I'm writing for yesterday and then today is a day off right? Being Sunday and all :-)
Yesterday was looong. I'd worked in the pub Friday night and didn't finish till 2. It was quite fun but fairly non-stop for 8 hours. I'd been thinking about quitting alcohol for lent, but I think that's impossible while working in a pub where people often buy the bar staff drinks! So yes, a few shots of Tuaca were consumed (it tastes like pudding in a glass!). Anyways, yep Friday night did not offer much time for sleeping as I was up early to catch a train to London on Saturday morning.
I've mentioned before that I'm taking part in a couple of writing projects at the moment. One of them is called 'One Way Ticket'. I, along with 7 other 'emerging young writers' are involved in the research and development stage of creating a show for 8-1-yearolds about the scandal of children in care being sent from the UK to Australia (and Canada and Zimbabwe) during the 20th century. It's mad that a lot of people still don't know anything about this - it was purposely kept under wraps as well known charities, churches and the government all had a hand in it. Literally thousands of children who were being looked after by the state, were sent on boats to the other side of the world with promises of a better life. Their parents were told they'd been adopted by other families (in England, NOT Australia!), and children were told their parents had died. Lies lies lies all round. And why? Because the Australian government was scared of being invaded, worried about their low population numbers, and determined to 'whiten up'; the country. Yeh crazy.
Once there, the children were brought up in institutions where they were often abused and mistreated. They grew up with no sense of identity and belonging. Messed up, yes. Individual childhoods stolen because of panic decisions made by people in authority. Whole lives affected and tainted by being separated from mums and dads and sisters and brothers.
If you've watched the film 'Oranges and Sunshine' you'll know that a husband and wife who were both social workers uncovered what had gone on, and started going over to Australia to meet with these now grown up child migrants, and ultimately began helping them find their families back in England. It's unbelievable how difficult it was for them to get support from the government to do this, despite the role that the British government played in the whole affair. Eventually Gordon Brown did offer an official apology and recognition of what had been done, but this was only a few years ago.
Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting Mervyn Humphreys, one half of the couple who set up the Child Migrants Trust, to support and help child migrants. He was very unassuming, very 'normal' - well perhaps slightly eccentric - and you'd almost never know what a huge difference him and his wife have made to thousands of people. They've devoted their lives to the cause. I'm sure they're far from perfect, but really, they're heroes, and an inspiration to uncover truth, fight for justice, and respect each individual.
Yesterday was looong. I'd worked in the pub Friday night and didn't finish till 2. It was quite fun but fairly non-stop for 8 hours. I'd been thinking about quitting alcohol for lent, but I think that's impossible while working in a pub where people often buy the bar staff drinks! So yes, a few shots of Tuaca were consumed (it tastes like pudding in a glass!). Anyways, yep Friday night did not offer much time for sleeping as I was up early to catch a train to London on Saturday morning.
I've mentioned before that I'm taking part in a couple of writing projects at the moment. One of them is called 'One Way Ticket'. I, along with 7 other 'emerging young writers' are involved in the research and development stage of creating a show for 8-1-yearolds about the scandal of children in care being sent from the UK to Australia (and Canada and Zimbabwe) during the 20th century. It's mad that a lot of people still don't know anything about this - it was purposely kept under wraps as well known charities, churches and the government all had a hand in it. Literally thousands of children who were being looked after by the state, were sent on boats to the other side of the world with promises of a better life. Their parents were told they'd been adopted by other families (in England, NOT Australia!), and children were told their parents had died. Lies lies lies all round. And why? Because the Australian government was scared of being invaded, worried about their low population numbers, and determined to 'whiten up'; the country. Yeh crazy.
Once there, the children were brought up in institutions where they were often abused and mistreated. They grew up with no sense of identity and belonging. Messed up, yes. Individual childhoods stolen because of panic decisions made by people in authority. Whole lives affected and tainted by being separated from mums and dads and sisters and brothers.
If you've watched the film 'Oranges and Sunshine' you'll know that a husband and wife who were both social workers uncovered what had gone on, and started going over to Australia to meet with these now grown up child migrants, and ultimately began helping them find their families back in England. It's unbelievable how difficult it was for them to get support from the government to do this, despite the role that the British government played in the whole affair. Eventually Gordon Brown did offer an official apology and recognition of what had been done, but this was only a few years ago.
Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting Mervyn Humphreys, one half of the couple who set up the Child Migrants Trust, to support and help child migrants. He was very unassuming, very 'normal' - well perhaps slightly eccentric - and you'd almost never know what a huge difference him and his wife have made to thousands of people. They've devoted their lives to the cause. I'm sure they're far from perfect, but really, they're heroes, and an inspiration to uncover truth, fight for justice, and respect each individual.
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