Freedom of the City

I've been drafting a post on Citizens' Juries for a while now, and as research for this I attended the recent full meeting of Bristol City Council. I'm still gathering my thoughts, but in the interim I wanted to comment on the awards of Freedom of the City made to two local gents.

Freedom of the City is, these days, an honorarium with no particular privileges (although I understand Freemen are allowed to graze their sheep on Durdham Downs). It is a wonderful way to celebrate the achievements of local people.

Don Cameron, of Cameron Balloons, has built the world's largest manufacturer of Hot Air Balloons, starting from scratch with his first home-brew prototype. Without Don's business, Bristol would never have created the annual Balloon Fiesta.

Paul Stephenson is a local political activist who was a key participant in the 1963 Colour Bar Dispute. Ironically, while in Montgomery Rosa Parks was protesting that black people had to move to the back of the bus, Paul and his team were seeking the right for black people to stand at the back of the bus - as Conductors of the Bristol Omnibus Company.

The management of the bus company, the union (the Passenger Group of the TGWU) and the city political leadership colluded to prevent non-white people working as drivers and conductors on the buses. They could work in the garages as the Maintenance section of the TGWU did not vote to exclude "coloured workers". The campaign to end this discrimination - legal at the time - probably contributed to the development of the 1965 Racial Discrimination Act, and the 1968 Race Relations Act.

I made a couple of quick phone calls, and unfortunately the first non-white Bristol Conductor - Raghbir Singh Sati - passed away a few years ago. If you know anyone else from that pioneer group of conductors and conductresses, send me a message as I'd like to speak with them.

You can see the speeches of thanks from the new Freemen at the archived webcast of the ceremony. (Great bit of technology from Public-i.)