"This Is England"

So, I went to see the new film in Greenwich the other night.

I thought the film was supurbly made. It left me shocked at an image of England that I hoped was gone and forgotten. That in my bubble of Guardian reading friends, no longer existed. My mind tells me that England is not like, or at least not all of it. As if my mind wanted to know that in some way what it means to be English did not contain the racism of the past.

It strange how little thoughts can fool you. I was fooled all the way to the DLR home. Two, shaven hair guys, late teens/early twenties, drank 'wife beater' and shouted nasty thrown compliments at lone female passengers. Maybe they meant no harm, maybe they were nice but drunk.

As I got off the DLR at my stop, my company turned and said the first words we had spoken since climbing aboad; "Like being back in the film" she said.

All I could do was nod.