It's a jungle out there... literally!

Last nights 'Planet Earth' was fantastic, every bit as good as it was billed. Thanks to ground-breaking technology the hype promised 'the earth as you've never seen it before' and it pretty much was - a must buy DVD looms large!

But as an inhabitant of the oft labelled 'urban jungle' I was struck by the stark contrast between the rugged, even untouched beauty of the world portrayed on the TV screen and the more mundane, harsher, dirtier(?) every day reality of the 'world' which we currently inhabit in the Borough of Newham. At times it was hard to comprehend it was the same 'planet earth'.

Yet there were parallels too.

In contrasting the environments around the world that inhibit and encourage life to thrive Attenborough's team ended up in a tropical jungle. A jungle slap-bang on the Equator where the suns rays are pretty much incessant 24/7. Yet the by-product of this relentless heat and energy is an abundance of life unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Indeed despite the jungle covering only 3% of the planet's surface it accounts for over 50% of the globe's plant and animal species! Ding dong!

The parallel? However harsh or dirty the urban jungle that is Newham is certainly not dull. Despite a shockingly low life-expectancy, with over 40 per cent of the 254,000 people in Newham under 25 years old its a place teeming with life. With more than 100 languages spoken locally - from Albanian to Zhuang, Newham not only has the youngest population in the UK its the most diverse. An exciting area rich in culture, flavour and atmosphere its a place where local people take great pride in being part of a global village.

With its fusion of youthful vigour, creativity and traditional East End values of warmth, friendliness, community spirit and good humour it may be a jungle and its 'beauty' maybe well masked, but our little patch of 'planet earth' is still home.