I do not read the Wigan Evening Post daily as there is not usually too much news in it.
No blame,I sympathise with the reporters thankless job of creating stories when there is little to report, in spite of that paper's attitude to our party which is basically down to the Common Purpose "elite" running it.
Wigan is generally a hard working law abiding community and as the saying goes "no news is good news".
I was however enraged to read an article that the police were not to supervise our local church walking days.
When I was a child these were the highlight of our summer and indeed holidays were booked in order not to miss with them.
I have many happy memories of these occasions with the little girls at the front in their new dresses and we older lads walking behind them, after having practiced beforehand what we should do.
After we had what was called in Billinge the "Scooster", the games or sports day when the children competed in the races.
Afterwards in our family there was always a party.
The day after was known in our village as "Sermon Sunday" when a farm trailer was parked at the crossroads (Church Brow) with the vicar addressing the throng from it.
Yes I know we had a somewhat divided village with the C of E where I was in a bit of competition with the Catholics of Birchley but in the end we were all Billingers and nominally Christian, and apart from a bit of banter we knew we were part of the same community and culture.
WE WERE IN OUR OWN VILLAGE. OUR NATIVE ENVIRONMENT.
As a young man I took part in another local tradition on that day. All day drinking in the pubs. It was really a carnival atmosphere and the local police were warned that it was our tradition and not to intervene and they obeyed this local instruction.
One time I was working away with two muslims and invited them to see our traditional activities and they enjoyed sitting with us in the pub getting quietly sloshed, and enjoying OUR culture.
These were of course decent muslims, there are some but it is now difficult do tell the good from the bad. These muslims, one a Syrian and one from Pakistan accepted that they had come here to learn their trade and then return which they did.
Anyhow, back to the story.
These walks are a part of our inheritance and traditions. The churchgoers are taxpayers and are entitled to have their events policed and even more than alien residents in our country or people of other sexuality.
I am a lapsed churchgoer (an agnostic) but support the traditions in which I was brought up and which moulded my life.
We should not need police to be present, apart from putting temporary diversions, and I accept that some traffic disruption will occur as it does at "Gay Pride" celebrations.
We have to accept disruption when they "celebrate" what they do in bed (should I celebrate my bedroom antics? I don't think anybody would be interested in them at my age. Not much to see, just noises out of various orifices, that's just me and not the wife she says).
BUT the sinister part of this is that last year kids in a walking day procession were SPAT on by alien kids who OUR PEOPLE had never invited here.
THAT IS WHY THEY NEED A POLICE PRESENCE.
THEY SHOULD HAVE IT.
THESE CHURCHGOERS PAY THEIR WAGES.
THE IMMIGRANTS DON'T
