The Gutter Press
Moving Target,Volume 3 Issue 2
March 20th, 10:20, Oxford St. junction of Holles St., a cc was run overby a TNT Garment Express artic, which was making a left turn off OxfordSt. Four hours later he was dead. Reports from ccs who were on the sceneseconds after suggest that the medics who arrived by helicopter withinminutes had a hopeless case on their hands.
The accident sent a shiver through the cc community and there couldnot have been many who didn't have an idea of the basic facts by Fridayevening. What took a little more time to find out was the identity of boththe deadman and the company he worked for. It took a number of phone callsto track down Legit Couriers. They were, and are, in a state of shock.Edward had worked for them since October 91. He had lived and cycled inthe West End for years and so was no stranger to the hazards of city centrecycling.
By the time all this had been discovered however, snowball had startedrolling. The word had gone round that at 9.00 am Monday 30th, ccs weregoing to assemble at Marble Arch and ride along Oxford St., mimicking aride of 2 l/2 years ago to remember Chris Shaw, an ex-cc killed by a recklessdriver. The intention, unspoken, was clear: to show respect for the deadcc and commemorate him by stopping London's West End, briefly showing thecity that some things are more important than getting to work on time.
The London Cycling Campaign heard it, and said they wanted to come.MT heard it from everyone and ask everyone "who started it?"Nobody knew. It was almost as if all London's ccs decided at the same timewhat was the right thing to do. The press weren't told before-hand forfear of involving the Police who would surely have stopped the event fromgoing ahead. Come Monday, 100 ccs and other cyclists assembled Speaker’sCorner. Patrick Field, of Hackney LCC, had the honour of leading out thethrong at funereal pace around the Arch on his Long John bearing the wreathcommissioned by the LCC. Behind him London's ccs fanned out to block OxfordSt. On either side ccs blocked side-roads to ensure safe passage for thecortege and leaflets explaining the need for the event were handed outto passers-by. At the fateful junction the convoy stopped. Many lay downtheir bikes in the road blocking the junction completely. For a few briefmoments, while the wreath was being attached to the traffic light the junctionwas impassable to motor-vehicles and safe for soft vehicles and movingtargets.
Eventually the gathering remounted and moved off, blocking Oxford Circus,creeping along at a snail's pace. At Dean Street we turned and made ourway to Soho Sq finishing and dispersing in the Gardens after a collectionhad been taken. A grim day? Solemn perhaps, but uplifting in equal measure.Who started it?
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