The old Watling Street - now the A2, and in our part of town the New Cross Road - has been the main route between London and Dover since at least Roman times. So for thousands of years people entering London on their way from continental Europe have passed along it, including many fleeing wars, perecution and poverty. I love seeing the coaches from Poland, France etc. going along the road, with people staring out at New Cross as one of their first sights of London.
Unfortunately not everyone is made welcome. I felt very sorry for the 11 people pulled out of lorries by police last week. As reported in the Mercury: 'Police arrested 11 suspected illegal immigrants after stopping three Swiss-registered lorries in New Cross. The convoy of bright red vehicles, from the Basel-based Möbel furniture company, was stopped in New Cross Road, close to New Cross railway station, on Tuesday of last week'.
Who knows how many thousands of miles they had travelled or how much it cost them - no doubt they are now in prison (sorry 'detention centre') for the crime of being born in the wrong country with the wrong papers, with their brief view of New Cross no compensation at all.
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