London check-in thread

Thanks Trickers and MB. ?

Stressful indeed. Probably one of the most stressful times of my life. How those poor people felt who lost their businesses I have no idea, my heart really goes out to them.

I find it really difficult to comprehend the thinking behind these mindless acts. I have always been a bit of a secret anarchist (hippy) and I like sticking it to the man, as much as the next fella. [insert innuendo here] but this stuff is just plain thievery and vandalism. I like to see an ideology with my riots. ?

I think that's the key thing here Marc, when people riot with a purpose, an aim, a cause or whatever, whether you agree with it or not, you can understand why they feel so strongly.

But this has no purpose. It's got nothing to do with justice for Mark Duggan's family, it's nothing to do with police brutality, it's got nothing to do with anything - it's just thuggery and vandalism with absolutely no purpose except money and 'stuff'.

This video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITJcparImeQ - which is a bit explicit so click at your own discretion - is an extremely spot on reaction of an elderly black lady from Hackney telling the looters what she thinks of them.

That lady is an inspiration.

She reminds me of my mum. awesome woman.

She is! She also saved a young boy from being mugged even though it ended up with her being pushed against a burning car and hurting her leg. She told the muggers to leave the boy alone and stop making this a black vs white issue. I wish I could believe her words would have some good effect!

I am a strong believer in that individuals can make a difference and I do believe that woman will have made a difference to some in the way they behave.

I know things are no where near as bad in Birmingham as in London however I don't live that far from where the three guys were killed (mowed down by the car). Another person who really spoke out in a amazing way was one the guys Dad's.

My parents had to work hard for everything and struggle. I grew up in the generation where if you worked hard you could acheive anything, I think now there is a whole generation who think they have a right to whatever, ie money, pocessions, respect. However I can see a change talking to many, many parents they are trying to teach there children to respect authority, to work hard and that you don't have a right to whatever you want.

Although things are going to get worse I supect before they get better my gut feeling is that whole communities will stand up to what is going on. I also think there will be a rise in vigilatism. I don't think a few years ago this would have happened. My friend witnessed this on a bus in Brum, a passanger dropped litter and someone asked the person to pick it up, and all the other passengers backed the person up and this lead to the person picking up there litter.

Blonde Viki thanks for posting those pics. I know Tottenham very well and felt like crying when I saw what was happening to it. My mum lives near Seven Sisters and I know the retail park very well. I was raised in Tottenham and to see it broken like that breaks my heart. Its taken years to build it up and now they have gone and trashed it again. I don't think it is a black and white thing but some people are making it that - which makes me very sad. I was glued to the telly all week and it was like watching a horror show on Monday night.

It seems a lot calmer now though. I love London! Don't trash it!

It's awful isn't it? People keep complaining that we don't have many good shops around here but they won't come if this is what they think will happen to them!

I was thankful that they didn't trash the area on the high road outside the Tesco, as it's just been repaved, new benches, planted new trees and modern new bus stops. I doubt the council would have been in a hurry to replace them if they'd been vandalised.

I was really upset to walk about here and look at the retail park too - there were so many people just standing around not knowing what to say on Sunday morning. It just took all words away to look at it.

I'm so glad it's beginning to look like it's over and going out to help people clean up was really lovely - nothing like a disaster to get the British community spirit going. I think that is what I'm trying to focus on now.

What an absolute chuffing legend that woman is! Thanks for posting that AJ x