Day 5 Saturday 4th August Ealing to Westminster
Starting in pleasant relaxed Ealing today we headed for the big city. First through Acton, Shepherds Bush to Earls Court. We were joined by several people who had taken part in earlier sections of the walk, especially several from Milton Keynes. I was carrying a New Zealand banner but didn’t notice much reaction to it despite walking through Earls Court. We stopped for a rest break in front of Earls Court Exhibition Center, but despite a big welcome sign they wouldn’t let me use their toilet and advised me to find a fast food place. Soon the River Thames was in sight, and we were crossing over to Battersea Park, where we were met by a Buddhist peace monk with a prayer and a feast.
After a lovely lunch and our numbers swelled even further, we made our way over the bridge to Westminster. After taking part in earlier protests in Parliament Square I was amazed to see so many tents there, some were campaigners but apparently some were tourists. After some time here we left (no longer walking) for a reception at Kingsly Hall, Bromley by Bow, where Gandhi stayed in the 1930s. His room is kept as a shrine, and it was an honour to see it. We were warmly welcomed and after a lovely dance and drum display, we had a speech from Kate Hudson, Chair of CND, where she nicely summarised what the walk had achieved, linking all the steps in the nuclear chain from mining, processing, power and weapons to waste disposal.
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