Phil Briscoe - on poppies and fences
Remembrance Sunday saw seven church services across Tower Hamlets, and Tuesday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
It is heartening that attendance at services is not declining, nor is the appetite for supporting the Royal British Legion and the thousands of volunteers who give their time to sell poppies.
To echo public gratitude, Mayor Boris Johnson announced that all war veterans would be eligible for free travel in London.
Around 3,000 London veterans and widows do not qualify for a freedom pass, so this initiative is welcome news. However, this policy is about more than just free travel, it is about the way we treat and respect those who have risked everything for our country and freedoms.
One day each year we unite to remember the fallen, but on the other 364 days we should not forget those who have served, or are serving, in the forces.
Back to local issues, and the case of the mysteriously appearing fence.
The plan (allegedly) was to erect a fence on the Quarterdeck, Westferry Road, to stop motorbikes racing across the pedestrianised area.
The result is a dangerous fence with only one gate that is still big enough to drive a motorbike – and sidecar – through. The missing ingredient – any public or resident involvement in the decision, design or construction of the fence.
Given that Tower Hamlets Council is pursuing an anti-gating policy for private developments, it seems odd that One Housing residents should wake up one morning and find themselves behind bars.
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