A Friday afternoon teaser for everyone:
Question: where do you think the photograph of this new sign was taken (click on the photo for a better look)?
(Scroll down if you want the answer).
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Answer: It’s on the start of the Greenway walking path. Right by Wick Lane. Near to the Olympic Stadium. In Fish Island. Which is in Bow.
So why is the sign pointing tourists away from Bow and sending them to Stratford? And telling them that Bow is 1.75miles away when it is in Bow? Others further along the Greenway also send walkers and cyclists on a wild goose chase. Crikey, what’s wrong with Bow?
Here’s what the Olympic Delivery Authority told me: “The Greenway is not our responsibility.”
Tower Hamlets Council’s planning department told me they gave planning permission for the signs to be erected, but what was written on them was someone else’s fault.
Here’s what Tower Hamlets Council’s press office told me: “The signs have been developed and supplied by the ODA’s Greenway Project. The Greenway Project is a scheme to improve the link to Victoria Park. We had identified that there are some issues with the signs and are working with the ODA to rectify this. The ODA are responsible for the signs. We are out checking the signs.”
And these people are organising next year’s Games….
P.S. What is it about people who hang carrier bags of dog dirt on railings?
Trial by Jeory 
There are any number of these Ted, tiny little signs that make one think of a person who has for instance arrived from another country with the intention of finding a major landmark in Tower Hamlets and then wanders around lost until, by chance , stumbling on one.
Of more importance is the debate on what should be the attitude to the proposed EDL march in Tower Hamlets in September. I support the Hope not Hate position, which seems to be the one supported by the reasonable elements, that it should be banned. The SWP controlled UAF and the more extreme Muslim elements around the ELM and IFE seem to be spoiling for a fight. Time for a debate I think.
I was amused to see the grammar of the lavishly funded Operation Black Vote on this matter which can be viewed at http://www.obv.org.uk. Interestingly the link doesn’t seem to go anywhere either
Would you criticise the IFE for the ‘My Neighbours Project’ which starts today at Toynbee Hall, as reported in the ELA:
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/muslims_urged_to_open_their_doors_to_neighbours_in_faith_project_1_964100
Volunteering in soup kitchens, BBQ’s, walks and “encouraging Muslims to open up their homes to their non-Muslim neighbours” is a great initiative, especially here in TH in advance of the proposed EDL march. Find out for yourself ‘Imran’ at the Inter-Faith talk tonight in Stepney at the Latimer Church, Ernest St and in the two weeks of events “to bring the community closer together.” The “debate” you are calling for on the other hand sounds divisive, and rather Fitzpatrick-alike with the OBV mention.
(Oh, Ted, is it true that Graham Taylor, Chair of TH Labour Party, has resigned?)
I wouldn’t criticise the ‘My Neighbours Project’ but I would say it is a cynical PR move. The IFE has spent years trying to create space between Muslims and non-Muslims. They have encouraged the strengthening of a Muslim identity based on the differences between Muslims and others – through dress codes, the separation of children from their peers through hours and hours of Arabic/Q’uran classes and admonishments not to attend birthday parties, discouraging socialising at many community events, and in cases I know of, literally telling Muslim women not to interact with their neighbours. Now they are encouraging people to interact- not as neighbours, but as ‘Muslims’ engaging with ‘non-Muslims’ in an act of ‘interfaith dialogue’ – in some ways this is designed to make the gulf even wider.
I rather think that this IFE initiative is an attempt to clean up their image with some very gullible people. I had an email of these events forwarded to me and it looks pretty ecumenical and right on but I wonder of any of the people concerned know of the extremism of the IFE. One born every minute as they say.
The debate about the proposed EDL march is of great concern and I am surprised that Ted hasn’t done anything on it so far. Wherever the EDL have marched there has been trouble and legally, and I speak as a lawyer, there are more than enough grounds for the event to be banned as the main anti fascist group in the country Hope Not Hate are calling for.
I have no idea what ” Fitzpatrick-alike” means. Could you please expand and give us your views on my proposals for banning the EDL event?
There have been a few things going on in my day job that I have to worry about Imran. You should write something….email me with your credentials.
So it was ok for you to take the time out of your busy schedule to blog about a stupid sign and you took the time to find out what the ODA and the council had to say about a SIGN!!!
Hmmmmm – glad to know your priorities, being the man who watches over east London politics, are in order!!!
Getting back to the story – maybe there are some of us in Bow who are happy for the area to be an exclusive little secret 😉
Rachel,
I think you should critcise the IFE for the neighbours programme because it simply PR and nothing else and I am wondering just how many people have bought it, not too many I hope. On the IFE site there are a group of the usual suspects including Rushanara Ali.
I wasn’t too surprised to see her there as she is vulnerable to the IFE block vote. Lutfur Rahman wants
, as I have blogged here before, to be re-admitted to the Labour Party to get rid of Ms Ali and get the nomination for her seat.
She is vulnerable to the IFE fundamentalist element because of her lifestyle as a non, seemingly, observant woman as well as her somewhat unconventional prior arrangement with a current leading non Bangladeshi member of Tower Hamlets Labour Party and councillor.
Perhaps deals are being done.
Also today I understand that the IFE/HuT front Iengage has been dumped by the government. Perhaps things are looking up.