Edinburgh

I was lucky enough to be part of the "Making Poverty History" event in Edinburgh on Saturday, with Victoria, Michala & Phil.

It was a spectacular day - a huge crowd, incredibly well organized, with a great sense of humour and camaraderie. The old, the very young, from all parts of the country (and across Europe) - some just "regular people", and some a little bizarre! Everything was done with such a light touch - the word "polite" seemed to be the word of the day. The police smiled at the marchers, and the marchers smiled back. Everyone learnt something. I think our kids will remember the day for the rest of their lives.

But don't mistake the determination to make a difference. You could feel it in the air. All 225,000 people shared the same goal - make a point about making a difference.

And it seemed the Hyde Park Live8 crowd were on exactly the same wavelength. Good for Bob Geldof, Bono and others - and look at the terrific job Will Smith did in Philadelphia. Who will ever forget the 3 second finger clicking to signify the death of a child ....

On the other hand, I read with anger that the week is now being driven by anarchists and others with no agenda to help others - and unfortunately that may now take over the headlines. I just urge the media to put this into context.

The real big news is that ordinary people are politely but firmly wanting change for the poorest people on this earth.