stellauk
Posts: 1360
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I admit that I got into an argument with a police officer earlier today. I'm standing on the pavement at the entrance of a building site near Battersea Power Station trying to take a photo or two of Battersea Power Statiun. The policeman is quoting some section (Section 43 or 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act) and telling me not to take a picture and to move on otherwise I will be arrested. The security guards on the building site, who called the police over, insist that since there is construction work on a bridge for the extension of the Northern Line the powers that be have decided that all photography of any part of the site or the buildings is forbidden. Battersea Power Station, the largest brick built building in Europe, made iconic by Pink Floyd on their 'Animals' album, has been derelict for decades. The photos and video were to be part of a new campaign video to save Tideway Village. Tideway Village is a community of houseboats on the River Thames at Nine Elms which is about to be destroyed by property developers to make way for the Riverlight complex of luxury apartments and hotels. Within this community is one of the last remaining Fringe venues in London, the Battersea Barge. The Village is moored around Tideway Dock, the last remaining tidal dock on the River Thames, which once saw collier barges heading towards Battersea Power Station. More than this, over a quarter of a mile of riverside access to the River Thames is under threat. The local council don't want to get involved. I admit that I am seriously considering standing in the next local government elections as a Labour candidate for the local council in the Battersea/Nine Elms area contesting what appears to be a safe Conservative ward, standing against the Deputy Mayor, someone who is supporting a scheme to charge parents admission for their kids to play in a kids playground in a local park. I admit that I told the policeman to get over himself and to find something better to do with his time. I admit that I don't understand many people in this country any more, nor the submissive attitude people have to people with lots of money. Maybe when you're struggling to make ends meet on your state pension or to keep warm in winter and you can't afford to go anywhere or do anything you might finally realize that there's more to life than making money.
< Message edited by stellauk -- 12/28/2011 11:59:13 AM >
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Usually when you have all the answers for something nobody is interested in listening.
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