The last Hawthorns are being felled and one little bird is losing its favourite singing perch.For the last few winters, the Hawthorns opposite Leabank Square have been occupied by a very talented songster.
A little Robin has enjoyed a musical residency in the Olympic Hawthorns all winter long and delivered the most delightful concert, night and day, without fail. He has serenaded us with his colourful and energetic sounds, lifting our spirits and cheering our souls!
This little Robin has been an exquisite antidote to the cacophony of the Olympic site.
Each day we arrive home, knowing that we can open our windows and doors and be comforted by his sweet, rich, tones.
He sings loudest, when the days’ noises slowly ebb away and calm falls on the Olympic site. His songs echo across the river and encircle the square, as though he is omnipresent.
We cannot afford to lose the soothing therapy of birdsong. It counteracts the negative effects of living in a big, noisy city. It keeps us connected to a natural world and reminds us what we need to stay healthy and peaceful.
We hope Mr Robin finds a new perch quickly and sings a little louder, so that we can still enjoy his beautiful songs!
19 comments:
Its bloody disgusting that they can get away with all this wilful destruction.
Greenest olympics just got a whole lot more muddy!
Tony
Who killed Cock Robin?
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said Ken Livingstone
I ordered his burial stone (it was the only way I could get regeneration, of course)
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said Jacques Roegge
I threw him to the doegge (like I did the Chinese)
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said Tony Blair
But that's neither here nor there (how about we move on?)
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said Seb Coe
I really wanted to, so (oh, my own, my very own Olympic stadium instead).
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said Tessa Jowell
With my ceremonial trowel (It helps when I lay it on thick)
I, said Meg Hillier
With my Olympicophilia (I've got a ticket to ride, and I don't care!)
I, said Dik Wessel
With the dawn's rowdy whistle (when Robin once sang)
I said Hugh Lugg
(No salt on that slug)
I said Anon
But I'll say anything as long as someone will pay me to sit around and do so.
The bat population in Hackney Wick has also been displaced. I used to see quite a few of them along the canalside in the evening. The new 3G mast at Monier Road seems to have seen off the last of them.
Owen I love it! There is simply no end to your many talents!
Lucky for us, Mr Robin refused to be silenced and continued to serenade us last night. He has moved along to another set of trees which sit precariously close to the Olympic fence.
So much wildlife has been displaced here in Hackney Wick and with it the quality of our lives too.
Bats, roosting starlings and kestrels are just a few of the casualties of the Olympic site. The loss of just a few hawthorns can have a spectacular effect on existing wildlife(and people!)
Thanks for your support,
Nadira
Nadira I think your right. I saw him in the trees a few yards further along. But they the ones that are gonna be chopped down next week I think?
Mo
Owen that's stunning. An acurate police line-up of the usual supects. Oh who to choose.........
Problem is that even the police around here are bound to be a bit biased. Criticising the Olympics? Mmmmm. Bound to be a threat to the games. Can't have that.
Matt
Oh the poor little mite?! Bless him - he was singing his heart out this morning trying to find his tree.
These heartless #*@$;&% - don't give a single thought to all the wildlife they've destroyed in Arena Fields.
Every time you challenge them - they bring out the old bird & bat box promise again. Do they actually think we are stupid?
Maybe they do? Maybe they actually think that the inhabitants of Hackney Wick are uneducated, thick inbreds? What other explaination would there be for fobbing us off with half-baked excuses?
Fi
Good one Owen!
Su
Ahh whats next? R they going to cut every bit of vegetation away so that Popcorn can't hunt rats no more?
Tom
Thats an amazing poem Owen. I think that we should have a poets corner on this blog. Between you and Nadira, we'll all be entertained for years to come.
Thanks Owen, it's spot on.
Anna
This bird sings outside my bedroom window and is so beautiful. My kids love the sound at night and early morning. Olympics should be shamed.
Keesha
Nice update on an old poem. Actually prefer this one as well.
Mike
Take that 'anon'! Why has he been so quiet of late Sóna? I know I've been doing double shifts, but I hope I haven't missed anything? Owen, my next fave is Hillier, she really talks about EVERYTHING else except what her constituents have to put up with next to the olympic park!!
Its the best version of the song I've ever heard!
"Standing Ovation" to Owen, Masterpiece!
Excellent poem Owen!!
OMG! It looks so horrible over the river! Not a single tree left inside the olympic park! Greenest olympics? My arse!
Su
Nadira, I'm delighted Mr Robin's just as determined as the rest of you not to let the carborundantes get the upper hand. Think Mubarak, think Olympics.
Illegitimi non carborundum is a mock-Latin aphorism meaning "Don't let the bastards grind you down". (Carborundum is an industrial abrasive material.)
Wikipedia
By the way, Nadira, just for information, that reference to Wikipedia is simply meant to tip me the wink that the snoops are watching me, like presumably they're watching the internet activities of all of us here. It's no good being paranoid, you just have to live with the reality that Dik Wessel and friends enjoy sniffing our underpants, if you'll excuse the vulgarity.
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