Tales from the youth visit 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 28th June – First time in an airport… flight to London…. LONG time in the passport queue… but they arrived!

e – A day in Camden and Islington. Cafe Palestina – Parliament Hill – Donating Abu Dis Girls’ artwork to their twin school – trampolining at the Sobell Centre – Welcome meal at Cafe Palestina.  One sad thing – Abed’s phone was stolen 🙁  🙁

 

 

Thursday 30th June – A tourism day in Central London – Then a meeting with the Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zumlot – Natural History Museum – Brent event was the first try-out of the boys’ presentation on Being Young in Palestine – and it went very well!

 

Friday 1st July – A football training with Clapton Community FA – Rowing on the Shallow Ponds, Leytonstone – A first school visit and discussion with young people – more sports and a public event in Frenford Clubs, Ilford.

 

 

– Roads with no checkpoints!

The group left London on their way north! First stop, a picnic in Northampton where the local group put up Palestinian-flag umbrellas. – Then back on the road going north. There were some problems with the van… it worked, but slowly… but got there!

Sunday 3rd July – Having arrived in Pendle, they had a relaxed day to recover from the long journey. Pictures here show them walking along by a canal – and later, setting up for a big public meeting with at least 100 people listening to the boys.

Tuesday 5th July- Today another school visit that went very well. Our visitors travelled on to Shrewsbury where they were met by a local Friends of Palestine group – had the chance for some fresh air and travelled to Craven Arms where again they were met and hosted by friends… and eventually got to Knighton.

 

Wednesday 6th July – A day of schools – A primary assembly, several secondary classes – and a chance to unwind in a walk on the hills. Then a chance to meet local people for tea at the Offa’sDyke Centre and rounders at the youth club.

Thursday 7th July – An amazing day in mid-Wales. Another school visit where our visitors talked to hundreds of students in big assemblies – and loved the school. Then a meeting with local people and a special adventure, a paddle-boarding lesson on a reservoir and a BBQ. And the sun shone!!

Friday 8th July – The visitors got some well-earned rest this morning as KS3 or the school they were to visit had to close for Covid – but the busy afternoon and evening made up for that. A hot drive to Hereford and visit to the old part of the city and the Mappa Mundi in the Cathedral with Palestine in the middle. A public event went very well and a meal with a Hereford friend before going off to Malvern for their new home for three nights.

Saturday 9th July was the EID and a Worcester day. Special thanks to friends from Worcester for arranging a special event with young people in the Horizon Centre befire a walk round the old city and to friends at Birchwood Hall fo5 a great barbecue in the evening.

Sunday 10th July was again hot and a special day in Ledbury where visitors met the Mayor, ran a stall of Palestinian products, enjoyed a Ledbury celebration festival  where this poem was written for them! They met up with Dee f4om the Poetry Festival,  visited local manor house Hellens and had another grear evening.. the last one in the UK.

Monday 11th July was the start of the long 2-day journey home. We had a new rented bus as the old slowcoach was just not going to manage on the motorway – thank you so much to Hugh for bringing it. A hot journey from the hills to Heathrow where chaos now seems notmal… and they got home in the afternoon of 12th July – just over 2 weeks.

Well done boys and great thanks to all the many helpers – it was a very good visit.