• Home
  • Photos
  • What's On
  • Blogs
    • Gardeners World
    • Esmé's Page
    • Building our Community
    • Recipe of the Month
    • Frenchay Residents
    • Frenchay Place Names
    • Frenchay Mysteries
  • Local News
    • Downend Library
    • Just Run
    • Frenchay Tennis Club
    • Downend & Frenchay Tennis Club
    • Neighbourhood Watch
    • Redrow Updates
    • Frenchay Residents Association Reports 2022 >
      • FRA Reports 2021
      • FRA Reports 2020
    • Local Representatives >
      • From our Parish Councillors
      • From our South Gloucestershire Councillors
    • Biodiversity Group
    • Frenchay Museum
    • Preservation Society
    • Frenchay CE Primary School
    • Frenchay Village Hall
    • Cricket Club
    • Dings Crusaders RFC
    • DRG Frenchay Football Club
    • Frenchay Probus Club
    • Frenchay WI
    • Rockleaze Rangers Football Club
    • Frenchay Foxes
  • Clubs & Societies
  • Information
    • Quick Links
    • Transport
    • Libraries
    • Nature Reserve
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
Frenchay Community News

Migrants

2/2/2015

0 Comments

 
I’ve been writing in the Frenchay magazine for about ten years. Usually in February with Valentines' Day in mind, I “talk” about matters of the heart. I tend to be a match-maker because I want everyone to be as lucky as I was. To love and be loved is the greatest blessing!

This year, I have something very different on my mind. Perhaps, like me, you have watched the Italian coastguard trying to rescue the drifting cargo ships full of migrants. Over 500 of these desperate people are the victims of human smuggling. Over 3000 have already drowned off Italian shores. I always think “There, but for the grace of God go I”.

I couldn’t live in Sangatte. It’s near the channel port of Calais and the place where many people hide, whilst waiting to escape. Last August, while I was sitting in my car waiting to board the ferry, we saw a crowd of people, mostly men, being rounded up like cattle before being driven away in police vans. One can only imagine what they had endured already. If any of them had asked me to hide them on my rear seat, I could not have refused!

My friend and passenger said that there was no way he would have agreed. Luckily the situation didn’t arise. On leaving Dover and driving home to Bristol we were in a slow-moving queue. At times it came to a stand still. Suddenly the back canvas on the lorry ahead of me was unzipped from within and two bags came flying out. Then out jumped a young couple who grabbed the bags and ran up an incline. I often wonder what happened to them and hope that someone helped them.

I wish this was a two-way “conversation” so that I could hear your opinions. Would you have helped, or do you agree with my friend? If you know me, please tell me. I’m sure we all agree how lucky we are to live in such a safe country. I wish you a very happy and healthy February.

Esmé
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Esmé Feltham

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    April
    Art
    Asparagus
    Cauliflower
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Church
    Dyrham Park
    Easter
    Fashion
    Flowers
    Food
    France
    Friends
    Furniture
    Harvest
    Holiday
    Hospital
    Hotel
    Motor Bikes
    Mushroom
    People
    School
    Seafood
    Time
    Trees
    Wedding

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.