Chris Packham BAFTA Talk at the Barbican City Of London

I went down to London for evening talk from BAFTA award winning writer wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham at the Barbican. My friend and I caught the train from the east coast to London and had leisurely walk from Liverpool Street train station around the city taking in the Guild hall and Saint Lawrence Jewry church that was designed by Christopher Wren. 

We went into the Church to have a look around. I noticed on the partition metalwork the motive of Airborne Forces Pegasus the winged horse and the Royal Marine globe and laurels and Parachute Regiment badge. I said to my friend I must ask someone in the office why these are in the church?

The church represents the Royal Marines and Airborne forces, they even have small chapel enclave for Royal Marines. The Royal Marines and Airborne forces have great relevance to my earlier military life having served in Royal Marine Reserves Birkenhead detachment and Airborne forces as regular soldier with  9 Independent Parachute Squardron Royal Engineers.

In November on first Sunday of the month before Remembrance Sunday they have special service for both the Royal Marines and Airborne forces.

The Church of Saint Lawrence Jewry was virtually destroyed during London bombing in 1940. All around Saint Pauls Cathedral the city was badly damaged which must of been the main focal point by the German Luftwaffe during world war 2.

A sketch of the damage of the City of London the Church of Saint Lawrence Jewry is over near the bottom right opposite the Guild hall.

Later we walked along the remains of the old Roman walls of the original fortified city of London or as the Romans called it Londinium named by Emperor Claudius in CE 43.

Early evening we walked to The Barbican to listen to Chris Packhams BAFTA talk.  Chris came out wearing white shirt with large Black Letter “There is No Planet B” and held up a white Extinction Rebellion banner to big cheer from the Audience.

He read a 5 page sci-fi apolyaptic story about the last tree and the end of all life. It was an uncomfortable listen and there was lots of shuffling in the seats of the audience. Then he showed a short 15 minute film of himself talking directly to the camera in a lush green savana in heart of Tanzania.

Chis told us in no uncertain terms the dire situation of the climate crisis and the level of wildlife extinction currently under way. It was sobering talk indeed. Certainly everything he said I totally agreed with. He said that at 9pm that evening on BBC 2 his latest programme was going out about human population size.

Chris being interviewed by Liesel Evans documentary producer and film maker interviewing Chis about his Bafta award winning career as a wild life presenter, environmentalist and activist. 

It brought back vivid memories of my time working in India for Linde and the sheer chaotic nature of the Indians massive 1356 million population which represent 18 % of the worlds population of 7.7 billion and the abject poverty and unbelievable wealth on one smallish asian continent. India was an epiphany for me when population size gets too big and how it effects the whole fabric of society and the sheer noise, dirt and pollution was extraordinary. I read the other day that the temperature in Delhi last summer was 48C. An unbelievable temperature to live and work in plus the high levels of atmospheric polution. 

Conclusion, I wasn’t expecting Chris to give such a stark hard hitting presentation of present eclogical crisis, it certainly reinforced my own beliefs of the seriousness of our current situation we’re all having to face.