In September 1981, a group of more than 30 people marched from Cardiff to Berkshire to protest US nuclear weapons being sited at Greenham Common. In 1982, the camp they had established became the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, which remained until 2000.
On the 40th anniversary, the march was recreated to celebrate one of the longest and most famous examples of feminist protest in recent history. And as in 1981, they camped overnight in Hungerford on their way to Greenham.
Trish Whitham from Hungerford Environmental Action Team and Green District Councillor Steve Masters (above), along with longterm Hungerford resident Jane Buckle, welcomed the marchers and accepted their gift of a commemorative plaque.
There are plans to permanently display the plaque at the Hungerford Hub.
On Friday morning several women from across West Berkshire arrived by train in Hungerford to join the final day’s march to Greenham Common.
Over 60 marchers completed the walk up to Greenham Common ahead of a weekend of celebrations and reflection at the Greenham Control Tower.
The weather gods were kind and numbers grew all day including the arrival of Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Dr Rebecca Johnson from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
40th Anniversay Exhibition
Author: Penny Post
Penny Post is a community notice board serving West Berkshire, Wantage, Swindon, Marlborough and surrounding areas so there