photographs by Jean Kirkpatrick rscj

What a wonderful experience, to be amongst 250,000 people walking along Princes Street in Edinburgh while lots of others just looked on. I was up with my sister that day and so was able to take the local bus into Edinburgh on Saturday morning and walk across Holyrood Park to get to the Meadows, where we had been asked to assemble. It was a glorious day and on my way, I passed the new parliament building which has been criticised so much. I found it very striking and pleasing to the eye, but because of the G8 meetings, we were not allowed anywhere near. Police were everywhere.

Between 10-12 am, the Meadows filled with a vast crowd all dressed in white, and in carnival mood. There were people of all ages, a few in wheelchairs gallantly pushed by relatives, and two elderly women pushing bikes beside me. I wondered how many small children got lost.  We were entertained with speeches, music, and all sorts of diversions.  I heard the Moderator of the Church of Scotland and our Scottish Cardinal, O'Brien, followed by some actor from Lord of the Rings, who got a great welcome. Moving off was very slow, but very well organised and everyone was waving a banner. Mine was from Oxfam as being not too large and unwieldy. It was great to be part of that huge crowd walking down to Princes Street, The castle was draped with a huge MAKE POVERTY HISTORY banner. I broke ranks in Princes Street and stayed to watch the people pass for an hour, thinking I might see the contingent from Leeds or other RSCJ, but it was impossible.

What struck me at first was what a very "white" group we were. It is true there was a great banner saying ?Make Mugabe History", led by a man, presumably from Zimbabwe and backed up by drums playing African music, and another African with his banners all saying "Leave it to the Africans". The main message I picked up was the need to make it possible for individual Africans to start their own businesses and to change the world's trading practices so that Africans can sell their goods and benefit their economy. It was just so good to be part of a crowd, full of goodwill and happiness, from all over Britain wanting to make a difference to the lives of people in Africa, knowing that that may mean changes to our own life styles.

Vivien Bowman rscj
Province of England ? Wales