"Big Ben remained silent, as it has done since restoration work began on it two years ago, watching over parliament's renovations and negotiations. Down below, thousands of alarm clocks were ringing out, and while they lacked the size of Big Ben, they made up for it in volume. The alarms had a whole range, from classic tick-tock bedside clocks, to mobile phones, to improvised whistles, but they all rang the same message in chorus: The time is now.

The ticking is of a planet running out of time, and the alarms have been ringing for a while, but not everybody has been listening. We are living through times of extreme weather events, yet we merely hold up our metaphorical umbrellas and hope for the best. We see stress and mental health problems on the rise, we see studies that prove a link between connecting to nature and improved mental health, and yet we have no large-scale plan for putting the two together. We are our own worst enemies. But things can change, things have to change, and events like this are a way to help everyone figure out how on earth we're going to manage that change. 

Our small group joined up with crowds of other small groups, coalescing into one larger group that lined the sides of the River Thames from parliament to Lambeth Bridge, across the river and back towards parliament on the other side. The riverside had been divided up into geographical sections for us, arranged so that we could amble down to the 'Stafford' part of the riverside (our county was well represented, but we decided to stick with the county town), meeting others from around the same area, able to aim questions at local MP, Jeremy Lefroy, who had joined us to listen. The lobby was a proactive event, and we hoped that our thoughts and questions would be taken by our MPs and used to form the new Environment Act, due to be put forward to parliament later in the year. Get that right, and we can lead the world in protecting the future. Time has run out for getting it wrong. 

We may have been there with a serious purpose, but the crowds were in good spirits, joking and laughing in the Wednesday afternoon sunshine. At one point there was a dance-off between our very own 6-foot tall badger and an equally large bee that had buzzed down our path. At another, a group of school boys started a catchy chant that was hard to resist. Everywhere, there were placards with slogans that were fun and serious at the same time. And that was really the point of the lobby; go down to London, get everyone in the mood, deliver that message that can't be ignored any more. For me, this is the only way to achieve something; you can call names and deliver soundbites all you like, but when we come together, share ideas and see each other’s viewpoints, that's when you really start to make progress."