New Year’s Eve is a time of hope, optimism, and fun.
It’s when we make resolutions, we look forward to the year ahead and, if we are lucky, we share time and laughter with friends and family.
How utterly tragic then, that Harry Pitman, just 16 years old, and who should have been looking toward to a future filled with opportunities, instead had his life brutally ended right here in Primrose Hill Royal Park.
The New Year will never be the same for Harry’s family and friends – and all of us who live locally, whether or not we knew this young man, will associate the beautiful space with heartbreak and trauma.
Having lived in the area for over 30 years, Primrose Hill is the place I brought my small children to play, my dogs to walk and where I have picnicked, sunbathed, dozed, socialised and even, during Covid, attempted to jog. It is part of our local DNA, our family life and our community.
While it is a beacon of light and joy on the long summer days, at this time of year the dark descends by mid-afternoon, and the park can assume a character which feels as shadowy as night itself.
There will be many suggestions for ways to adapt following this tragedy, ranging from sealing the park at night – including on New Year’s Eve - to turning it into a ticketed carnival that attracts safe revelry and is self-funding.
First I think we need a period of reflection and grieving – the life of a young person has been wasted in a futile and horrific murder that can never be forgotten
Then, hopefully, a proper consultation that balances the needs of the local and London communities with safety for all the users of the hill, young and old, able-bodied and disabled, both party and peace loving.
To live near Primrose Hill is a privilege – it has the potential to be a key part of our diverse and thriving community. For it to be a crime scene is simply unacceptable. Let’s work together in Camden, to ensure we can all benefit from this historical and beautiful landmark – and may Harry’s memory guide us to a safer, kinder 2024 and beyond.
- Laura Marks CBE is founder of Mitzvah Day, chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and an interfaith consultant – (commongood.uk.com).
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