Saturday, last in Suffolk – I caught a little pike here just as the sun was fading. A nearby local authority is obviously still diverting excessive amounts of water in spite of the recent down pours. If no one fished these waters I don’t believe a single voice would be raised for the fish. I am thinking of the current state of this river as another example of the insidious way that corporate bodies in both the public and private sectors spoil our habitat. I don’t suppose that many of the hundreds of ramblers who walk the banks of this water see the decline in the water. Why would they? Two miles down stream from where the photograph was taken is the famous Flatford mill, depicted by Constable. The light here is wonderful and magical in the evenings. I have never seen any thing quite like it anywhere else. The skies are almost always, immense and beautiful. No wonder Constable loved to paint here.
Bartholomew Gosnold was born in Grundisburgh, Suffolk in 1571. Bartholomew made his first voyage to the New World in a tiny ship called Concord; it was on this voyage that he named Cape Cod and, further south, found a single small island which, in memory of his little daughter, he named Martha’s Vineyard. After obtaining a charter from King James 1 in 1604 for a ‘Virginia Company’ to settle Virginia, Bartholomew began putting together another expedition and, in 1606, he sailed as second-in-command of a fleet of three ships - Discovery, Susan Constant and his own ship, Godspeed. They landed on May 13th 1607 and named their settlement Jamestown in honour of the king. Many settlers died, including Bartholomew
himself, who died of dysentery in August of that year. Thanks to Bartholomew Gosnold and other brave adventurers Jamestown and other settlements were established and in future years others would come with their families and build on those foundations to make the USA into the country it is today. Little could they have known of the awesomely negative impact their decendants and allies would unleash on the world in our time, in the name of democracy.

As I write this I am hearing news of a savage car bombing that has taken place in Iraq. The death toll and injured list is appalling and it seems that things are escalating down hill at a fantastic pace. No one seems to have much control over any thing. Recently I saw coverage of a Government seminar on how to de radicalise young Muslims. Through out the entire proceedings Government foreign policy was never suggested as a possible cause for radicalisation of young Muslims. While this colonial idea of self-righteousness prevails we will see no peace.

Finally – back to the state of our habitat. On Sunday, all being well, Ramblin’ and I plan to ride out to the Climate Camp at Heathrow Airport. We feel the First Supperists should be represented and there can surely be no better way to arrive there than by bicycle. See you there ?


copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2007