knocking' said the young man from Nielson. That's not so good with 500 miles to walk I thought. Beside him were iwo young women from Aberdeen, holding bright red carnations: 'We're not staying in London' they said scornfully 'we'll be coming straight back.' Behind the yellow jackets the pipes started up and the bright banners of 40 different unions surged forward.
They had to battle against the torrential rain the heavens had unleashed on the 5000 assembled in George Square, Glasgow to see off the 1983 People's March.
Police, camera
crews, paper sellers and latecomers splashed through the streets to take up their appointed positions. Nobody noticed Michael Foot as he stepped on the sodden platform to wave us all goodbye.
At 12 noon there was silence. Then the drum beats started. 'Go on! Go on!' shouted anxious stewards and a young unemployed woman from Maryhill and her friend holding the Peoples March banner took their first steps on Britains long march.
The bagpipes burst the air behind them and a great cheer went up. The rain meant no speech from Foot.
The march was half a mile long that' said a police sergeant. It would be lost in those wide London streets' he confited to me. "Step in in case some capitalist car hits your backside.' CH FOPLES MARCHIZ FOR JOBS The coppers are nervously friendly, everybody knows why.
At the front someone is giving out '2000 if more red carnations.
Foot disappeared. He used to be good at marching.
As we crossed the Clyde warm sunshine breaks up the cloud. 499 miles to go. march for jobs