North Dorset Western Gazette from Yeovil, Somerset, England • 20

The Western Gezette 6th June 1984 VIEWPOINT letters ta the Editor Founded in 1736 as the Sherborne Mercury and 1 743 as the Western Flying Post and Yeovil Mercury with its postboy emblem Government and the hippies THE WESTERN GAZETTE -SHERBORNE ROAD-YEOVILSOMBA21-4YA A study of hippiculture the law then he already has powers to deal with them as undesirable aliens She has also told Mr Hurd that new legislation must give powers to the police to evict such communities immediately there is a request from the appropriate landowner or local authority The Country Association has urged that legal proceedings to evict convoys and similar groups who invade private land should be speeded up further oy delegating High Court powers to local magistrates The regional secretary Major David Byrne insists that life has to be made so uncomfortable for such people that they will no longer wish to spend their summers moving through the countryside squatting on private land secure in the knowledge that once they have come to rest they are safe from eviction for a week or longer served a small dose of its own medicine Certainly there is much to dislike in the and their behaviour only aggravates the destruction of our natural beauty and environment Again property must be protected whether it is own backyard or a thousand acre homestead but this is a social problem which calls for government action sooner rather than later Like Mr Monk I am disgusted by the obvious humbug creeping into this dispute If it comes to destruction of the countryside one cannot help but wonder whose hands are the more soiled the farmers or the and if it comes to litter and wastes certainly the farmers have much for which to answer HEWINS 15a Severalls Park Avenue Crewkeme Nothing less than changes in the law will solve the long-term problem of the hippie trespassers The police he records have THERE has been nationwide sympathy with Somerset farmer Mr Leslie Attwell whose farm was invaded and occupied by the so-called Peace Convoy of 300 hippies for several days recently until he was granted a High Court injunction to remove them from his land at Lytes Cary Mr Attwell who suffers from a heart complaint now faces the prospect of having to pay substantial legal costs as the result of is successful action Coupled with the obvious relief at the outcome must be the realisation that as the result of nationwide media attention to his plight there is at last the prospect of amending the law of trespass Why should a farmer operating on the most modest scale or the owner of a stately home with hundreds of acres of land be the target of such an unwelcome visitation and then have to bear the financial burden of taking action because the authorities are apparently quite unable to do so? Local authorities which have power to tackle the gipsy problem within their boundaries cannot make similar provision for hippies and the like And if the truth were known how many peripatetic parasites would wish to settle down on a site set aside for them? No it is a fact that many in such a cavalcade have made a conscious decision to drop out of society and having done so live a lifestyle of their own choosing which has as seen so clearly in the West Country over the past few days caused distress and worry to the majority of people who have to pay their way and accept the responsibilities placed upon them The degree of very real concern felt by farmers and their families especially was reflected in the unprecedented scenes witnessed as the convoy was evicted from Lytes Cary and made its way towards Yeovil and beyond Farmers and landowners fearing a fate similar to that suffered by Mr Attwell utilised farm and private vehicles and machinery as makeshift barricades barring entry to every farm and field en route Some also felt so strongly that they indicated their willingness to take up arms to defend their property The Minister of State for Agriculture Mr John Selwyn Gummer as well as local MPs visited the hippies on site or met them at a roadside resting place in order to learn at first hand the extent of the problem Dorset was the next county to experience and at Corfe Castle the travellers became an unusual and unexpected tourist attraction This week the convoy headed across the border into Hampshire Its eventual destination? Could it be Stonehenge after all the hippies hoping that there will be another summer solstice pop festival? The authorities have already indicated that no such gathering will be allowed there again so there is the very real prospect of another confrontation between the forces of law and disorder A warning that a confrontation would seriously obstruct discussions aimed at solving the festival problem came this week from Mr David Horlock director of Salisbury Playhouse and chairman of a special open forum organised by the Salisbury Diocesan Board For Social Responsibility held last March Mr Horlock says the result of the comprehensive and constructive discussions have been passed to all concerned By their recent actions in the West Country the hippies have stirred up such opposition that the Government is being pressed to act purposefully and quickly against them Member of the European Parliament for Somerset and Dorset West Mrs Margaret Daly has written to the Home Secretary (Mr Douglas Hurd) demanding action to stop bussing from one social security office to the next It has been claimed that there are some foreign hippies involved and that where they are EEC citizens EEC action is needed However Mrs Daly advises the Home Secretary that Brussels has informed her that if Community citizens are breaking got to receive permanent injury before action is taken? Say what you like and it is only creating tempers and bad feeling among the players It was once known as a game My how things have changed! only blame the players when they fall out of line it is happening all the time in other ways JONES 33 Wingate Avenue Yeovil pay rise for nurses SIR I was deeply dissappointed to hear of the derisory pay rise When I consider the work (often very dirty) involved the skill and patience that is required by nurses I think their low pay is an insult The pay of a staff nurse is just over £6000 compare that with the salary of a policeman which is over £12000 plus a very good housing allowance early retirement and a whacking great pension The "trouble is nurses are mainly women and they still get the lowest wage no matter how hard they work I think it is about time their work was recognised WINGHAM (Miss) Glen Croft Main Street Mudford Yeovil perhaps we could say not according to the rules I am not questioning the Botham inquisition it just staggers me with the evidence on hand from many quarters how so many have got away with it for we know to our disgust and shame how most behavioural patterns have changed for the worst I know there are many who could tell sordid stories that would make hair curl about certain individuals who could have been charged with bringing the game into far worse disrepute than Ian Botham but unfortunately he was also in the business of selling newspapers and that sort of story is red meat to the media As for rules and regulations why do the authorities allow bowlers to deliberately bowl bumpers with the intention of putting fear into the heart of the batsmen? Are not the three stumps the objective in each delivery? Is it right that batsmen should have to wear obnoxious headgear because they are frightened of being hit in the face or head? Is it right spectators should have to witness a batsman acting like a clown to avoid being struck on the head by a 80 to 90 mph bumper? Do not these things which are being allowed bring the game into disrepute as well? I put these questions to the MCC but they completely ignored them Has someone done an excellent job within the constraints of the law in preventing further incursions damage and nuisance to private land But in the present state of the law it seems there is nothing to prevent this sort of problem continuing indefinitely The Home Office has said that a balance must be drawn to enable intruders who cause damage and trouble to be dealt with by the police but also to protect the innocent who merely want to walk across fields and enjoy the countryside Whatever form it takes whether amending legislation to the law of trespass or an addition to a Bill currently before Parliament there must be a compromise which is acceptable and effective Not so straightforward is the action to take in the interests of the hippies themselves Driving them from one field to another at great expense to public funds and local ratepayers solves nothing Another solution has to be found The Government must accept the challenge presented by the hippies and act swiftly IU-conceived comment SIR May I answer Mr Monk? Finding nothing hostile to say about treatment of the hippie convoy his letter went on to condemn farmers generally for being vandals themselves and for planting rye grasses in particular British Leyland are not restricted to produce Morris Minors nor Ford to make only the Model So why codemn an industry for being efficient and using modem strains of grasses? Mr Monk implies that it is a cardinal sin for a farmer to make a profit As a farmer myself I seek no favours but I resent such ill-conceived and biased comment MULLINS Dewcoombe East Melbury Shaftesbury SIR In a recent issue of a national newspaper a reader asked: do hippies go in the The short answer is of course that they hippemate and living in the Yeovil area where there has recently been a brood of these creatures known collectively as a hippicom I have been able to study them at close quarters and can report further on hippiculture as follows: To become a hippie one must swear allegiance to the hippicratic oath two of the main commandments being that shaft not and shalt not They also believe that there is a hippiland far far away where they can settle at will practice rites and all will be plentifully provided for by a munificent being known as the DHSS In Spring after being aroused from their winter hippemation they congregate into their hippicom groups and commence their hippigration to find their nesting areas where they can practice their ancient courting and other rites which are referred to as the hippimating period One of the main rites appears to involve a group of stones which have hippnotic solar powers which are particularly active on day If the hippicoms are prevented in any way from being able to nest near these stones which are one of their main migration sites they then tend to wander aimlessly around the countryside looking for hippipop which they seem to find is a sedative especially if amplified and compensates for their frustrated hippisolsticestone rites They descend hipphazardously on any location without any thought as to the consequence of their actions apparently being completely disorientated In this state they also suffer from delusions of persecution by all whom they come into contact with and make agressive movements and noises if approached They are also very often accompanied by swarms of bluebottles which they seem to attract and which circle menacingly around They carry on in this manner until the Autumn when the hippicoms disperse and go again into hippemation for the Winter There is another group of this species who are the complete antithesis of the hippies and all they stand for They are known as the yuppies They consider themselves very yupper crust but that however is a separate story which will have to be the subject of a further report GANE Professor of Hippiculture The Rock Stoford Yeovil NEWS FROM THE PAST has been cold for the season through frost occurring in the earlier part of the month SOTHEBYN FOUNDED 17 leadership among many other conventional qualities However I was impressed with their peaceful appraoch this year compared to that of last year even if many did look rather formidable In fact the Yeovil public in general seemed to treat their passage through the town as a bit of a carnival atmosphere something which I learned from the many hippies I spoke to came as quite a pleasant surprise as they had pictured a mob warfare reaction from the public beforehand This is mainly due to the adverse publicity the media generated in my view After spending a few hours Saturday afternoon on the SomersetDorset border trying to liaise between the two police forces and the hippies 1 have come to the following conclusions: There should be several sites around the country designated to the hippies the trespass law must be ameded to allow police immediate powers of arrest rather than the current farcical situation of court order procedures which prove lengthy and costly I question the wisdom of the police allowing the hippies to regroup at Corfe Castle and afterwards in the New Forest after they had been split up into more manageable smaller groups I conclude that designated sites with strict police advice that any future infringements of the law would warrant strong reprisals should prevent a reoccurence of this almost yearly problem DAVID McDonough 130 stiby Road Yeovil Hippies' vehicles and the law SIR The present problem of large numbers of motorised hippies invading farmland while making their way towards Stonehenge must be tackled by every means possible The authorities seem to feel that the law does no allow them to effectively deal with these persons However if the police were to stop every one of these vehicles and ask to see the certificate of insurance licence road tax disc and MOT certificate many would be found to be breaking the law These vehicles could then be stopped from using the roads JAMES ANDERSON Wentworth 2 Darners Road Dorchester and the Peace SIR Mr letter (Western Gazette 30th May) strikes a refreshing note and adds a touch of sanity to a situation slowly becoming hysterical Whilst offering every sympathy to Mr Attwell of Lytes Cary who has has his land damaged by the depredations of the hippy community and has had to seek a costly court order to remove these uninvited it does seem ironical however that the one section of the community responsible for so much permanent despoliation of the countryside ie the farming fraternity should raise such an outcry when 200 YEABS AGO THIS is to give notice that there is in the custody of William Porter at Lam-brook a heifer 2 years old Whoever owns the same paying for keeping and other expenses after the marks are proved may have her again The Orchard for many years in the occupation of Mrs Paul as a nursery garden has just fallen into the hands of the Duchy of Cornwall Fordingbridge Weather for May The first 10 days of this month were very dry only 008 inches of rain falling but since that date there has been almost constant wet the total for the month being 408 inches which is nearly double the average which for the preceding 10 years is 217 inches 111 falling on the 12th Rain fell more or less on 19 days The weather Hinton St George The Friendly Club celebrated what is intended to be an annual festival on Tuesday The early part of the day was most unfavourable but a very pleasant day was spent A capital spread was provided by Host Gosney of the Poulett Arms and the usual loyal toasts were given fries (Extracts from our dated 4th June 1886) Fewer strokes aim Smyttr mud fv our colour brtdturt UNBLESSED HOLIDAYS 19 Southbourne Grove Bournemouth BH6 3QS (0202)421205 100 YEARS AGO Christchurch The new railway station at Christchurch which is a commodious building and a great improvement on the old one was opened on Sunday and is now in regular use all trains stopping there instead of at the old station The double line between Christchurch and Bournemouth which was recently officially inspected has also been used since Sunday The new Boscombe station at Pokesdown is not yet open Dorchester The attractive property on the London Road known as f3 ATOL 1288 mm A CAMPAIGN to help to prevent strokes is being launched by the West Dorset Chest Heart and Stroke Association It is estimated that 100000 people in the United Kingdom suffer a stroke every year and one death is six is due to a stroke or its consequences Yet about half the strokes could be prevented Yes I advertise regularly ii the Western Gazette it 1 r'n Bringing game into disrepute SIR It is not my intention to take sides with Ian Botham or any other sportsman foolish enough to take drugs for some reason best known to themselves I only know that if they are found out they must pay the penalty Being interested in sport in general and having participated in cricket (mostly) and football years ago I have followed this accusation against Ian Botham with considerable interest and find myself asking the question Ian been picked out as an example? Or was this drug habit affecting his With all that is happening behind the scenes in this day and age have those in charge at last decided something has to be done? As for bringing the game into disrepute it is not only the players but the spectators who are adding so much fuel to the fire Drug taking among so many involved in the game and watching it has been going on for years and it seems that it has grown to horrible proportions The authorities know that as with drinking it poses a tremendous problem The word means lack of good repute discredit and me results and I appreciate the sound advice and help over presentation of copy team visits Parnham House Beaminster Dorset in aid of the Parnham Trust experts look forward to welcoming you at Parnham House Beaminster Dorset on Tuesday 10th June 1986 1030 am to 1 pm and 130 pm to 330 pm Although are giving their services free an entrance fee of £1 per person to include the valuation of the first item (additional items 5 Op each) will be collected for the Parnham Trust Enquiries: Magdalene Street Taunton Somerset TA1 1SB Telephone: (0823) 88441 The objects of the campaign are twofold: to educate the public on the prevention and treatment of a stroke and to raise funds for the expansion of research and counselling in the development of the well-established volunteer stroke scheme One of the main contributory factors of a stroke is high blood pressure and by the early recognition and treatment of this strokes can be avoided Even after suffering a stroke there is much that can be done to alleviate the effects In West Dorset Mrs Isabel Jones of Moorside Close Weymouth runs the volunteer stroke scheme and the associated Dorchester Stroke Club The scheme works closely with doctors and speech therapists to help patients who have difficulty following a stroke Although Mrs Jones has many volunteer helpers in West Dorset she is always looking for more The area contact for the Chest Heart and Stroke Association is Col Arnold of Aylestone Somer Fields Lyme Regis who can be contacted for further information Designate sites SIR I am writing to you to express my feelings on the particularly in the Yeovil area last weekend I witnessed the convoy of their vehicles holding up traffic from Ilchester Road right through the town It was not until nearly 10 that evening that they continued their journey supposedly for It was this lack of information being passed back through the convoy that surprised me They appear to hate 'I 111 by John Lukins COPIES OF PICTURES FROM THIS NEWSPAPER Get a wonderful record of those special moments with professionally produced photographic reprints of Western Gazette Pulman's Weekly News or Free Press pictures Just think of the memories they will bring back for you your family your friends in years to come Just think how you may feel in the future if you don't act now to get your prints It's so easy! Just clip the picture you want marking the date of the edition complete the simple order form below and pop it in the post to us We'll send along your lovely pictures well packed very soon If your appliance breaks down you could get more than you bargained for (For starters a 1 year guarantee on all repairs) NOTE: Obviously we can only produce copies of pictures taken by our own photographers You can tell which these are because the photographer's name always appears in the caption under the picture If there isn't a name it's not a Gazette picture and we can't produce copies because the contributor has the negatives So look carefully for the name before ordering PLEASE ALLOW 14 DAYS FOR DELIVERY that any repairs carried out by us are fully guaranteed for a year Applicare for peace of mind To protect yourself against unexpected costs a small quarterly payment will give you Applicare a service which covers your electrical appliances in the event of anything going wrong during normal use In short when your appliance fails Southern Electricity never fails to deliver For further information and an application form for Applicare write to the address below Orfor immediate repairs telephone our Service Reception on Yeovil 75151 At Southern Electricity we take pride in our after-sales service So much so that we offer a complete range of repair services We have 200 highly trained electricians who can replace most faulty parts from their comprehensive van stocks at very competitive prices indeed We repair appliances from most major manufacturers including Belling Creda Hoover Hotpoint Philips and Tricity so you can relax in the knowledge that whatever the problem Southern Electricity can solve it swiftly expertly and at reasonable cost In factwe're so confident of our high standards of service A LADY suffering from a nervous illness recently visited a Bible distributor and handed him her prescription It was for two New Testaments! Wise doctor I reckon he would go along with another leading medic who believes about 60 per cent of all illness exist if people were right with God and right with each other The who had the privilege of making up this particular prescription belonged to the Gideons that army of scripture distributors who seem to have been having plenty to encourage them lately Ben Barredo a former criminal lawyer now turned evangelist has seen over 43000 young people come to Christ in the Philippines in the past three years since he began speaking to student bodies on the subject abuse a Gospel Being something of a sceptic he held follow-up meetings with the young people to find why they responded to the Gospel He found that many of them had been reading the New Testaments that the Gideons had been giving out at schools Beatrice from Switzerland wrote six years ago while I was still at school the Gideons came to speak and give us a New Testament I was deeply moved by what I heard but soon forgot all about it Testament stayed in the drawer of my nightstand until the day I decided to really clean my room As I opened the drawer I saw the little red Testament picked it up and started reading This was the beginning of a great adventure because shortly after that I received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and was granted a peace I had never known Philippines and Switzerland may be too far away for you so what about the 53-year-old from Altrincham He picked up a Testament in the dentist's waiting room and found that for the first time in his life he could understand it He wrote for a copy Or if you want to come right back to home how about this Roger Grange an ex-pupil of St School Sherborne went back there with the Gideons to hand out Testaments He was able to show the pupils the copy he had himself received there in 1959 and tell them of the blessing he had experienced through reading it suggesting that they should do the same SERVICE Southern Electricity Littlew'ick Green Maidenhead Berkshire SL63QB Please send me print(s) of the attached cutting which appeared in the Western GazettPulman's Weekly NewsWeymouth or Dorchester Free Press on at inc VAT (add 50p for postage packing) I enclose a chequepostal order made payable to: The Western Gazette Co Ltd Signature Name I (Mr Mrs Miss) Address southern electricity delivers better value Post Code Post or send to: Photographic Reprint Department The Western Gazette Sherborne Road Yeovil BA21 4YA 1 1 1.