C.J

Another teenage boy was stabbed to death yesterday in Walthamstow, East London. According to news reports he was known as C.J. and typing his name into myspace I found many of the young people who knew him have paid tribute to him on their myspace pages with photos and comments. Most of his friends on myspace seem to be from Beaumont (see my earlier post on Beaumont Road, Leyton), so it seems that he was associated with Beaumont in some way or another. Some of his friends have posted this picture, showing C.J. on the far left with some mates:

Picture from The Hardest's myspace page

This murder particularly shocked me, because earlier that day I had been in Walthamstow and had felt my heart drawn towards a group of young black teenagers who were sitting on a wall very close to the spot where C.J apparently died.

This day was also the first time when I realised where "Priory" is situated. "Priory" is another Waltham Forest gang, from Walthamstow. They wear grey bandanas and are part of a larger movement known as "Grey Gang" or "Grey City" which seems to stretch right across North London to Hornsey. The Priory gang are based at Priory Court, a residential estate in Walthamstow (also referred to by some of them as P-Block).

'Youngers' from Priory Court - picture from General Sly's myspace page

I had been planning to write an entry on Priory and Walthamstow, before I heard about this murder. I wonder whether the attack was linked in any way to Priory and gang rivalries, as the murder happened very close to the Priory area. The Priory gang seem particularly hated, and there are countless comments on myspace stating "F*** Priory" and various unrepeatable threats of violence.

While looking through the various myspace pages that had "R.I.P. C.J" as the header, I came across a picture on one Beaumont boy's photo album that brought tears to my eyes:

"Prey for Beaumont", complete with mis-spelling, shows a child-like sense of hope and faith in God. I want to commit myself, even more so now, to pray regularly for Beaumont and the other estates in Waltham Forest and East London.

If that picture was surprising to me, equally surprising were these words from a poem displayed by another Beaumont teenager, Glen, among his photo tributes to C.J:

Dream of Truth

One night I went to sleep, full of worry and concern

and as I lay sleeping a great lesson did I learn,

In my dream I drifted to a place far, far away,

where the Saviour had been taken to spend his final day.

The crown of thorns brought anguish

as they placed it on his head..

I watched them nail him to the cross

where his precious blood was shed.

Despite his pain and sorrow these words he spoke to me,

'Precious one, doubt not my love

and you shall be set free.'