70th anniversary of UK mass trespass

Subject: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Grab
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 09:31 AM

Today is the 70th anniversary of the first UK mass trespass on Kinder Scout, which led to British ramblers being allowed the freedom to walk the hills. There's a day's event to commemorate it (see this link) and Mike Harding (performer and Radio 2 folk DJ) will be on hand. Unfortunately I'm the wrong end of the country that weekend, but I'm sure there'll be people in the area who'll be interested.

For reference to non-Brits (and for Brits who don't know about it), see this Guardian article for details of the mass trespass and its effects on allowing people to go hill-walking.

And of course, see the song which Ewan McColl wrote for the mass trespass, and which MH will (predictably) be singing.

Graham.

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Grab
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 09:40 AM

Oops, forgot to close that last link! :-)

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Hrothgar
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 10:28 AM

From somebody who has walked over Kinder Scout and up the Pennine Way - blessed be their memory.

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 03:23 PM

So, in the UK rambling is what we in the US call hiking?

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Les Jones
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 04:53 PM

Indeed it is.

But this ramble was different, it was a political event.

As McColl has it

'No man has the right to own Mountains, any more than the deep Ocean Bed

I'm a RamblerI'm a Rambler from Manchester way ................'

It is essential that critisism of the current government is maintained, but much good has been achieved, including the Right to Roam.

We have a duty to say what is wrong and what we want instead. But we also have a duty on May 2 to Vote Labour, lest we repeat the mistakes made in France

All that needs to happen foe evil to progress is for good people to do nothing.

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: 8_Pints
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 06:53 PM

It was refreshing to hear on the BBC radio this morning, that the ancestor of the original landowner conceded that his family was wrong to deny access to his land for rambling.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: HuwG
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 08:58 AM

Mike Harding will be playing during the evening, at Glossop Labour Club, with local singer / songwriter Claire Mooney.

I suspect tickets sold out long ago.

Weather forecast not brilliant, but I intend to walk across the hills to Bowden Quarry tomorrow. See you there ...

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: John J
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:33 PM

Where are you walking from Huw, and what time are you setting off? I was in the area the last two Saturdays; Bowden Bridge car park is closed. I may take the train to New Mills (?) and walk in. I walked that bit last week, it's dead easy, all Goyt Valley Way and Sett Valley Trail (I think).

John

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: John J
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:34 PM

I should clarify the comment about the quarry being closed: it's only closed temporarily, presumably for the 'event'.

John

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:55 PM

I'm not sure if this is a general interpretation or just me, but I've always thought that rambling and hiking are somewhat different. Rambling has an 'ambling' flavour to me, whereas hiking has always seemed rather more of a forced march. If you like, hiking is rambling in a higher gear!

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 10:08 PM

8 pints, I saw the good man's televised apology - in which he apologised primarily for his ancesters' gamekeepers! He's still got to explain why he owns most of Derbyshire, when he is in fact the Duke of Devonshire....

Thanks for the reminder Grab - I'm going to try to make it.

By the way, next Monday (29 April) is the funeral of Gordon Skinner, a longstanding fighter for the right to roam, an NUM leader and a member of Nottinghamshire County Council for many years. (Also Dennis's kid brother.) Gordon had had cancer for several years. I gather it's to be a secular funeral, and his ashes are to be scattered on Kinder Scout. RIP.

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Apr 02 - 07:15 AM

Fionn, the story I've heard is that Queen Elizabeth I intended to make John(?) Cavendish Duke of Derbyshire, but the scribe who wrote out the actual Letters Patent misread the scribbled instructions and wrote Devonshire.

As the Queen had applied her seal to the document before the mistake was noticed, he had to be Devonshire henceforth, as she wouldn't make him Derbyshire as well!

(And if I remember correctly he actually came from Suffolk, and rose as a protege of Cardinal Wolsey)

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: Les Jones
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 04:07 AM

We went to the 50th, the 60th and enjoyed the 70th. As Mikr Harding and other speakers reminded us yesterday, the Tresspass was a political event about the rights of working people. Mike and Benny had been on a rally against the privatisation of water, it was sold off so that we could buy it back in bottles.

Thr pro-hunt brigade were their yesterday! It was and remains their ownership of land for hunting that kept the rest of us out of the countryside

Great steps were made after the Tresspass but only with political power. We have it now. The current leadership need clear and direct advice. The rest of us need to get and vote this Thursday and all the other Thursady's lest we betray those who went before us.

The broad left stayed at home in France..............

Subject: RE: 70th anniversary of UK mass trespass
From: HuwG
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 02:04 PM

Back on the net after a day spent groaning with stiff legs ...

I walked to Bowden from the opposite direction to New Mills; started from Glossop, two miles bog-trotting, then three along the Pennine Way, William Clough and the footpath down from the reservoir. Then of course, I had to go back again. Somehow the way back always seems longer ...

The event was well worth attending. As Mike Harding and others pointed out, the Trespass broke a logjam which had been in place for years while people negotiated and achieved things only at a snail's pace.

I met Benny Rothman at another protest at Bowden some ten years ago, or so, against Maggie's government flogging the land owned by the recently privatised Water Boards. Benny might have been into his eighties then, but he prostrated half the crowd with a couple of miles of well-paced walking. It is a great shame he died earlier this year, aged ninety.