shenkin in Erskineville (my favourite home for always), thickshakes at BuzzzBar in Newtown, poached eggs at Baffi and Mo in Redfern, rojak and cendol at Mamak in Chinatown, polenta chips and many other delights with David and Kristie at Bloodwood in Newtown, Four Ate Five's excellent chips in Surry Hills, Crust Pizza in Neutral Bay (Crust Pizza!!!), and the most fabulous 3 course meal with the most delectable bottle of wine at Glebe Point Diner.

I had my last day at work and my colleagues bought me some beautiful antique silver rose earrings. Mark and I held our leaving party at Emma's shop, we had a vegetarian BBQ, and we drank our 2003 vintage Moet that I had been saving for such an occasion.

Our last day in Sydney was a busy one, made rather difficult by the fact the weather suddenly decided it was a good idea to be 36 degrees (THIRTY SIX DEGREES) for the day. Poor Mark had to carry an 8kg box to the Post Office, then we had to find lunch somewhere that had air conditioning before we passed out (Deus ex Machina sufficed with their lovely salads, giving us a chance to cool down). Then a trip to the bank where I lost the plot slightly and Mark had to do my accounting for me which probably made the bank people think he was trying to steal all my money or something.

Then a trip up the Sydney Tower!



For some last minute postcard sending and surveying of our beautiful land...

And the day was over. Just the evening was left, a last drink with Dean at the Art House Hotel and then onwards into the night to watch Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Emma's in Surry Hills.

On Tuesday 25th at 8am, a taxi came to Neutral Bay, a taxi came and took us away. It took us over the Harbour Bridge, past Circular Quay, and south to the airport. A final flat white later and we boarded a plane, one final loop over Sydney, beautiful Sydney, Sydney my home, and we were gone.