Wednesday, October 25, 2006
My Neighbour's Child
Reporter: Phoebe, aged 10,
Interviewee: Brian Haw
Date: 25/10/2006
Duration: 3-3:30p.m.
Location: Parliament Square, London
Brian has been protesting about the Iraq war outside the Houses of Parliament, for more than five years. He's there all day and night in all weathers.
"My Neighbour's Child"
Phoebe: When did you start?
Brian: June 2nd 2001
Phoebe: What made you want to protest?
Brian: Phoebe did, I didn't even know her, but I did know you are as precious as my own little girl. Love your neighbour as yourself, love your neighbour's child as your own. That's what Jesus tells me. Whatever the colour of your skin, the country you live in, your race or religion. Love is the answer, not hate. Peace not war, truth not lies, giving not stealing, that is the path to peace.
Phoebe: Why did you choose Parliament Square?
Brian; Because that's where God told me to go. Parliament, our country is murdering my neighbours, their babies and children in other countries. It's wicked it has to stop.
Phoebe: Do you sleep here?
Brian: Yes, sometimes, on Saturday morning I slept under the green plastic. At 3:00 o'clock in the morning, and at five o'clock in the naughty Inspector Fox comes to steal the babies washing. Baby clothes looking like blood, because when you drop bombs, you kill everybody, babies as well. It's horrible isn't it? Bread not bombs. Welfare not Warfare. Spend money on schools, hospitals and houses, not destroying other people's schools, hospitals and houses in other countries. Naughty Inspector Fox drags me away in handcuffs. Stop bombing babies, send a bad policeman to put me in a cell. Who's the criminal? A woman was here she tore down the rainbow peace flags and Picasso's peace dove. Stop torture, protect humans and bloody babies washing. Bush and Blair and Britain and America's dirty washing. Naughty Inspector Fox arrested me because he said the washing upset the woman. Did the Peace flag upset her? and Picasso's Peace Dove as well? Are the mum's and dad's in Iraq upset at their poor bombed babies? Who is the criminal? Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair, Britain, America, this lady and naughty Inspector Fox or me?
Phoebe: What do you do when it rains?
Brian: I use an umbrella. What happens when bombs fall is an umbrella any good for that? Nearly five and a half years, in all weathers. I'm here because it's much harder for other people, when we bomb them and shoot missiles and bullets and horrible things.
Phoebe: Do you have a family?
Yes wife and seven children, Judge says I'm divorced. I'm more upset at other fathers and husbands and people losing their family to war forever.
Phoebe: Do you make all your posters?
Brian: I've done loads of posters over five years. Banners and poster in 23 different languages, different languages are good, Police stole my posters. visit my website http://www.parliament-square.org.uk/ You'll see naughty police man walking off with my teddy bears at 3:00 on 28th May this year. They stole our display. Police shouldn't steal should they? We're going to get it back, but just watch and see where it turns up first. All 45 metres of it.
Phoebe: How do you wash?
Brian: I wash with water, have one shower every 8 days, whether I need it or not. Children and people in Iraq hardly ever wash in clean water. There is no clean water. We destroyed it all, We made it all dirty. The temperature goes up to 60ºC in Iraq. They need water, they need food, they need Peace, they need love, they're dying. Are we going to help them before it's too late. That's why I'm here, because it's very urgent. And my neighbour's girl should be loved like mine, and you sweet Phoebe. Am I right? Let's do it now!!
Phoebe: What do you do in winter when it gets cold?
Brian: I get cold, but not as cold as the people in the mountains in Pakistan when they had the earthquake or Afghanistan in the mountains where we are bombing them in their villages.
Phoebe: Do you want more people in Britain to stand up against War?
Brian: Yes 60 million, am I greedy? Because we are each responsible, am I my brother's keeper, or my brother's babies bomber. This is done in our name folks. We have to stand up and say "Not in our Name".
Monday, October 23, 2006
HIGGY
Hi, my name is Higgy.
dear diary,
I had better start by introducing everyone. firstly my mother her name is Gretel. she has long wavy golden hair and eyes as blue as the sky on a sunny day. Mama's skin is as white and pure as fresh milk. She is small. My father is also small though taller than mama. He is called Hansel. He has grey eyes like a cloudy sky before rain and hair as black as night. Papa's skin is tanned brown. My oldest sister is called Marie. She has hair as golden as my mother's but eyes like papa's. My other older sister is Coriander. She has hair and skin like papa but eyes that are green. I have inherited my grandmother's red curly hair and grandpa's green as grass eyes. My older brother is called Colin or Col. He has hair like me, eyes like my mama and skin like papa. My younger brother and sister are called Hansel and Gretel also and look like me. That is our large family.
We live in the English countryside in a small cottage near Reading. It is late afternoon and the light is fading. We just finished having tea. The kitchen is all warm and cosy. The windows and doors are all tightly secured against the wind and rain, the lamps are lit and mama is making supper. We are going to have our Sunday roast on Friday because it is so cold. Hansel has just come in with Col and Corey. Gretel starts howling as her crib near the fire is buffeted by the wind blowing through the door. Col draws close the door and I jump up to close the curtains. Next minute papa walks in and Gretel howls even louder. Marie comforts Gretel and I take papa's clothes and shoes and put them on the side of the fire and pass him is warmed slippers.
We eat supper and then mama sends me to put Gretel to bed. Col to is sent up to bed. Next minute Corey comes up with Marie and Hansel. We all have to get into our beds and huddle under the bed clothes. The fires are lit upstairs to until mama and papa come up to bed. Gretel, mama and papa sleep in one room while Hansel, Colin, Corey, Marie and I sleep in another room. We are all asleep in moments.
dear diary,
Next morning papa and I went too milk the cows before climbing back into bed and falling asleep again. We finally get up at 9:00 am. we eat breakfast and then I put Gretel in her crib. Papa is going to town to sell our fruit and veg. Mama is taking Marie and Corey to a party. Colin is doing farm stuff so I am stuck looking after baby Gretel.
I am going to boarding school. Mama says to not let them make me all horrid and stuck up. I'm leaving our comfy,cosy pretty, cottage for a whole month. I have quite a nice school uniform. It's a white blouse, blue pleated skirt(imagine wearing a skirt), blue blazer, grey v-neck, white socks, blue shoes and straw hat(for walking in town when I'm in school uniform) for normal school times and for sports: blue skirt, white blouse, v-neck(in winter)and trainers.
dear diary,
I am here. I have eaten supper: horrid, burnt pasta, droopy salad and mouldy fruit. Everyone cried as I left. We have unpacked and apparently our matron is nice but very strict. The beds are hard and thin. My dormitory contains 8 small hard beds with 8 chest of drawers next to each one. Must go.
dear diary,
Breakfast is just as bad as supper: porridge with stale milk on top.
last night I heard a funny noise and found some hidden money.
dear diary,
I had better start by introducing everyone. firstly my mother her name is Gretel. she has long wavy golden hair and eyes as blue as the sky on a sunny day. Mama's skin is as white and pure as fresh milk. She is small. My father is also small though taller than mama. He is called Hansel. He has grey eyes like a cloudy sky before rain and hair as black as night. Papa's skin is tanned brown. My oldest sister is called Marie. She has hair as golden as my mother's but eyes like papa's. My other older sister is Coriander. She has hair and skin like papa but eyes that are green. I have inherited my grandmother's red curly hair and grandpa's green as grass eyes. My older brother is called Colin or Col. He has hair like me, eyes like my mama and skin like papa. My younger brother and sister are called Hansel and Gretel also and look like me. That is our large family.
We live in the English countryside in a small cottage near Reading. It is late afternoon and the light is fading. We just finished having tea. The kitchen is all warm and cosy. The windows and doors are all tightly secured against the wind and rain, the lamps are lit and mama is making supper. We are going to have our Sunday roast on Friday because it is so cold. Hansel has just come in with Col and Corey. Gretel starts howling as her crib near the fire is buffeted by the wind blowing through the door. Col draws close the door and I jump up to close the curtains. Next minute papa walks in and Gretel howls even louder. Marie comforts Gretel and I take papa's clothes and shoes and put them on the side of the fire and pass him is warmed slippers.
We eat supper and then mama sends me to put Gretel to bed. Col to is sent up to bed. Next minute Corey comes up with Marie and Hansel. We all have to get into our beds and huddle under the bed clothes. The fires are lit upstairs to until mama and papa come up to bed. Gretel, mama and papa sleep in one room while Hansel, Colin, Corey, Marie and I sleep in another room. We are all asleep in moments.
dear diary,
Next morning papa and I went too milk the cows before climbing back into bed and falling asleep again. We finally get up at 9:00 am. we eat breakfast and then I put Gretel in her crib. Papa is going to town to sell our fruit and veg. Mama is taking Marie and Corey to a party. Colin is doing farm stuff so I am stuck looking after baby Gretel.
I am going to boarding school. Mama says to not let them make me all horrid and stuck up. I'm leaving our comfy,cosy pretty, cottage for a whole month. I have quite a nice school uniform. It's a white blouse, blue pleated skirt(imagine wearing a skirt), blue blazer, grey v-neck, white socks, blue shoes and straw hat(for walking in town when I'm in school uniform) for normal school times and for sports: blue skirt, white blouse, v-neck(in winter)and trainers.
dear diary,
I am here. I have eaten supper: horrid, burnt pasta, droopy salad and mouldy fruit. Everyone cried as I left. We have unpacked and apparently our matron is nice but very strict. The beds are hard and thin. My dormitory contains 8 small hard beds with 8 chest of drawers next to each one. Must go.
dear diary,
Breakfast is just as bad as supper: porridge with stale milk on top.
last night I heard a funny noise and found some hidden money.
