Since yesterday’s blog post, London’s Burning: The JDSports Riot, new stories have emerged with a different perspective. A great many among those are the stories of people not involved in the rioting or the looting, but who witnessed events, or even attempted to prevent them. In this blog post I want to explore what I regard as the most surreal elements of recent events, in particular the bizarre ways in which looters and vandals were rationalised with, and the way this might grant us an insight into the mentality of those doing the damage.

For me it started with the story of Louise Smith. Louise owns a salon (of the same name) in Wolverhampton town centre. She explained in an interview with BBC News that she often worked nine to seven to make ends meet as a single mother, and that there was ‘no way’ she was going to let rioters smash her business to pieces. Defiant, despite calls from her daughter to give it up for her own safety, Louise single-handedly saw off near enough three-hundred vandals, rioters and looters.

The surreal moment for me was when she explained that after reasoning that she was a single mother, “just like your mothers,” the rioters left her salon unscathed and moved onto the next shop – a florists, proceeding to trash that as if it was the most average, everyday thing to do. See the video below for the full interview.

Another interview on BBC Radio4 focussed on the looters themselves, who candidly expressed that they would “keep looting until I’m caught.” One of the looters explained, “why are you going to pass up the opportunity to get free stuff?”

In a bizarre twist, the looters went on to say that they thought that thirteen year old girls who they had seen out and participating, were wrong to do so, and that they would be “outraged” if their own homes were looted. The interview was nothing if not refreshingly honest, but it has put, in my opinion, the pop-press mantra that the looters have ‘no moral awareness’ into a tailspin. Evidently they do have a moral awareness, they’re just also aware that they’re under no obligation to follow it. Listen to the full audio below.

These stories and more shine light on a subject often framed as alien, disconnected, and hidden away under hoods, and whilst the media is still full of pictures of balaclava wearing rioters, and hooded looters, the often brutal (and naïve) honesty with which many involved explain away their actions seems to me at odds with the stereotypical, unapproachable chav.

Or maybe it’s just the cameras.

One thing is for certain however. Whilst London, and indeed many other parts of the UK have suffered at the hands of a small but vocal minority, what has emerged in response is a new, confident type of Briton, unafraid to assert him or herself to protect what is dear, or to recognise the value of local community. Despite the circumstances of its arrival, if this is Big Society, I hope it sticks around.

What are your thoughts? Have you experienced anything like this first hand? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe.