IT'S A SHORT VIDEO with HUE ~ one of Speakers' Corner's long-time Orators ~ talking about the brutal murder of a serving soldier that took place in broad daylight near a British army barracks in south-east London.

"I decided not to mention the individuals involved, or the disputes over what happened, when. I wanted to talk instead about the bigger picture, to speak in broad stokes and question the wisdom, the usefulness and the purposes for these wars in far-flung places such as Afghanistan."

SPEAKERS' CORNER in the north-eastern extremity of London's expansive Hyde Park has, since the 19th Century, been a place of dissent and debate. All kinds of political convictions, religious persuasions, fads and enthusiasms have been advocated over the decades with fervour and passion. Hue's outlook comes from a place of spirituality, under the vast umbrella of what is called, not always admiringly, the New Age movement.