h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So why did I go on the Contryside Alliance march in London on Sunday? As is fairly well known, I am an IT consultant. As is also fairly well known, I lead an apparently exotic life shifting from Holiday Inn to Holiday In around Europe. What is rural England to me?

It's home. And I want to go home, but I can't. Two bedroom cottages are a quarter of a million on the part of the country I come from.

But that isn't the reason I was part of the march on Sunday. Market forces are market forces.

The reason I marched, put simply, is that the present governnment is the last in a long line of governements which have ignored rural issues, and their combination of ignorance, ignorage and meddling have destroyed livelihoods and lives.

I was raised on goats' milk and our own eggs and vegetables. It is now impossible to buy raw milk, the small hen-keepers have been put out of business and the gardeners cannot buy the pesticides and herbicides they have used for decades in their vegetable gardens.

With 24 other children, I walked to primary school in the village. That school has closed and is a private house.

I was raised in a rural rectory. When my father retired, it was sold and is now a private house. The church I was married in was one of two in my father's care. Now it is one of five.

The shop I bought sweets and comics in is now shut. Guess what? It has been converted into a private house.

The garage where I bought the petrol I put in the car to take my driving test has closed. There are now half a dozen houses on that site.

The Post Office where I bought stamps and my neighbours cashed their pensions has closed. It was tiny: the counter folded down across the kitchen doorway. I assume that the counter has now been removed. I don't know for sure; it is now a private house.

None of this would matter if the infrastructure and money was there to support the new distances that people have to travel. But the free bus service I took to secondary school is about to be abolished and replaced with one which people have to pay for.

The local bus services are in dissarray. They run once or twice a day and even so they are incredibly unreliable: services are often cancelled. Even when they do run, the different companies' services are not integrated, and they certainly do not integrate with the other main public transport system, the railways. So a 'simple' shopping trip can take all day, or not take place at all.

The pub I used to drink in with game-keepers, poachers, farm-workers and dairy-men is now an up-market restaurant with nowhere to stand and drink. Taxis are fifteen quid a shot to do a trip to the next village to drink there. That sort of money is not available on income support, which is what most farm workers and some farmers are having to live on, while the cottages they were born in are now sold to weekenders for quarter of a mil or more.

When I moved over a decade ago in the village I have just left, our house had a three figure phone number. But it will be years before it gets broadband. This means that the businesses which could come into rural areas to supplement and replace farming won't. It is too difficult to get staff unless they have cars, and it is impossible to get internet access. On the internet you can be anywhere, so long as it is not down the end of a farm-track that is.

And my friends whose lives and livelihoods were guided by directives on what feed to give their cattle, the very feed that gave their cattle BSE, then got their herds back to good health and good order in time to have them, healthy as they were, destroyed during foot and mouth.

I only shoot clays, I don't ride well enough to hunt, it is over two decades shince I shot rabbits (with a gun wwhich would now be illegal), but all around me I see livestock, livelihoods and lives destroyed by ingnorance and prejudice, and by people who think that weekending means that they understand rural life. I don't understand rural life, and I have led one for decades.

How typical that Tony Blair spent the weekend in the country so that he could close his eyes to the mass of people so great that it took 8 hours to march - in silence - past Downing Street yesterday.

In 1998 I was one of over a quarter of a million people who marched for freedom. This week I am proud to be one of the 407,791 peope who marched in London for Liberty and Livelihood on Sunday.

I only wish I thought it would make a difference.

a hick from the sticks called Ben

*stands up and gets counted with Ben*

Thanks! Which march did you go on, Liberty or Livelihood. I was on the Hyde Park one, and when I went through at 2.31 the count stood at 260 thousand.

I was more moved by the previous march, more angered and depressed by this one.

Ben

I was Liberty too although clearly a couple of hours after you ... got the bus from Lockerbie at 5am, marched/ambled/sauntered, got back on bus to Lockerbie! I was one of the Saltire waving jocks!

Have to say that I felt a similar sense of futility marching that wasn't around in '98 ... fox-hunting did still seem to overshadow it from a media perspective which irritated me more than anything ...

I guess we'll just have to see what happens ...

It is a shame that the thread has degenerated into hurling insults at the blood-crazed hunt-mad toffs...

It had managed to stay out of trading insults for so long.

Having said that, like the smoking thread, the antis are losing points for hysteria and spite.

B

Just popping in to say- was scheduled to be there, but was visiting MKA's ill father

The phrase "beating a dead horse" springs to mind ...

I have to say I've unsubscibed from the smoking thread - the inability that some people have to see both sides of an argument never fails to amaze me ...

Don't worry- the smoking thread died a death some time ago.

The CA thread not doing too bad yet...

Marching in Spirit, then KerrAvon. Great to know. And keep up the good fight!

Smoking thread? What smoking thread?

Can anyone tell me why antis are always so shrill, and why they always think they are libertarians?

Hey ho my hearties.

Ben

That, I fear, is one of the great unanswerables! The phrase "live and let live" appears to fall on deaf ears ...

... ally that with the nastursiums that are cast willy nilly by whosoever deems themself superior enough and it's enough to make you pull your hair out - it's no susprise I'm going bald!

I had meant to march but ended up on Salisbury Plain.

I have to say I feel the futility too. Ben knows my feelings on various issues , but that it's not that bothers me. That is unavoidable. It is that there are so many things that could be done but it seems inevitable that the country will become a sterile playground for Islingtonites.

Well done Ben and Ekki!

I hope MKA's father gets better soon.

That isn't very likely Abi- pretty much a case of waiting for God... Still, compasionate leave from work, yay! Ahhmm, sorry. Always look on the bright side and all that... We've pretty much got acustomed to the idea- he's lasted about six months longer than expected already.

Hi Hon I wondered if you would be there, but Sailbury Plain is cool too. If you have time (and if it is politically correct) take a look through http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F19585?thread=211601 and drop in your tuppence worth. It seems to be surprisingly well mannered, apart from some predicatable toff-bashing. Me and KerrAvon. High Class Girls! ;-) B

Sorry, I was not ignoring this thread, it got pushed down and down the list of conversation.

I certainly will! To be honest, I have been avoiding that thread mainly because it makes me go and you know I am not meant to voice any opinions on site! But as you have recommended it I will go and have a look.

And you are very classy chicks, both of you.

Well, since you are not supposed to express opinions, maybe it would be better if you did still continue to ignore it.

Briefly the thread goes more or less as follows:

"this was an pro-hunt march"
"no it wasn't, it was also about all these rural issues"
"but they aren't just rural issues"
"no, but they do play out differently in rural areas"
"can't find anything much to disagree with there"
"well why didn't rural campaingers campaign on national issues"
"we do"
"hunting is pointless and only done by blood crazed toffs"
"it serves a purpose"
"blood crazed Toff!"

And that is about it. So you may like to leave well alone!

Take care, Abi.

B

Oh of course and the packs based at the now defunct coilleries in South Wales are all run and followed by toffs too I suppose?

It is mighty tempting to risk the wrath of the DNA team!

I always assumed you each have a non-italicised alter ego....



B

So did I ...

That particular thread appears to have died a death ... wonder what it means?

Oh what you mean for ranting about things we are not allowed to rant about using our italicised account? You lot know us too well.

Actually i don't have an active one, but it is an idea. Watch out for suspicious looking newbies!

Classy chick I don't think I've ever been called that! Scruffy urchin yes, grubby alcoholic foul-mouthed brute, yes. I must view opinions on fox-hunting more often, if it gets me up the social ranks like this!