>Re:PHOTO Peter Marshall - Thoughts on Photography

March For Our Flag & Chinese New Year – 2007

March For Our Flag & Chinese New Year: Sunday 18th February 2007 was very much a day of two halves for me, photographing ‘football supporters‘ on an extreme right march and then going to Chinatown for a brief visit to the New Year celebrations. Here’s what I wrote back in 2007 about the day (with the usual minor corrections) and some of the pictures – with links to a few more on My London Diary.

March For Our Flag – United British Alliance

March For Our Flag & Chinese New Year - 2007 — *There were around 200 football supporters in the right-wing march.*

There were perhaps just over 200 marchers in the ‘March For Our Flag’ which made its way from Westminster to Marble Arch on Sunday. Organised by football supporters, it was billed as “a peaceful march consisting of Whites, Blacks, Asians” and the invitation was clearly made for people to attend “regardless of colour or creed or firm or team.” However it was also an event that members of the National Front Youth ‘Bulldogs’ were urged to support in one of their forums with the hope of attracting new members.

Englishness has been officially relegated to a fringe activity, and to a great extent politically appropriated by the ultra-right. So it isn’t surprising that we get populist outbreaks such as this, under the banner of the ‘United British Alliance’. This seems to be largely an anti-Islamic movement of football supporters, many of whom seem to take a pride in their membership of noted hooligan groups (the ‘firms‘.) On its web page, UBA describes itself as “a multi-ethnic, multi-faith organisation with a passionate interest in reclaiming our once proud nation from the grip of international terror and political correctness gone-mad, with a view to re-installing some pride in our communities and way of life.”

So I was hardly surprised to find the march almost solidly white and male; I noted only one Black and one Asian face – and only three women. What was overwhelming was the drab surliness of it all, with rather few English flags in evidence – probably fewer on hats and shirts than in the average crowd, now that many England soccer and rugby fans regularly appear covered with St George symbols.

At its front was a large St George’s flag with the message ‘Tunbridge Wells Yids On Tour.’ Although generally a term of racist abuse, here it is a name Spurs fans use with pride, having christened themselves ‘Yids’ in response to the anti-Semitic chants from fans of other clubs.

Events such as this, organised by a fringe extreme right group, do represent a widespread feeling among many people that we need to do more to promote English culture and a pride in being English. Nothing prevents us celebrating St George’s Day, [but] such celebrations have never attracted the official support and funding that attend the other national saints days in the UK.

In the arts, there has been a reluctance or even a refusal to finance traditional English folk arts, while those from many other ethnic groups have often received generous support. In part this comes from the elitist snobbishness of an establishment that massively funds opera while being unable to stomach grants to Morris dancing, brass bands, folk singers and English choirs and other elements of a genuinely popular and largely working class English culture.

Even, if not especially, on the left, we have generally left official culture and the patronage it gives to be run by the champagne socialists in Islington and Hampstead rather than supporting the kind of activities that came with our roots in the co-operative movement, the Methodist and other [non-conformist] churches and the Working Mens Clubs and unions.

The police took a very obvious interest in the event, and in the few of us trying to photograph it. I was twice questioned by them, and my press card details were noted down both times, while I was photographed [by police.] There were probably more police than marchers covering the event, both at Liverpool Street, where many of the marchers had met, and also on the march itself.

The police were polite and made sure I was aware that some of the marchers resented being photographed and suggested it would not be sensible for me to attend the rally at the end of the march. I hadn’t intended to do so, although this almost made me change my mind.

[More specifically I was told that they “would not be able to guarantee my safety” if I went on to the rally.]

Just a few more pictures on My London Diary

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinatown, Westminster

I’m very much in favour of London celebrating the Chinese New Year (as well as St George’s Day) but it now seems hardly worth me photographing it. Partly because I’ve done it so often that there seems to be little more to say, and in part because it is just too crowded with far too many people trying to take pictures.

Controlling crowds such as this is a tricky affair, but there never seems to be much reason in it, with police lines often blocking off relatively quiet areas and thus creating jams elsewhere. I wandered round a little and took a few pictures before going home. There are better days to come to Chinatown.

*I’ve taken many pictures of the lions in previous years, so didn’t really bother this year*

A few more pictures begin here on My London Diary.

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Mont Nod and Old York Road – Wandsworth 1990

My walk on Sunday 4th March 1990 had begun at Clapham Junction in Battersea and I had ended my first post, St John’s Road & East Hill, Battersea – 1990 next to Trinity Road in Wandsworth.

Huguenot Burial Ground, Mount Nod Cemetery, East Hill, Wandsworth,, 1990, 90-2j-46 — *Huguenot Burial Ground, Mount Nod Cemetery, East Hill, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-2j-46*

From 1562 to 1598 France was at civil war between Catholics, supported by the Catholic League including the Pope and Spain, and Protestants – the Huguenots – whose backers included Protestant England under Elizabeth I. Although Henry IV had become King of France in 1589 after the death of his ninth cousin once removed, Henry III, he was not recognised across the whole country.

Henry IV had been born and baptised a Catholic but brought up a Huguenot, and was the first (and only) Protestant King of France, but under pressure and to be recognised in Paris and elsewhere he converted to Catholicism in 1593, though whether he actually said “Paris is worth a Mass” is thought highly doubtful.

One of his first actions as king was the Edict of Nantes which granted the Huguenots – Calvinist protestants – the right to practise their religion while maintaining Catholicism as the established religion of the country. The Catholic authorities were never happy with the edict and Henry survived several assassination attempt before one succeeded in 1610.

*Huguenot Burial Ground, Mount Nod Cemetery, East Hill, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-2j-33*

The Edict gave Huguenots religious toleration in certain towns and cities in France and allowed them to play a part in civil society, including holding public office, running their own schools, organising militia, carry out some trades and professions and to travel freely in France – and to avoid the Inquisition when travelling abroad.

Over the years the various freedoms granted by the Edict were lessened and in 1685, Louis XIV, the grandson of Henry IV, renounced the Edict and declared Protestantism illegal in all of France. Ministers were given two weeks to leave the country, while others were prohibited from leaving, though as many as 400,000 did, many coming to England.

Although Spitalfields is well-known for its Huguenot population, others settled elsewhere in London becoming around 5% of the area’s population. And Wandsworth, then a small village on the outskirts attracted some, probably because there were already some French speakers there, running various small industries on the River Wandle as well as market gardens. They became involved in textile mills and as hat and dressmakers, with Wandsowth becoming famous for hat making.

*Huguenot Burial Ground, Mount Nod Cemetery, East Hill, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-2j-34*

There was religious persecution in England too, although the established church had broken from Rome, but protestants suffered as well as catholics. But it seems that in Wandsworth, French speakers were allowed to set up their own chapel since none of the English would understand their language. A plaque in Chapel Yard suggests that Flemish and French Protestants had set up a house of prayer there as early as 1573, when such chapels were clearly illegal.

The Huguenot Burial Site – also known as Mount Nod Cemetery – between East Hill and Huguenot Place was in use by 1687 and burials continued until 1854. In 1911 a memorial was erected – seen in two of my pictures, remembeing the contribution made by Huguenots to the “prosperity of the town of their adoption.”

The cemetery has recently been given local historic park and garden status has apparently been refurbished, though I’ve not visited it for some years, though I think may do so later this year.

*Book House, 45, East Hill, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-2j-23*

This Italianate locally listed building adjioinig the Huguenot Burial Ground was built in 1888 as County House for the Wandsworth District Board of Works. After the Nation Book League moved into it in 1985 it became Book House, and was also home to the Publishing Training Centre. More recently it has been converted into flats.

*Houses, Fullerton Rd, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-2j-24*

I left East Hill and walked up Alma Road; this area was developed between 1865 and 1895, but the north end of the street dates from soon after the Battle of Alma and appears on Stanford’s 1862 map. Alma was the first major battle of the Crimean War, when the British and the French defeated the Russians close to the mouth of the Alma, a small river which flows into the Black Sea not far from Sevastopol. The war dragged on until February 1856.

Fullerton Road crosses Alma Road and I walked a few yards down it to take this picture of a covered motorbike or scooter in front of Rose Cottage, Lansdown House and Gordon House.

*Shops, Old York Rd, Ferrier St, Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-3a-64*

Alma Road joins Old York Road opposite Wandsworth Town station and a few yards down to the left Ferrier Street leads off west, with a view of the Wandwworth gasholder. The superstructure of this was demolished I think over 10 years ago, but its base remains, visible from the railway.

Old York Road still exists, although the shops have shifted significantly upmarket and I’ve been to exhibition openings there, and the area around to the north and west is bristling with new towers of flats.

*Shops, Old York Rd, Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-3a-63*

No trace remains of the HOVIS sign on this house on the corner with Edgel Street and Lawrence’s Shoe Repairs are long gone.

*The Alma Tavern, Old York Rd, Alma Rd, Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-3a-65*

I went into Wandsworth Town Station and climbed the stairs to the platform to lean over and photograph the Alma Tavern. This was built in 1866 although there appears to be a pub here on the 1862 map. It was acquired by Young’s brewery – nearby in the centre of Wandsworth on the River Wandle – in 1888. Still operated by them it now has a hotel extension on the site of the former 1880s Victorian factory behind the pub in Alma Road, since 1983 occupied by Winstanley Metal Fabrications.

*Old York Rd, Ferrier St, Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth, 1990, 90-3a-66*

Further along the platform I took this view looking along Old York Road. This area along to what is now Swandon Way used to be Fairfield, the site of Wandsworth Fair, discontinued in the 19th century. York Road was once called Pickpocket Lane, then Slough Lane and only relatively recently becoming Old York Road. Much of the area was designated a conservation area in 2019.

My next post on this walk shortly.

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Alevi, Union Flags, Fuel Poverty & Reclaim Love – 2013

Alevi, Union Flags, Fuel Poverty & Reclaim Love: Saturday 16th Feb was a busy day for me, beginning with a protest by Alevi against religious discrimination in Turkey, on to an extreme right protest in support of Belfast ‘loyalists’. Then a rally over fuel poverty which ended with a road block by disabled protesters. My day in London ended in Piccadilly Circus at the Reclaim Love Valentine Party, though I arrived there rather late.

You can read longer accounts and see more pictures of all these events on My London Diary.

Alevi Protest Discrimination in Turkey & UK

Trafalgar Square

Alevi, Union Flags, Fuel Poverty & Reclaim Love - 2013 — *A woman in traditional costume holds a banner (Semah For Peace) in Trafalgar Square.*

Estimates of the number of Alevi in Turkey vary widely but they probably make around 15% of the population, including many Kurds. Their religion is generally considered a part of Shi’ism, but they worship in their own languages, men and women together; women are not required to cover their hair, and their worship incorporates their rich traditions of poetry, music and dance – Semah.

Turkey is a country ruled and dominated by Sunni Muslims and the Alevi have suffered centuries of religious persecution – sometimes violent, and while Christian and Jewish children in Turkish schools are exempted from the compulsory Sunni Muslim religious classes, Alevi are not.

The rally called for democracy in Turkey, an end to discrimination and persecution, and an end to this compulsory religious education.

They also called for all immigrant cultures in the UK to unite and fight to remind the UK government of its responsibilities towards them, saying they face “ignorance from institutions such as the health, education, police, social and political bodies.” They call for an equal education system which considers the needs of all different cultural backgrounds.

More at Alevi Protest Discrimination in Turkey & UK

Defend the Union Flag

Westminster

Around a hundred ‘patriots’ from the ‘South East Alliance’ marched down Whitehall carrying Union Flags to a rally with speakers from Britain First in support of Loyalist Flag protesters in Belfast.

*Britain First Northern Ireland organiser Jim Dowson with the man carrying the wreath*

Belfast City Council had decided only to fly the Union Flag on eighteen days a year as elsewhere in the UK, resulting in series of protests outside Belfast City Hall organised by a breakaway unionist group which disagrees with the peace process.

Around a hundred people came to the protest, mostly carrying Union flags, though there were a few Ulster and Orange flags also on show.

The marchers became silent at the Cenotaph where two wreaths were laid, one by the Kent Somme Society commemorating the Irishmen who died in the Battle of the Somme. They then marched on to Old Palace Yard for a rally.

*Paul Golding of Britain First, a former BNP councillor in Swanley on Sevenoaks District Council*

There were speeches from Paul Golding of Britain First, Paul Pitt of the South East Alliance and Britain First’s Northern Ireland organiser Jim Dowson who had been involved in the protests there.

*Paul Pitt of South East Alliance, formerly the EDL’s South East organiser.*

A few photographers were threatened by protesters but I suffered only some mainly relatively friendly banter from several who recognised me from other extreme right marches I had photographed, including some who mistook me for a Searchlight photographer.

More at Defend the Union Flag.

Fuel Poverty Rally & DAN Roadblock

Department of Energy and Climate Change Whitehall

A rally organised by Fuel Poverty Action and supported by Disabled People Against Cuts, Greater London Pensioners’ Association, Redbridge Pensioners’ Forum, Southwark Pensioners’ Action Group, Global Women’s Strike and others was a part of a national day of action against fuel price rises and the government’s energy policies

Cuts and rising prices now meant one in four families now have had to choose between heating their homes adequately or eating properly. Many children were going to school hungry and we had seen a phenomenal rise in the need for food banks – now even in the wealthier suburbs, with many unable to buy food.

Fuel Poverty Action say that the government was doing everything it could to keep the big six enery companies making profts while “disabled and elderly people are forced into libraries and shopping centres to keep warm and people with cancer freeze in their homes with the heating off” as crucial benefits are slashed.

Many also suffer from benefit sanctions, losing financial support often for trivial reasons or for things beyond their control – such as a cancelled bus making them arrive late for an appointment. There seems to be a particularly vindictive approach encouraged (or mandated) at job centres towards claimants.

At the end of the rally disabled activists, many in wheelchairs went out onto Whitehall blocking the southbound carriageway. Some pensioners joined them, handcuffing themselves to the wheelchairs and others came to stand around them in the roadway. There were some more speeches from some of the protesters.

*Protesters from the Disabled Peoples Direct Action Network move to block the road*

After around a quarter of an hour police came and talked with the protesters asking them to leave. They were still asking 15 minutes later and by then many of the protesters were feeling they had made their point and were ready to go for a cup of tea. When they told police they would leave in ten minutes I left to rush to the Reclaim Love party which had started over an hour earlier.

Much more at Fuel Poverty Rally & DAN Roadblock.

Reclaim Love Valentines Party

Piccadilly Circus

The 11th Reclaim Love free Valentine’s Party – and the 10th organised by Venus CuMara who started the whole thing in 2004 – took place around Eros in Piccadilly Circus, aiming to spread peace and love around the world, and to reclaim love from its commercial exploitation.

I arrived late, after people had joined hands in the large circle around Eros to make their call for peace and happiness around the world, but the party was continuing and I took rather a lot of pictures – here are a few.

*Venus CuMara straightens up the Reclaim Love banner*

*Free T-shirts – for the first time a donation was requested*

I’ve written more about Reclaim Love on My London Diary over the years, and there is some more, along with many more pictures from the 2013 event at Reclaim Love Valentine Party.

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Democracy, Greece & Pakistan – 2015

Democracy, Greece & Pakistan: Events I covered on Sunday 15th February 2015.

Occupy Democracy Return

Parliament Square

I hadn’t been at Parliament Square the previous evening when Occupy Democracy had returned to take up residence and hold a protest and workshops there, but had heard about the arrests. Police following instructions from Boris Johnson’s Greater London Authority private security wardens arrested five of the protesters including Donnachadh McCarthy, along with the white cardboard coffin he was holding with the message ‘UK Democracy R.I.P. Killed by Corporate Billionaires‘ which was returned in a rather damaged condition.

On Sunday morning my first call was to the square where Occupy Democracy talks and workshops were continuing on the pavement area around Churchill’s statue.

While I was there George Barda spoke introducing the ‘Love Activists’ and Danny talked about their plans for future activities.

Another event in the square was led by Frances Scott of the 50:50 Parliament campaign to get equal numbers of men and women in Parliament, arguing that this would lead to much better government.

Although I agree there should be better representation of women, I feel that it’s more important that we have politicians who better represent the needs of the people and the country. More Thatchers, Trusses and Badenochs would hardly be an advance on Kinnochs, Blairs and Mandelsons. We need a far more radical system change.

I left to cover the other events, but returned on my way home in the afternoon when the workshops were continuing. Police and GLA security watched but did not interfere. As I commented, “They prefer to take action when fewer press are around and it is dark.”

More at Occupy Democracy return.

Let Greece Breathe!

Trafalgar Square

A large crowd had come to the North Terrace of Trafalgar Square for a rally to celebrate the victory of the anti-austerity Syriza party in the Greek General Election in January and to support them in resisting the imposed austerity programme.

Greek voters had decisively rejected the the EU’s austerity plans, largely pushed by Germany and backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB) but the new government was having to revise its plans, facing stiff opposition and was having to compromise on many of its promises.

Speakers at the rally, including Jeremy Corby, Owen Jones, CWU’s Billy Hayes, Paul Mackney, Green Party’s Romayne Phoenix and John Sinha from Occupy Democracy, praised the Greek struggle against austerity, but their pleas for the country to be let to breathe fell on deaf ears in Germany and the financial institutions.

Many in Syriza felt betrayed by its actions and some left the party, but in a snap election in September 2015 the party polled well enough to remain as the leading party in the coalition. They did badly in the 2019 election, becoming a part of the opposition.

More pictures at Let Greece Breathe!

Deport Altaf Hussain

Downing St

Pakistanis from Imran Khan’s PTI party called on the UK government to arrest and deport Altaf Hussain, the founder of the rival rival MQM party who fled to the UK in 1991 following an attack on his life in advance of a police crackdown of his party and was granted asylum here in 1992.

The protesters say Hussain and his party have an armed mafia wing in Karachi which indulges in extortion, blackmail and murder and were behind the Baldia Town factory fire in which at least 258 workers died, the Karachi Massacre of May 2007, as well as the murder of PTI leader Zahra Shahid in her driveway in Karachi in 2013 and many other crimes.

Since 2015 he has been a wanted man in Pakistan on charges of ‘murder, targeted killing, treason, inciting violence and hate speech‘. In the UK he was tried in 2022 charged with ‘promoting terrorism and unrest through hate speech in Pakistan‘ but was acquitted.

More at Deport Altaf Hussain.

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Global Divestment, Guantanamo & Venus – 2015

Global Divestment, Guantanamo & Venus: Saturday 14th February 2015 was Global Divestment Day, designed by the UN to “to draw attention to the importance of divesting from fossil fuels, which are the main cause of global warming.” But of course it was also St Valentine’s Day, and two events reflected this.

‘Bad Boy Borises’ in Global Divestment Day

London City Hall

Global Divestment, Guantanamo & Venus - 2015 — *One of the Boris bloc at the rally in front of City Hall and Tower Bridge*

The protest at London City Hall, then at More London close to Tower Bridge, called on the Mayor and London Assembly to end their pension fund investments in climate wrecking fossil fuels and lead a fossil-free London.

The event began with a nightmare vision as multiple Mayor Borises arrived, revelling in dirty fuel. They were greeted by a choir singing songs specially written for the occasion and fed with some disgusting looking things supposed to be dirty fuel.

After several speeches the protesters split up around 3 metre tall letters which they eventually lifted up to spell out the word ‘DIVEST’.

They called for an end to investment in fossil fuels which are causing catastrophic climate change.

Two dressed as bishops called on the Church of England to get its act together and take its investments out of fossil fuels. Many churches have already divested, and campaigners were pressing others including the Church of England to do so.

More pictures at ‘BadBoy Borises’ in Global Divestment Day.

Valentine Day – 13 years for Shaker Aamer

Westminster

*A person in an Obama mask has a message for the President, ‘Free Shaker – Yes YOU Can’*

A march from Parliament Square to a rally opposite Downing Street called for the urgent release of London resident Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo, where he arrived has been held and regularly abused for 13 years without charge or trial.

Aamer had been in Afghanistan helping to build a school for an Islamic charity when he was captured by an Afghan militia and sold to US forces for a £5,000 reward. After the US and tortured him, aided by MI5, in Bagram Air Base they illegally rendered him to Guantanamo, on Feb 14, 2002.

*Joy Hurcome holds a Valentine for David Cameron asking him to ‘Show your Love – Free Shaker Aamer’*

There his torture continued – and he was lucky to escape death in 2006 when he was one of four prisoners taken to a special secret interrogation site – and the only one to survive the ordeal.

*Bruce Kent – and a large inflatable Shaker Aamer*

Aamer has permanent resident status in the UK and his British wife and family were living in Battersea, but it was not until 2007 that the UK government began to request his release. And despite doing so, the government also spent over a quarter of a million pounds in legal fees to prevent his legal team gaining access to evidence which might prove his innocence.

The years of torture of him and others at the hands of the US military have failed to come up with any evidence against him, and he was twice cleared for release in 2007 and 2009 – but only if he went to his native Saudi Arabia where he would almost certainly disappear without trace. Both UK and US intelligence agencies are thought to have prevented his release to the UK as the evidence he would give about their use of torture would be highly embarrassing.

*Aisha Maniar, London Guantánamo Campaign organiser*

The protest was the start of a new ‘We Stand With Shaker’ campaign bringing together groups including the Free Shaker Aamer Campaign, the London Guantánamo Campaign, Amnesty International and others. Among the long list of speakers at the rally were Joy Hurcombe of the Free Shaker Aamer Campaign, writer Victoria Brittain, Lindsey German of Stop the War, veteran peace campaigner Bruce Kent of CND, Katie Taylor from Reprieve, Yvonne Ridley, Aisha Maniar from the London Guantánamo Campaign, campaigner Andy Worthington and Joanne MacInnes of We Stand With Shaker.

More at Valentine Day – 13 years for Shaker Aamer.

Venus CuMara Reclaim Love 13 at Eros

Piccadilly Circus

*People in the Reclaim Love Meditation Circle in Piccadilly Circys lift up their arms and chant the mantra*

Venus CuMara’s 13th Reclaim Love Valentine Party at Eros in Piccadilly Circus included bands, dancing and a “Massive Healing Reclaim Love Meditation Circle beaming Love and Happiness and our Vision for world peace out into the cosmos“.

As usual there was a great atmosphere as people came together to share in love and party together in opposition the the huge commercialisation of Valentine’s Day and indeed of love itself. It is nothing to do with money, just about people.

Venus speaks to everyone and tells them to form the Massive Healing Reclaim Love Meditation Circle…

beaming Love and Happiness and our Vision for world peace out into the cosmos and together they chant the mantra: “May All The Beings In All The Worlds Be Happy & At Peace“

After which the music and dancing continued, along with hugging and other activities, and was still continuing when I left for home.

More pictures at Venus CuMara Reclaim Love 13 at Eros.

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New Year Of The Rooster 2005

New Year Of The Rooster: Celebrations in Soho on Sunday 13th February 2005 marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year on the previous Wednesday.

Here’s what I wrote back then, and a few of the pictures – with more of course still on-line on My London Diary.

Chinese New Year

Soho

Sunday 13th London was celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Rooster which started the previous Wednesday. Happy 4702 to all.

As a rooster myself I was pleased to read my horoscope for the coming year. Not that I believe such superstitions for a moment.

I used to enjoy the rather anarchic celebrations in Cinatown, but its now more of and ordeal, with far too many people coming in to watch and too much organisation.

Ken [Livingstone] may be proud of having got something done about Trafalgar Square and be keen to have as many official events with various communities as possible, but it was better when various groups just did what they wanted to.

*Meanwhile, back in Chinatown the real business continues*

This year we had a procession down the Charing Cross Road with crowds penned behind barriers. Spectacle rather than event.

I did the official bit in Trafalgar Square last year – dotting the eyes on the dragons and all, [this year I] decided to give it and those horribly ingratiating speeches from local dignitaries and politicians, all keen to say “kung heI fat choy!”, a miss.

*The Rooster, horoscopes and Lucky Charms*

As you can see, because of the crowds making photographing from any distance difficult I took many of these pictures using a fisheye lens, and had posted them without any attempt at altering the fisheye perspective.

In later years working with fisheye lenses I would probably have used a plugin to reduce the curvature these lenses produce. Unfortunately Imadio who sold the ‘Fisheye-Hemi’ plugin I then used went out of business, and the plugin no longer works, as it was written to check back to their web site every time it was used that I was a registered user. I feel rather cheated having paid for it and no longer being able to use it.

It’s possible to get the same – or similar – results in Photoshop without the plugin, but rather a pain to do so. Photoshop does offer an Adaptive Wide Angle filter, but this seems to produce excessive cropping of the image. Here’s my rough correction of the image above in which the image curvature is less pronounced. But it would be nice to have a plugin or Photoshop action which would do the job properly.

Many more pictures begin here on My London Diary.

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Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus – 2011

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus: The 8th Reclaim Love Valentine Party on Saturday 12th February 2011 was a little different from usual, but like the others called for universal love and peace and opposed the incredible commercialisation of St Valentines Day.

This year 2026, there are plans for another Reclaim Love:-
“You are invited to join us on Saturday February 14th (St. V. Day!) at 2:30pm for a 3:33pm LOVE CIRCLE by Eros in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
YES! It’s back! RECLAIM LOVE!…”

I hope it goes well – and hope to be there.

Before the 2011 party I had photographed a celebration of the success of the Egyptian Revolution in removing President Mubarek. Unfortunately things have not gone well for Egypt in the years since that euphoric moment.

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

Piccadilly Circus & Green Park

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus - 2011 — *Reclaim love presents an alternative to the commercial messages about Valentines day on the hoardings in Piccadilly Circus, watched by Eros and a helicopter far above.*

This was the 8th Annual Reclaim Love Pavement Party, organised by Venus “to celebrate the Greatest thing on Earth and the Greatest thing we have inside…Yes, Love!!!” It almost didn’t happen, but Irish poet and love activist Venus CuMara had been persuaded by many who had come to previous events to arrange another despite feeling she needed to rest. But her incredible energy and spirit shows in the many pictures I made of her at the event.

But Piccadilly Circus where the event was normally held was being reorganised and although the persuasive charms of Venus managed to get the workmen to tidy up the area to make it possible to meet there, holding the great circle which is the climax of the event was impossible.

Instead Venus led the group to a circle of 13 tall plane trees in Green Park for the event, where carefully avoiding the daffodils in the grass the circle was formed.

*Venus says it’s time to go to a very special place*

As well as this giant circle in London there were others forming to chant the same mantra “May All The Beings In All The Worlds Be Happy And At Peace” for around five minutes at the same time, 3.30pm UTC.

In 2010 there had been 7 circles in Ireland, 6 others in England, in Scotland, Wales, Pakistan, 2 in India, 4 in Spain, 2 in Italy, 3 in Germany, Austria, Iceland, France, Brazil, Argentina, 2 in New Zealand, 5 in the USA, Canada and Australia. And in 2011 for the first time there was to be one in Egypt.

After this as people began to party and dance in the centre of the tree circle – carefully avoiding the growing daffodils – two vans full of police drove up. Venus rushed to talk to them and explain what was happening and was told the the event was contravening a number of the bylaws of the Royal Parks, and it did not have the permissions needed.

Eventually Venus managed to convince the police the event was harmless and promised we would all leave the park by 4pm, and the police went away. I heard the officer who had been talking with Venus say to his colleagues: “I really thought I was in a parallel universe there” and indeed he had been.

And we did all leave, returning to continue to party around ‘Eros’ (Yes pedants, I know!). I was sorry to leave after after around half an hour, but the party apparently went on until late.

You can read a much fuller account of the event I wrote in 2011 on My London Diary, where of course there are many more pictures.

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

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Human Rights, Intifada, Copyright & Free Speech: Four protests on Saturday 11th February 2012 all have a connection with with human rights and freedom of expression.

Human Rights, Intifada, Copyright & Free Speech - 2012 — *Muslim women carrying posters for Free Syria*

Amnesty International’s rally was in solidarity with protesters in Syria, Egypt and elsewhere, and the Victory to the Intifada protest outside Marks and Spencers also expressed solidarity with protesters in Syria, Iran and Somalia as well as support for Palestinians.

Recent arrests at protests in the UK are attempting to criminalise any expression of support for the Palestinian Intifada – a word which refers to any resistance by Palestinians to the Israeli occupation, whether violent or non-violent. It remains to be seen whether our courts will throw out their attack on human rights and freedom of expression.

ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, was widely seen as an attempt by major film and music companies, drug manufacturers and other multinationals to infringe fundamental rights including freedom of expression and privacy for their own commercial interests and its ratification was eventually definitively rejected by the EU in July 2012.

Finally I covered a rally by One Law for All defending freedom of expression, called following increasing pressure from Islamists asking for censorship of cartoons, meetings and expressions they regard as blasphemies.

Amnesty Protest For Human Rights

Trafalgar Square

The large rally by Amnesty International was one a number of similar events in major cities across Europe, as well as in Iceland, Morocco, Nepal, Peru and Paraguay and sent thhe message to the people of the Middle East and North Africa that “you are not alone in your struggle. We are with you.”

Large numbers of Syrian protesters formed a circle around a clock tower representing that in Homs, where Clock Square has been at the centre of the protests, and danced around it, waving Syrian freedom flags, and at the rally which followed there were live link ups to protesters in two Syrian towns

There were many Egyptians also present and they and protesters from other countries spoke to an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd in the square.

*Syrians stamp on the face of War Criminal President Asad*

Amnesty Protest For Human Rights

Victory to the Intifada Picket

Marks & Spencers, Oxford St

Victory to the Intifada had been holding regular pickets outside Oxford St flagship store since 2000 and this week were also stressing solidarity with Syrian, Iran and Somalia.

Their protests showing solidarity with Palestine began at the start of the Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000, and have continued once or twice a week since then. The location on the wide pavement here was chosen as M&S is Britain’s largest corporate backer of Zionist initiatives in Israel.

They urged shoppers to oppose British support for Israel and to boycott Israeli goods and support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Victory to the Intifada Picket

Stop ACTA – London Protest

British Music House, Berners St

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was a treaty negotiated in secret talks with little or no public debate between major countries including the United States, the European Community, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada to protect the commercial interests of major film and music companies, drug manufacturers and other multinationals.

During the talks there was little if any representation from the artists and others who actually create the intellectual property from which these companies profit, or from the general public who pay for them.

The protesters say that ACTSA would threaten free speech on the Internet and allow governments too much control over what could be put on the web. It would also make it possible for companies to prevent the making of parodies, which would stop proper creative and critical engagement with cultural works.

The protest was opposite British Music House where the Music Publishers Association, the Performing Rights Society for Music and other groups were based, and was called by an Anonymous group calling themselves ‘Stop Acta For Freedom’ and the ‘Open Rights Group’ and was joined by the ‘Pirate Party UK’. Many of those taking part wore ‘Anonymous’ masks, some with a black pirate eye patch.

*Anti-democratic Corporate domination Technically inept Abomination – ACTA stops life-saving generic drugs for the sake of corporate profit’*

Apart from its effect on web freedom, ACTA would be used to prevent the production of cheap drugs which have a vital role in treating disease in the majority world.

Although quite a few countries initially signed up to ACTA, few ratified it and public pressure finally resulted in it being abandoned. The full European Parliament rejected it in July 2012 by 478 votes to 39.

Stop ACTA – London Protest

Defend Freedom of Expression

Old Palace Yard

*Queen Mary College poster ‘Tolerance of Intolerance is Cowardice’*

I arrived late to join the roughly 500 people listening intently to speeches at the One Law for All rally opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The event like that by Amnesty International was part of a wider international Day of Action For Free Expression, with other events in Melbourne, Brazil, Paris, Gambia, Germany, Warsaw (and elsewhere in Poland), Portugal, South Africa and the US. In the UK the Day of Action was endorsed by nearly 100 groups and individuals including Jessica Ahlquist, Richard Dawkins, Equal Rights Now, Taslima Nasrin, National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies, National Secular Society, Salman Rushdie, Southall Black Sisters, and Peter Tatchell.

I felt that a few of the speakers were taking the opportunity to criticise religions in general and Christianity in particular in something of an anti-religious crusade in a way I felt was unsuitable; as I commented “atheist bigots are surely no more acceptable than religious ones“.

The protest was in response to actions taken by various authorities in this country, including at Queen Mary University and University College London acceding to demands by Islamists for the censorhip of individuals and organisations. We still see this attack on freedom of expression in institutions over this as well as other issues such as trans rights and accusations of anti-semitism by those who oppose Zionism and the activities of the Israeli government.

Defend Freedom of Expression

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No Borders and the West End – 2007

No Borders and the West End: On Saturday 10th February 2007 I went to photograph a protest against our racist, cruel and arbitrary detention of immigrants and asylum seekers at the neighbouring Colnbrook and Harmondsworth detention centres on the Colnbrook By-Pass immediately north of Heathrow Airport – now known as Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre. Like the first protest I covered there in April 2006 it was organised by No Borders, though several later events there were and at Yarls Wood were by Movement for Justice who were taking part in this protest with a Fight Racism! Fight Imprerialism! banner and others.

Harmondsworth (or rather Longford where both centres are located) was only a few miles bike ride from home, and after around an hour I jumped back on my bike, cycled home and took the train into London where I had arranged to meet a friend, I think probably to hand over some material.

We took a wander around Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and other parts of central London before saying goodbye and my making my way to Waterloo Station, photographing a few things on the way.

Here with the usual corrections is what I wrote about the day in 2007 on My London Diary and a few of the pictures with links more.

No Borders Demo at London Detention Centres

Colnbrook & Harmondsworth

No Borders and the West End - 2007 — *Rhythms of Resistance players outside the detention centres – Harmondsworth centre in background.*

I arrived at the detention centres at Harmondsworth (Colnbrook and Harmondsworth are separated only by a narrow private road) just as the people who had come by coach from London marched onto the roadway leading to the two sites, with banners and the street band of Rhythms Of Resistance.

We had come to give support to migrants and refugees, and to demand the closure of detention centres, a stop to deportations and and end to immigration controls.

Since I was last here the windows of the two detention centres seem to have been blocked off, giving them a more sinister appearance, but although those imprisoned within the blocks were not allowed to see us, I imagine they could hear the noise that was being made.

I left after around an hour, when a few people were still arriving. As well as the crowd in the road, there were also a number of people lined up along the main road in front of the two ‘prisons’.

There didn’t seem to be a huge police presence, although probably there were rather more on hand not far away. I left to meet a friend I’d arranged to see in the centre of London.

More pictures

London: West End

*Birthday celebrations at Piccadilly Circus.*

There wasn’t a great deal special happening as I walked through the streets of the West End of London. At Piccadilly Circus we bumped into some people with placards, but they were just celebrating someones birthday.

In Trafalgar Square we found the Biblical Gospel Mission preaching and handing out free bibles, though I told them I had several already at home.

*One of several sculptures and statues I photographed*

More pictures from the West End

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1994 London Colour – City, Limehouse & Canning Town

1994 London Colour – City, Limehouse & Canning Town: More of my colour pictures made in July or the start of August 1994, in the City of London, Limehouse and at the Royal Victoria Dock in Canning Town.

I can no longer remember where I saw this circle of chairs, left after a celebration of some kind. Reflected in the background I can see myself looking in, probably from one of the highwalks in the City, with a whole range of buildings behind me, none of which I can immediately recognise. I am standing in sunlight, which shines on the foreground chairs, but the back of the room is in fluorescent lighting, giving it an unnatural blued-green tint. A single empty glass on the decorated table and a stubbed out cigarette on the floor remain from the earlier gathering.

Fleet Place is immediately east of City Thameslink Station and this is one of London’s private pedestrian areas – like Broadgate and Canary Wharf – where various activities, including photography are not permitted.

I took a few pictures in Fleet Place on several occasions but was usually then approached by the private security men and told that photography was not allowed. But I generally work fairly quickly, though using the panoramic camera is rather slower than a normal camera as it needs careful levelling. But usually by the time I was told I could not take photographs I had already done so and was happy to leave the premises. But I think I took this in rather a hurry and underexposed it – perhaps seeing the man approaching.

*Demolition, Tower Block, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, 1994, 94-803-43*

A skeleton around the spine of a tower block in Limehouse, with the wall paper and paint of the flats that were once attached.

Car Sales, Royal Navy, pub, Salmon Lane, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, 1994, 94-803-44 — *Car Sales, Royal Navy, pub, 53 Salmon Lane, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, 1994, 94-803-44*

Car sales and the typical bunting around them on the corner of Condor Street aand Salmon Lane. The Royal Navy pub at 53 Salmon Lane was open by 1856 but closed permanently in 1999 and was converted into flats four years later.

*Tidal Basin Pumping Station, Tidal Basin Rd, Canning Town, Newham, 1994, 94-803-51*

The Tidal Basin Pumping Station designed by Richard Rogers and built in 1998 is one of the three pumping stations that prevent the former marshy areas to the north of the Royal Docks from flooding, pumping out surface water into the Thames, allowing their redevelopment by the LDDC. It was built in a colourful post-modern fashion in a deliberate attempt to provide a colourful accent in the area.

*Warehouses, Royal Victoria Dock, Canning Town, Newham, 1994, 94-723-25*

The part of the dock in the left foreground has now been built over, but six cranes remain on the dockside.

Royal Victoria Dock, Canning Town, Newham , 1994, 94-803-61 — *Royal Victoria Dock, Canning Town, Newham, 1994, 94-803-61*

Spillers Millenium Mills were “designed and built by millers William Vernon & Sons of West Float, Birkenhead in 1905” and were the last of the large mills built on the dock, following those of the Cooperative Wholesale Society and Joseph Rank. All the mills were damaged by the 1917 Silvertown explosion. Spillers took over the mill in 1920 and rebuilt it “as a 10-storey concrete art deco building in 1933.” Badly damaged by bombing it was again rebuilt after the war, reopening in 1953. The dock closed in 1981, and the other buildings in the picture have since been demolished.

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>Re-PHOTO

March For Our Flag & Chinese New Year – 2007

March For Our Flag – United British Alliance

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Mont Nod and Old York Road – Wandsworth 1990

Alevi, Union Flags, Fuel Poverty & Reclaim Love – 2013

Alevi Protest Discrimination in Turkey & UK

Defend the Union Flag

Fuel Poverty Rally & DAN Roadblock

Reclaim Love Valentines Party

Democracy, Greece & Pakistan – 2015

Occupy Democracy Return

Let Greece Breathe!

Deport Altaf Hussain

Global Divestment, Guantanamo & Venus – 2015

‘Bad Boy Borises’ in Global Divestment Day

Valentine Day – 13 years for Shaker Aamer

Venus CuMara Reclaim Love 13 at Eros

New Year Of The Rooster 2005

Chinese New Year

Bubbles, Hula Hoops, Hugs & Venus – 2011

Reclaim Love Pavement Party

Human Rights, Intifada, Copyright & Free Speech – 2012

Amnesty Protest For Human Rights

Victory to the Intifada Picket

Stop ACTA – London Protest

Defend Freedom of Expression

No Borders and the West End – 2007

No Borders Demo at London Detention Centres

London: West End

1994 London Colour – City, Limehouse & Canning Town