Tower Hamlets Labour Councillors Iftar with the Community.

I had been invited on Tuesday evening by Labour Group leader (and long standing Unison member) Cllr Sirajul Islam to their Iftar at the
Waterlily function rooms at Mile End.

Ifter is the evening meal that Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. I have worked in Tower Hamlets for 20 years but this was the first formal Ifter I have ever attended.

It was a marvelous event with hundreds of guests and overflowing tables. I was somewhat surprised to see my old comrade, the Branch secretary of Unison Tower Hamlets Local Government branch present at this Labour Party event.  I wondered after all the trails and tribulations of his current Party if he is considering coming home to Labour?

Even more surprising was to see controversial Tower Hamlets blogger, a Sunday Express Editor and fellow North Wales Gog, Ted Jeory, with his lovely wife Alberta, who was brought up locally in Whitechapel. I just had to sit next to him and ask if he had felt any sharp pains in his back since he had been in the hall?

There were a number of speeches including by local Poplar & Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, who gave a rousing endorsement of Labour Tower Hamlets Mayor candidate, John Biggs, partly in Sylheti (apparently with a slight Scottish accent). While Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, claimed that Jim's Sylheti was better than hers! She introduced the star attraction, East London Labour Assembly Member and Mayor Candidate, John Biggs.
 
Also multi-faith contributions and prayers from Christian and Muslim preachers. Cllr Abdal Ullah was the main compere who kept things running smoothly and to time.

I think that you must have tremendous respect for British Muslims, for fasting from drawn to dusk in high summer. It cannot be easy at any time of the year but non Muslims I come across simply cannot believe that they are not able to drink water as well as eat no food during the current super hot and humid conditions. Many also pray early and late into the night which means they have to endure a lack of sleep as well.

Iftar is obviously a religious event but I most impressed with the courtesy and respect shown to guests such as myself. The fast finished that night at 9.10pm. I am not at all sure that I will have been so polite and well mannered if I had no food or drink for the previous 18 hours.

Hat tip pictures in collage to Sami Photography.

Update: Check out Hope Not Hate "The Big Iftar"  and "Dine at Mine" if you have never been to a Iftar.

Cilcain and Moel Famau Walk Easter 2013

I had a busy Easter weekend visiting family in North Wales. It is lovely to see family (of course) but the highlight was this circular walk to the top of Moel Famau (see photo left).

The car park at Loggerheads Country Park was full so we started the walk at the village of Cilcain. The recent cold weather and heavy snow falls has caught out local farmers and I was startled to come across a field with at least 7 dead  sheep and new born lambs scattered amongst the landscape.

After a long slog we reached the summit of Moel Famau, the highest point of the Clwydian Hills, where the wind was as usual absolutely vicious. The views North, South, East and West were  fantastic. Downhill to Loggerheads was very steep and slippery but I managed to remain upright much to my surprise. The walk along the River Alan and the limescale cliffs from Loggerheads to Cilcain was spectacular.

I was born and brought up in Buckley, which is only a few miles away, and had spent many happy days when I was younger sledging in these hills when it snowed as well as hill walking with the cadets.

At the end of the walk we stopped off at the White Horse Pub in Cilcain and had a beer and said hello to Peter, the father of my fellow North Walian turned East Ender and blogger Ted