Waving from London: A Diary of the Wave March on 5 December 2009

by Anne Vivienne Power

Successfully home after a very long day. Planned to be up at 6.30 but woke at 6 am. Put Green Party labels on my shopping trolley in the extra time.   Filled it with waterproofs and food and caught the tram with not a second of waiting.

Delighted to meet my friend the Education Officer of The Library Theatre Company and her partner, who turns out to be another graphic designer.

Was in perfect time for the train and slept happily all the way. Greeted Oaken (child of first green councillor in Manchester) with his father which was an important moment for us.

We had coaches to Park Lane and I sat in sunny Grosvenor Square while everyone gathered and got revved up.

Got cross as in previous Climate Change marches when young groups push in at the last minute. Feeling extremely vulnerable on my legs makes me trebly sensitive to it; I am 78 on 8th December and waiting for two hip replacements.

There was a posh group of " World Carbon Traders" I took agin in a big way.

In a little while I hitched a lift in an Oxfam rickshaw and took it easy all the way to Big Ben, when I felt morally obliged to walk on the WAVE route round Parliament, just as fine rain started. I managed most of the route with increasingly frequent pauses to sit on my stool, but gave up near Waterloo Station and took the tube back to Euston.

I fell in with a family from Kingston on Thames Green Party. I lived there for 11 years way back. Otherwise I saw no GP banners or people. I guess that only shows the size of the march.

I hope so.

Very glad I decided to go knowing that I wouldn't manage any leafleting in Hulme as originally hoped.

As I left Piccadilly Station I heard that Climate Camp had set up.