pumpkinstrokemarrow

This prompted by the various ceremonies to mark the land-grab of 1948. The impression is given that the objective is to complete the grab by driving out the Palestinians and getting the rest of the West Bank. According to a writer in the Independant, at least one West Bank settlement - aka fortified village on a hill top somewhere - presumably not being connected to proper drains - sees fit to pump its sewage onto the neighbouring Palestinian land, thus contaminating their water supplies. She also reports that, having reported this once, she was the recipient of a good deal of unpleasant mail. It seems that Jews outside Israel can be a good deal more Zionist than those inside, where sensible press discussion of the treatment of Palestinians is normal - although not yet translated into sensible treatment.

I wonder that arrangements are being made for fair sharing of the water from the Jordan - which presumably rises in the Lebanon or Syria. I seem to recall that Israeli farming and lifestyle is burning up the aquifers (rather as they are in Californnia. Growing lettuces in the desert maybe not too clever in this eco-sensitive age) and that water rights will, one day, become a big deal. Presumably hard-core response would be deemed appropriate if the owners of the head waters decided to build a dam on the border.

Depressing how so much can turn on the fate of a relatively small number of people. As in Norther Ireland, the amount of trouble is out of all proportion to the numbers - the exact size of which is, however, reasonably contentious. So while not disputing that there were a lot more Palestinians than Jews in Palestine in 1948, it seems that the numbers of both Arabs and Jews in the coastal strip grew rapidly between the two wars, with Mandate area industrialisation (perhaps the Mandate was not all bad) sucking in lots of Arab immigrants from the surrounding countries which, along with the Mandate, had been created after the First World War from what had been the Ottoman Empire and which, hitherto, had been rather richer than Palestine. Giving rise to the specious argument that the Arabs had no more right to Palestine than the Jews, having arrived there at about the same time.

On a slightly more cheerful note, the TLS reports that some Palestinian energies - being denied the outlets available to first class citizens - have been channelled into football, this being part of the reconstruction by the winning side after the 1948 war of independance. The Palestinians being football nuts in consequence. Even to the point of having multi racial football teams. I am reminded of the sports clubs in dying days of the Austrian Empire which became the form of national expression permitted to minorities. Overt political activity was forbidden but they could hardly forbid people joining sports clubs. Up the Sokols! I am also reminded of being told by an old comrade (who was married, as it happens, to a concentration camp survivor), many years ago, how saddened he had been when the Israeli communist party split into Jewish and Arab wings. It seems that the party had been one of the last political organisations so to do.

Yesterday was a day for urban walk. From Waterloo East to the Globe theatre, then back to Waterloo, the last section along the beach, where we came across the first sand castles I have ever seen on the foreshore below the Festival Hall. Serious bunch with their own web site (http://www.dirtybeach.tv/). A first also for the tv domain name which I had not come across before. I assumed that tv was for TV but Mr G tells me otherwise - tv for Tuvalu, an island in the South Pacific somewhere which has been colonised by media flavoured activity. Sand felt a bit gritty to me for serious sand sculpture but these chaps seemed to be doing OK. Maybe I will assay a drip castle one day.

Continued West through various entertainments (which could become tiresome if one saw too much of them. And I wish they would get rid of the public space Dali stuff. He does not wear at all well) to the St George's Wharf development - which seemed much grander and impressive from the inside, along the river walk, than it does from Vauxhall bridge. I wonder how well all that expensive red stone will wear? Is it real or is it some composite shipped in from China? Pushed on towards Battersea Park, through a nest of alternative life style types living in barges - some of which were the cargo sort rather than the living sort. Had to leave the river to get around various industrial wrecks in and around the power station - which must be the last vestige of pre-war industry in this part of London. Got a new view of the power station over a wall. Again, actually looked quite impressive, sticking up in the middle of a swathe of cleared land. More so than from at a distance. Might even revise my view that they might as well knock the thing down as have it stand empty for another fifty years!

Finally made it to the park which was in very fine fettle. Lots of people, very jolly. Did not seem quite as poseur-full as Hyde Park. Just people out on a nice day, wer'n't there to show off particularly - although there was some interesting clothing. Panini in the cafe - the panini being rather better than I remembered. Good texture and flavour. But then the cafe staff appeared to be Italian so perhaps they knew. And finally made it to Clapham Junction, it having decided not to have a thunderstorm, despite getting hit by some very large rain drops, often an augury of much worse to follow.

Not a bad day out for £6.50 per head plus half as much again for teas. Plus the cost of our picnic - which last we noticed seemed to be very much the preserve of people our own age. Youth must prefer buying to carrying.