Fresh Bananas

Fresh Bananas

I have no religious belief. These two men do. They arrive on the edge of Loughbohemia Market sometime between 7.30am and 8, set up their leaflet stand and grab a takeaway coffee to help keep out the cold.

They are Jehovah's Witnesses and they would like to save my soul, yours too.

They don't shout out to people passing by like the fruit and veg sellers do. Quiet in their smart suits their leaflet stand does the talking: 'The Four Horsemen How Their Ride Affects You'

I know they mean well. I welcome them and all people with convictions within the law to our streets. Free speech is worth fighting for especially for those we don't agree with. Street preachers religious, political, social or economical add to the frisson of our streets.

twice round the market

a bag of fresh bananas

on an empty bench

Paul Conneally

May 2017

Almost Diwali

Leicester Town Hall from 10 Bishop Street - Paul Conneally

I'm waiting outside the Christian Book Shop on Bishop Street for Tony Nelson. Tony's the chair of Leicester's Holocaust Memorial Day committee and I'm meeting him for the first time before he takes me to the committee meeting itself.

Even with the building work going on in Town Hall Square the Town Hall still exudes a faded civic pride. A flag flying from its highest point.

An African woman stops in front of me, looks from a piece of paper to me, to the paper and back again.

"Are you for the nature group? I'm looking for the nature group"

"No" I tell her "I'm waiting for the holocaust committee" and help her look for a white door, she doesn't have a number.

almost Diwali
somewhere in the scaffolding
a builder's whistle

Paul Conneally
October 31 2013