From getting our faces painted in the morning through the build up to the start of the march, to the cheering as we completed our encirclement of the House of Parliament with The Wave; the day was a joyous coming together of people (as many as 60,000) to send a clear message to our politicians to press for the best outcomes in Copenhagen.
And they appear to be listening – the buzz built as news spread that a delegation had been invited to meet the Prime Minister (you can read about that here).
Jack completed his second major Climate action – he’s already a veteran of the Stop Climate Chaos rally in Trafalgar Square in 2006! He joined his Mum, brother Sam and me at the head of the march to join up with that nice man he walked with three years ago – the RSPB’s chief executive Graham Wynne. His campaign whistle is currently resting after 48 hours of continuous use!
Things that I will remember, the people on stilts, the huge balloons (I’m not certain Jack will be satisfied with a standard party balloon next birthday), the size of the crowds, the feeling of a common cause expressed effectively, the welcome cup of coffee from a man with a back-pack, courtesy of the Co-op (thank you).
Will we have made a difference? Felt like it. As we were passing along Millbank, Jack was on my shoulders and suddenly start blowing his whistle and shouting ‘Stop Climate Change’. He understands part of the story, its now up to Gordon Brown, other world leaders and the throng gathering in Copenhagen to ensure that when he’s big enough to get the full picture he can look back and know that he was there when the penny finally dropped.