Q-Continuum

Have you ever been subject to a barrage of abuse for something over which you have absolutely no control?

I was in Bristol today and was near their main shopping centre (Broadmead) which is in the process of being knocked down and redeveloped into a new and improved version called the Cabot centre. I was aware the name was a contentious choice but wasn't prepared for the strength of feeling exhibited today.

As I walked down the road, a man was dodging from person to person coming towards me. By the time I had drawn level with him he was shouting abuse a a woman who was clearly shaken by events. I spoke to him and it became clear he was objecting to the name Cabot.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked trying to defuse the situation.. I soon heard. Cabot was a Bristol trader and explorer and (in common with many people in the city at the time) made some but not all of his money from the slave trade. I was apparently complicit with his actions for not being opposed to the use of his name. After a couple of minutes the woman and I managed to get away from the abuse being hurled at us.

I remember him shouting after us that "we were part of the nation that enslaved his forefathers and therefore kidnapped him, burned their homes and killed their children." Not a pleasant experience at all.

Having got home I turned on the television to see the most horrific scenes I had seen for many years. A young man in Nigeria who's only crime was apparently belonging to the wrong tribe being hacked to death by men weilding machettis. The nearby aid centre had been burned to the ground and one woman who escaped a burning house had her child taken from her and thrown back into the burning building.

I know I'm in a sensitive area and I would be the last person to justify any aspect of the slave trade, but I couldn't help but think that my Bristol friend hasn't got the problems faced by thousands today in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa.

I for one will be focusing on what can be done to solve the latter rather than worrying too much about what we call a shopping centre.

New Year seems to have a naturally inbuilt element of anti-climax to it, at least for me. After a busy ten days I've spent today just winding down. Oddly though it feels like I wasted the day. I have a fair amount to get on with but just couldn't work up the effort to do anything.

I'm still looking for a local piano teacher as I'm determined to improve my playing over the next year for starters. I'm also taking a new OU course later in the year so perhaps it's just making the most of the down time I have at present.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more active. Thanks to those of you who have sent me a 'welcome back' message they were much appreciated.

Well the 1st January seems as good a day as any for a new start.

As explanation for my old blog friends the middle to end of 2007 was hell on toast. A cancer diagnosis (now controlled) and a really nasty car accident that put me in hospital for 5 months. But thats behind me now and it's time to get on with things I think.

I have been able to read your blogs even when I couldn't type things up (or when I really didn't feel up to it) so I have kept up to speed and hope to catch up with you all.

For those of you who retained me as a friend during my absence, thank you so much. Hopefully I will be back on line and writing again - lots to catch up with.

If anyone is still in contact with Menomama who's blog seems to have disappeared I'd really appreciate a pointer in the correct direction as I miss reading her blog.