ROTHERHAM DIVERSITY FESTIVAL

Watch live on Sunday on the Community Stage, Rotherham Show.

“A street scene in Pushkar for a religious festival, some of my dad’s WWII pics, street musicians in India and music by me on acoustic guitar.”

My trip to London

Maya Tewari Bull 

Age 7 yrs

Yesterday we went to the train station and Elina met us there. Then we all got on the train and we got out some fun activities. When we got there we got to the Youth Hostel and we unloaded our bags and went to the British Museum. We went to London with Elina, Chloe, Joe and Aniya and the Mums. The Dads didn’t come because they were at work. Elina and Chloe are my friends from school. I’ve known Chloe since I was a baby and I’ve known Elina since I was 3. I loved the British Museum and I enjoyed going on the tube. Outside the British Museum we spotted the five golden objects. We saw a real sarcophagus where when they had found it, it had a real Egyptian mummy in it! We also found a stone snake that we are not sure if it was made out of jade. I don’t think that it was made out of jade because it was stone that had mosaics put on it. 

As well, we went to Hyde Park and got wet in the Diana Memorial Fountain. The next day we went to the Natural History Museum. When we walked in we saw a stegosaurus skeleton and it was the most complete one in the world. Then we went up an escalator that had a tunnel that was made to look like Mars. When we got up the escalator we were in the planets and space part. We had a look around and saw some real asteroids that had been found on Earth in lots of different places. Then we went into a room that was a pretend shop and it made the room shake like an earthquake. When we came out of the room we saw lots of special stones and then we went to the dinosaur part. In the dinosaur part we saw lots of dinosaur skeletons and we spotted a real T-Rex skeleton and another stegosaurus one. Once we came out of the dinosaur part everyone was starving so we went to get some food in the café.

Then everyone got five pounds to spend in the dinosaur shop. I got a ‘dot to dot’ book and a little diary. Next we came out of the Natural History Museum and we went to Green Park and we saw Buckingham Palace and we were in Trafalgar Square. When we were in Green Park, me and my friends all played with the frisbee while the Mums were sitting on their coats and watching us and chatting. Then we went to the play area and we all played in the sand. There was a little bridge on top of the sand and we all took it in turns to jump off the sand bridge when other children were out of the way. At the end, we buried my legs and Elina shaped it to make it look like a mermaid. It was buried really deep. 

That night we went for dinner in Chinatown. I had some plain rice and Singapore noodles and egg fried rice. I loved the food and my favourite part was a bit of plain rice mixed with Singapore noodles. The next day we went to London Zoo and we saw lots of animals. We got a little booklet which was called a London Zoo passport. You had to write your name in it, then you had to draw your passport photo in a little box. There was a continent on each page and once you entered that area, you had to get a stamp and draw your favourite animal that you saw from that continent and at the bottom, there were boxes with animals to look out for with a list from that country which you could tick if you saw them.

I had a brilliant time in London, I really missed my Daddy but I was glad I could go with my friends. It was very exciting, I learned loads and I’d love to go again.

Will we surrender? Never!

By Keith Stringer reflecting on the Pandemic as the Bevan Crescent group start to meet again in August 2021

It’s a part of our lives that we’ll never forget, it will stay in our memory we know, but yet it brought us together, our unity strong, we knew who we were and where we belonged.

It would have been easy to give up the fight, to draw the curtains and put out the light, but that’s surrender, we couldn’t do this, what throw in the towel, no we gave that a miss.

We batten the hatches with a positive mind, we wouldn’t be beaten, no, we’re; not that kind.

Our communication stayed open, we were not alone, we knew if we weakened we could pick up the phone.

It was nothing new, we’d seen it before, hadn’t we lived and survived through a war?

Oh yes, there were days when we felt insecure and maybe we wanted a knock on the door but that thought soon faded, our heads, we held high, we’d never give up nor we’d lay down and die.

Our strength came from unity all for one, one for all , we’d face it together what’ ere may befall.

It was at that time when our strength was renewed it hadn’t a chance when we were in that mood.

We’re winning the battle, for we knew that we would, no need to panic, for all will come good.

We’re proud of our efforts for why shouldn’t we, for we’re on our way now to victory.

© Keith Stringer 2021 all rights reserved