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As some of you may well already be aware 2012 will see the 80th anniversary of the Ramblers historic "mass trespass" on Kinder Scout in the Peak District.

Across the country the bobble hatted brethren will be celebrating that day in April 1932 when four hundred of their predecessors, led by communist activists from the Brittish Workers Sports Federation stormed the grouse moors of the Duke of Devonshires estate.

On reaching the Kinder plateau the intrepid band of rambling revolutionaries were confronted by a number of game keepers. In the fist fight that ensued several of the keepers were beaten up and ultimately six of ramblers were arrested with five being banged up in prison for their trouble!

It's a great tale of working class heros fighting for the rights of the little man against the wealth and power of the ruling class and I've got to say that I have more than a little sympathy for that view.

While I wouldn't exactly consider walking in the countryside to be a basic human right or anything I do think that countryside access is important. So, I for one will be quite happy to raise a glass to the memory of those rambling rebels of yesteryear on April the 24th!

It does make you wonder though doesn't it.

Eighty years on and the Ramblers of today are quite a different breed it seems.

Wealthy, pompous, arrogant and politically powerful they're quite happy on the one hand to celebrate the struggle for access of their grand parents generation while with breath taking hypocrasy they campign to destroy our legal rights!

I wonder how they'd react today if four hundred trail riders turned up in the Peak District and engaged in a bit of "mass TRO defiance" or "mass restricted byway riding".

I think we all know the answer to that don't we but it's an intriguing thought all the same. Especially if the "mass action" took place on ohh, lets say for arguments sake.....................the 24th of April 2012!

Just a thought.

Cheers

Richard

There are a lot of quotes from Amimal Farm that would be very apt.

I very nice report there Richard, all in context I think.

I am sure you are not condoning fist fights from the TRF members though, but if we were to remain dressed for the trails there would be a few sore fists if others decided to take a pop at the full face chin guard.

It's not just our rights that have been targetted by the Ramblers.

They celebrate Kinder as the turning point for Access, which was followed up by the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. This was born out of the publics desire for a fairer country after WW2.

The right to travel the countryside was one of the rights expected. Post WW2, as now, we lag behind Europe in this right. The French had their right to travel the countries roads written into the post revolution constitution.

The 1949 Act led to the definitive map being created as a tool to secure the publics rights for those that had fought a war.

The Definitive Map has now evolved into a tool to be used to deny rights -espescially higher ones for Equestrians, Motorists and MTB's.

The power of the DM as a tool to deny access will become much stronger and widespread post 2026 - the CROW cut off date. NERC has already seen it's effect on motorists.

The Ramblers supported NERC and CROW because it suited their needs I.E all the countryside access to themselves.

I can't help but think that the Kinder Scout protesters would be appalled at the current behaviour of the modern Ramblers Assosciation which contradicts the essence of the mass trespass which was fair access for all.

Red

I'm not condoning anything. I'm not encouraging or inciting it either just highlighting the hypocrasy of the Ramblers.

They regularly celebrate an act of violent direct action in support of their agenda and yet I'm sure that they would be the first to condem us if we took a similar stance.

Even though I'm sure that no trail rider I know would contemplate actually beating our opponents up!

On a broader point though I do have a certain admiration for the Ramblers (no really I do). They are and allways have been a campaigning organisation. They have a clear (if rather prejudice) vision of what they want and they unashamedly go out and campaign to get it!

We could learn from this.

I should also say here that I personally have no aversion to protest, demonstration, NON VIOLENT direct action or even when justified, civil disobedience by which I mean breaking the law (although that of course must allways be a matter of individual concience).

I think that in the months and years to come the TRF may well need to get a bit more militant and some of these options may need to be considered.

regards

Richard

Incidently while researching the Kinder Scout trespass I came across a couple of web sites/articles that made interesting reading.

The following is an newspaper article from the time,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/1932/apr/25/1

this web site is dedicated to "building on the legacy" of the mass trespass,

http://kindertrespass.com/index.asp?ID=45

This is certainly worth a look but one thing that did suprise me was that the site is "supported by the Peak District National Park Suistainable Development Fund".

So it would seem that the Peak District National Park Authority also condone and celebrate direct action and civil disobedience in support of access rights.

Now that is an intersting position isn't it!

Regards

Richard

well said Richard we ( the trf ) need to stop pussy footing around and club together(with other users) and shout louder.

Its a sad but always true that the silent will not prosper in getting things changed.

Why not use the ramblers methods and thoughts, well the orrinal thoughts of access for all.

Agree its time to be heard, and with other user groups too. I would be happy to protest and raise a voice for access for all to share our country side.

qoute:
I think we all know the answer to that don't we but it's an intriguing thought all the same. Especially if the "mass action" took place on ohh, lets say for arguments sake.....................the 24th of April 2012!

Just a thought.

Cheers

Richard[/quote]

amazing thought got a few riders up for the "mass action"

fantastic to here someone standing for there rights

Emma

come on lets get this show on the road time is ticking by

barbara

why dont we arrange a mass protest of our own to coincide with the ramblers 80th anniversary ?

they took on the establishment , broke the law and WON

we play by the rules and get walked all over ,so do we lay down and die ? write letters of objection and still get lanes closed all over the country? or stand up and be counted ?

over to you