NO CELEBRATIONS

This is my 100^th post since I started the Rise Like Lions blog, and as it coincides with Tony Blair’s 10 years in power, I was tempted to pen a critique of his premiership. However, I am deliberately not going to.

In August 2004 15 year old Luke Noble was tragically killed in a horrific boating accident whilst on holiday in the British Virgin Islands. Also killed was an 18 year old American, Campbell Harty. Luke’s cousin Stephen Noble survived but with substantial injuries. The boat which caused the accident was driven by a Dutchman, Arjaan Hendriksen. Despite speeding, despite driving on the wrong side of the water highway, despite leaving the two boys in the water to die, despite ignoring warning calls, despite being an experienced mariner who should have known better and despite being found guilty by a British Islands jury, the judge at the trial had the audacity to say that she felt Hendriksen had suffered enough and fined him £33000. Luke and Campbell did not die of their injuries, they drowned. Had Hendriksen gone back to help them, they would have lived. That equates to £165000 per teenage life. There is no right of appeal in the Virgin Islands for British people, even though the country is classed as an overseas territory.

Luke’s Mam and Dad, Mark and Karen Noble, are very good friends of my family. Mark has a newsagent’s two doors from my shop. He was the life and soul of our “shop” community. We have been with them on their terrible journey since Luke’s death, something they have gone through with tremendous dignity and fortitude (as have their other two children, Adam and Gill) The pain was made worse over the last two years with the passing of both Mark and Karen’s fathers.

Luke was a young, happy and buoyant teenager and his death was a waste. In order to somehow negate the futility of his and their loss, Mark and Karen set up a charity in the two boys names, The Noble Harty Foundation. Luke loved the Lake District, and they decided to raise funds to build a climbing wall at a disabled centre in the Lakes. The money was to be raised through quiz nights, charity meals etc.

On Sunday 6 May at the Copthorne Hotel Mark and Karen will have achieved their aim of raising £55000, and will hand a cheque over to the disabled centres managers.

I always intended to cover this personal story, but closer to the weekend and the presentation date. However, when I was drafting the text it was announced that another British soldier had been killed in Iraq. Karen and Mark Noble will carry the pain of loosing their son with them for the rest of their lives, you can see it permanently in their faces and in their demur; Mark is no longer the life and soul of the shop community. I therefore cannot help but see the faces and feel the pain of the families who have lost children, husbands, brothers, sisters, fathers, wives and mothers, in a conflict which is futile, needless and American driven. As with Mark and Karen, every Christmas, birthday and anniversary is empty.

Now then Mr Blair, what really is your legacy?

NOTES TO POST

Stephen Hepburn, MP, was very considerate to Mark and Karen, and worked hard at Parliamentary level to try and get justice for Luke. Follow this link re the text of one of his presentations.

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050628/halltext/50628h04.htm

The link below summarises the Copthorne presentation.

icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/journallive/thejournal/tm_headline=climbing-wall-is-memorial-to-boat-death-boy&method=full&objectid=18966624&siteid=50081-name_page.html