Now and then

It was a lovely summer’s morning in the community - 1996


As I strolled through the park I exchanged a polite smile with the Park keeper. He had just spoken to a group of young lads and asked them to refrain from using their skate boards on the grass verges - ‘as the grass would be spoilt’. They nodded apologetically and sped away down the path.

I decided to take the bus for the rest of my journey into the town. As I took my seat on the lower deck I lit up a cigarette. After a few minutes the conductor approached and took my fare. On handing me my ticket he bent over and whispered politely ‘can I remind you sir that smoking is upstairs only - for the comfort of non smoking passengers’. I smiled and nipped out my cigarette – ‘sorry I forgot’. (Some of the new single deck buses now in service allowed smoking at the rear only; however this was a double decker – upstairs only!)

As I walked through the town center I felt a little hungry so I stopped at the nearby Bakers and picked up a sandwich to eat whilst walking. There was a bit of a queue as it seemed that everyone had decided to take their lunch outside on this lovely breezy summer’s day. As I continued my walk through the town a sandwich wrapper blew past me, having blown out of the hands of an elderly woman, whom I recognized from having been in front of me in the Bakers queue. She looked embarrassed as she attempted to hobble after the wayward wrapper. However, she was quickly saved from any further embarrassment by a young girl standing just a few yards behind me who had caught it on its wayward journey. ‘Thanks dear’ shouted the old lady. The young girl just smiled and gestured to her friends about her lightening reflexes.

It was a lovely summer’s morning in the community - 2009


As I strolled through the park I heard a lot of shouting and the buzz of two way radios. I turned around to see two Community Officers, dressed in the now familiar black and green uniforms, holding down a teenage boy. One of them had the boy in a headlock whilst the other held his hands behind his back as he was radioing for police assistance. The youngsters friends stood by protesting ‘what has he done mate’!

‘No skateboards allowed anywhere in the public areas mate’ – shouted the officers in unison. I turned away quickly, not wanting to catch their gaze, and scurried on my way.

I decided to take the bus for the rest of my journey into town. As I stood at the bus stop I lit up a cigarette. I needed one as I felt a little shook up by the recent event I had just witnessed in the park. The bus came to a stop and I stubbed out my cigarette and boarded. On paying my fare to the driver I noticed he seemed particularly miserable as he banged my change down. Nothing to unusual – I thought!




On reaching the town centre the driver announced through the speaker system that everyone was to remain seated once the bus had stopped. As we pulled up to the station I noticed two Community Officers who were obviously waiting to meet the bus. “Someone’s in trouble’ – I thought! Once the bus had stopped the driver got out of his cab and pointed me out to the officers. ‘Come with us mate’ barked the younger of the two – in what seemed like a polish accent. To cut a story I was fined 200 pounds and given a warning for smoking at the bus stop. (Although the bus stop is brick built and completely open - it is a public area.)

As I walked through the town I consciously avoided eye contact with the CCTV cameras. I didn’t want to give any excuse to be stopped and quizzed by anymore community Officers. I’d had enough of my involvement with the community for one day!

However, just a few yards further down the street I heard another commotion. An old man had accidently –according to passers by whom had witnessed the crime – dropped a matchstick on the ground after lighting his cigarette. He was being detained by two Community Officers until the police arrived as he refused to agree to pay the ‘on the spot fine’. I heard the young black Community Officer threaten to arrest a middle age woman who was complaining at the injustice taking place.

A young lad of no more than about 10 years old passed by on his bicycle as the public address system blurted out ‘please dismount from your bicycle – the police have been informed and are on their way. He never even flinched and just continued on his way. (The resistance!)