The Druid Grove

by **Destiny** » 30 May 2006, 22:16

In a bid to save 210 trees in ancient woodland nearby from being destroyed to make way for concrete, protesters have set up camp in the woods.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 027738.stm

by **Oriondruid** » 30 May 2006, 23:28

Hi Destiny.

It's all a bit frantic at the moment aint it? :grin:

What with the Camp Bling and White Horse stone situations as well, not to metion Tara and others like Thornborough Henge further afield from the South of England.

I read your post 'elsewhere' and hope you have more luck accessing the site in future. Sounds a bit dodgy getting on there, but if I get a chance to get away I'll probably try later on if the camp is still there and still needed.

Meanwhile Camp Bling being closer to me has to be my main focus as I can get there easily. I will however be writing to 'the authorities' about the appalling destruction proposed at Titnore Wood.

However if some people think the protest scene is lively and hard to keep up with now wait till a few years time when the massive protest camps spring up the length and breadth of the country if the new nukes get the go ahead. It'll be a madhouse in the media and on the net then!

I'm lookin forward to it me, I love a good battle! :grin:

BB. Onion

Website · by **Pagan** » 31 May 2006, 09:44

We must do all we can to help the protesters, the council are working AGAINST public opinion and feeling.What's more, they don't seem to be concerned that Titnore woods are a designated site of natural beauty and wildlife.

The whole plan the council has STINKS!

VIVE LA TITNORE

by **Destiny** » 31 May 2006, 11:14

Hiya Onion,

A bit hectic

We contacted the campers last night, seems like we are heading over this afternoon armed with wooden spoons and chopping boards :grin:

We are taking some other stuff too, what ever we can carry

Take care
Destiny and Pagan

Just had this email from Protect Our Woodland

Dear Supporters,

Environmental campaigners, who have occupied Ancient Woodland to prevent it from being felled for a road scheme and massive development, urgently need large quantities of 10-12mm blue poly rope (similar to what BT use to pull cables through underground ducting). They also need financial help for life's essentials.

Please reply in first instance to this e-mail as we might be able to collect the rope. For funds bank account details can be supplied if needed. Finally could you make as many people/groups/websites aware of the effort that is being made by a group of dedicated environmentalists to safe guard this unique area for future generations to enjoy.

Many thanks

Protect Our Woodland.

Please visit our website at: http://www.protectourwoodland.co.uk for all the
latest news and information on the Titnore Lane Ancient Woodland Camp.

Website · by **Pagan** » 31 May 2006, 14:25

:hiya:

Hi

At last we were able to get to Titnore camp and carried with us some supplies.

The guys and gals down there are a happy bunch of well organised, determined people. We will be returning tomorrow to take more supplies.

The main needs of the protesters are building materials, eg; wood, 100mm nails, polypropyline rope(10mm) tarpaulins, rugs and old carpets. Any donations anyone may wish to make to help this protest please contact Protect Our Woodland who have a fund for this camp. :hug:

Thanks people, maybe if we all muck in on this one, Worthing Council might be forced to scrap this location for their concreting experiment and look just a 1/4 mile South! There next to Ferring are hundreds of metres of open land with virtually no habitat at all, and no trees! What's wrong with building the houses there??? :shrug:

by **starspawned** » 31 May 2006, 14:29

You might be interested in this... http://www.findonvillage.com/0900_rat_castle.htm
There could be another conservation issue here as well?

Website · by **Pagan** » 31 May 2006, 20:57

Hi

Good point, starspawned. :shake:

Knowing the way that things are done in Worthing, they'll probably sell it to the NHS for millions more than it's actually worth, who will spend millions of pounds of tax payers money refurbing it and decorating etc for the hugely vital purpose of storing paper! Then in about 1 years time when funding runs out, it'll be closed down and boarded up for 20 years till the cycle goes full circle! Do not pass go, do not collect £200......... :-(

Bright Blessings

Pagan :hug:

by **Oriondruid** » 01 Jun 2006, 13:43

Nice one Pagan! :wink:

BB. Onion.

by **Wren MacDonald** » 02 Jun 2006, 01:28

I went to the website but it looks like they don't have a bank account set up yet. So nothing for us Americans to do as of yet, it seems. I will go back and check though to see if I can make a donation later. Thanks for letting us all know!

Wren ^.~*

Website · by **Pagan** » 02 Jun 2006, 09:11

Hi Wren! :hiya: :shake:

Thanks for your support. We will contact POW by email and raise the point you made. We were under the impression a fund was set up already, maybe they just haven't got round to it yet! Hopefully they will sort it soon. It seems like this is going to be a long campaign by the protesters, apparently the farmer has told locals the protesters can stay as long as they like as work is not due to commence on the site for 2 more years!! But we will continue to do what we can, which isn't a lot I know, but if all the locals muck in I really think we can all make a difference here!

Bright Blessings :hug:

by **Destiny** » 02 Jun 2006, 12:41

Maybe the owner wants them to believe it could take up to two years, meanwhile he is probably planning his battle tactics :whistle:

They have a lot of support, but could do with more.

by **Oriondruid** » 02 Jun 2006, 13:09

Hi Destiny, hope all's good with you, Pagan and the camp.

apparently the farmer has told locals the protesters can stay as long as they like as work is not due to commence on the site for 2 more years!!

Great! Plenty of time for a really good community to get established there! :grin:

Somewhere also nice to go camp out for our holidays with the farmer's 'blessing' ! :grin:

But if they believe that and leave you can betcha the place will be fenced off like a military base overnight and the bulldozers and chainsaw vandals will get to work in days doing 'preparatory work' (ie choppping down the trees and levelling the site)!

I wouldn't trust that statement in the slightest, I believe they have already run the cables and power to the site of the White Horse Stone proposed mobile mast, when they haven't even got permission to erect it yet!!! :x

BB. Onion.

by **Destiny** » 02 Jun 2006, 13:59

Hiya Onion :hug:

I can just hear it now "Good Morning Campers welcome to Camp Titnore, Hi Di Hi" :grin:

I too think the owner will be trying every trick in the book, as it stands the campers are quite happy there and set to stay :wink:

It's a great spot, near Somerset Lake, it's small as lakes go but a fishing lake I believe.

Re: The White Horse Stone, no one seems to care about history anymore, it's as if they want to swipe it away, vultures ! :germ:

by **Oriondruid** » 02 Jun 2006, 14:43

Hi Destiny and All.

Yep. a people without history will be easier to control and have nothing to base their judgements about future 'developments' on! :x

By the way I got a basic receipt acknowledgement from Maidstone of my objection letter, with a promise to keep me informed, we'll see how that one pans out!

I seriously doubt they'll be able to put up the mast though, but the threat is real so the more objectors the better.

Still hoping to get down to Tinore Wood for a night or two soon, perhaps in a few weeks when my Sister and family are back from their hols and I can get some 'back up' here to care for Dad. Hope to see you both then, I need a break and the chance to chat with some people who have their heads screwed on properly. My own being distinctly wobbly from time to time!

BB. Onion.

BB. Onion

by **Destiny** » 02 Jun 2006, 18:46

Hi Onion,

Give us a buzz whenever you can get down, understandably, you need to take breaks. You are always welcome :D

I don't know if we have got our heads screwed on properly :D , I think I have stitched mine back on quite a number of times :grin:

We are looking forward to meeting you, whenever you can make it.

Keep up all the good work :hug:

Destiny & Pagan

Website · by **Pagan** » 03 Jun 2006, 12:20

URGENT NEWS - TITNORE TREE CAMP
LATEST UPDATE

11pm, Thursday June 1

PROTESTERS at the camp said this evening they were totally delighted with the support they were receiving from local people. Please keep the visits coming. Most needed at the moment are large beams of wood. Also on the wish list are woodchip, sawdust, knife sharpener, harnesses/carabiners, beelays/climbing rope, batteries, credit for camp phone (0780 4245324), waterproof clothes, Marmite, first aid kit, herbal tea and funnel. Financial donations can be made at the camp (ring number above if you can't find it!) or by sending a cheque payable to "The Porkbolter" to PO Box 4144, Worthing BN14 7NZ - we will pass on the cash ASAP.

Support the tree camp on Saturday (June 3) from 11am in Montague Place, Worthing town centre. Helpers needed.

Website · by **Pagan** » 05 Jun 2006, 19:03

Any updates regarding this topic that I have I will post them on the warband from now on! Not too many people on here seem at all interested!

http://www.warband.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl

BB :hug:

by **Jingle** » 05 Jun 2006, 19:28

Yes, interested, Pagan. But feeling helpless here from so far away. I don't know what "the warband" is.
Please let us know when they have a paypal account set up, as that's the easiest way to send money these days.

I do hope these people aren't causing more harm to the woods with their building treehouses and riding their motorcycles around.

Anyway, good luck with this. Have you tried posting info to http://www.saveourtrees.info ? That also might be a place, to also add links.

by **Destiny** » 05 Jun 2006, 20:50

Hi Jingle

The protesters are not riding motorbikes around anywhere, it's woodland.

They are a group of eco warriors, who love the natural enviroment and would not harm it in any way.

They have stood up so that the voices of those that care can be heard.

They are a cheerful bunch of good young people :)

by **Oriondruid** » 05 Jun 2006, 21:33

Hi Jingle, Destiny and all.

Or not so young in my case Destiny, nor in King Arthur's and that of some others of the original Newbury Veterans! :grin:

But yes we do have very many young members and a wide spread of 'types'. :)

Warband is shorthand for The Loyal Arthurian Warband, an order of very eco active Druids and other Pagans, the nucleus of whom came together during the massive Newbury Bypass protest and also around the fight to regain free access to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice celebrations after the Wicked Witch Thatcher banned them and sealed off the area with an illegal 'exclusion zone'.

This fifteen year long continuous outrage we and in particular our Chosen Chief, King Arthur Pendragon and Rollo Maughling of the Glastonbury Order fought against has now finally been defeated in the courts and access is now regained, with major changes at 'the Henge' planned to improve and extend the public's rights whilst still preserving the site.

You'll find our message board here:-

http://www.warband.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl

And there is also our main website with extensive info about the history of the Warband, our 'battle honours' from our various campaigns, our structure, aims, links and alliances etc. However, at present the message board is only just coming back on line following upgrading and some sections are still in need of work and are shut down from time to time, it is about eighty percent operational though. The main website however is also being extensively revamped and currently is off line, but will be back soon with a groovy new look and more features and updates.

Currently the 'holding page' is here:-

http://www.warband.org/

The Warband is also a 'proper' Order not simply an eco protest organisation and is very active when looked at from a ritual context, performing regular open rituals along with many other Orders and Covens and other types of Pagans etc at Stonehenge.

Also for many years along with The Glastonbury , The Cotswold and other Druid Orders like Tim Sebastian's Secular Order of Druids, based in the beautiful city of Bath we've been helping run the large 'Wheel of the Year' open rituals which are a complete eightfold cycle of ceremonies at the great stone circle of Avebury in Wiltshire, which is so large it partially surrounds the village and has a pub in the middle! :grin:

This set of rituals along with all the numerous Wiccan and various other Pagan ceremonies that happen there regularly make the Avebury complex the largest 'fully operational' Pagan Temple in Britain and probably Europe or the World for that matter. :grin:

This is a link to a fantastic website with extensive info wonderful wallpapers, photos, maps, drawing, archaeological details, archive material, you name it about Avebury. Including the great early 'modern Druid revivalist William Stukeley's fantastic work that he did there.

http://www.avebury-web.co.uk/index.html

Anyway, hope you and some others find this info useful, sorry the main Warband website is 'down' at present but we'll be back soon with a bang! :grin:

Meanwhile the Avebury site I posted is a fantastic resource and should be enough to keep any Druid happy for days and the Warband's message board is largely working and is set up the same as here, so guests can read posts, but you need to register to reply or start a new topic.

Be aware however when visiting the Warband message board that whilst it is friendly it has a very different ethos and attitude to many other Pagan boards and the odd swear word can pop up used as emphasis, but whilst not in any way racist or sexist we can be 'forthright' and political. Also we do not do 'fluffy', but Bitchcraft is not tolerated! :grin:

BB. Onion.

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