by Steve Tanham
A Bridge for all our Fathers…
This post is in response to Hugh’s Views and News photo challenge with the subject of ‘Open”
Since it’s Father’s day, and I’ll be driving back from a Silent Eye Weekend in St David’s, Pembrokeshire, for most of the day, I’d like to dedicate the post to all our Fathers, particularly those who fought in the two European wars of the last century.
They weren’t just British soldiers of course, many other countries sent their troops in support of a desperate Britain as the Nazi forces closed in. Apart from those brave souls who joined us, we stood alone then because we had taken a stance against the darker forces of extremism, not because we had closed ourselves off.
The European Union was conceived as a response to those wars; in the belief that interaction, dialogue, and, dammit, showing other people that we were just as human as them, would make a difference.
It did, and for over sixty years peace has been the climate of Europe.
Today, we in Britain stand on the brink of another disaster – that of leaving the European community on the basis of manipulation by a group of right-wing interests, many of whom do not live in the UK and do not pay taxes here; but control vast sections of the press. These interests pretend to represent the common ‘man’ and his/her sovereignty; despite the fact that Europe has done more to safeguard human rights in the UK than any of the indigenous political parties.
Source Wiki CC Fair Use
Many will remember Herbert Mason’s famous picture of St Paul’s Cathedral (above), unscathed but surrounded by the acrid smoke of the blitz covering the ruins of inner London.
My own humble offering, (top), has a night sky that prompted the comparison, but has a new bridge (The Millennium footbridge) connecting it, across the ‘water’ to the ‘greater world’.
My bridge is Open… and the pic seemed an entirely appropriate response to Hugh’s latest photo challenge.
For the memory of all the Fathers who went before us, I hope Britain remains open, too, in heart as well as boundaries. Ironically, we are not alone in facing such challenges, once again.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone… as Edmund Burke said, “All it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing…”
Sun in Gemini 
Thanks so much for joining in my weekly photo challenge, Steve. I’ve walked over this bridge many times, including in the evening, and just love the sights from it. I may be living down in Wales now, but I’ll never forget the marvelous views this bridge gave me.
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