RAVING ON BETWS MOUNTAIN
Ilyan | 31.05.2005 10:05
Suddenly thousands arrived on Betws Common to celebrate their joy at the Labour Party giving them the Right to Roam. Unfortunately, they brought the sort of amplification that caused the eviction of the site in the forest at Brechfa. And they brought dogs.
And they hadn't organised sanitation.
And some did not know what a beehive is.
Instead of organising some portable easy to climb styles to gain access into a neighbouring private forest to distribute a shit each to various trees, the fence was damaged by many people climbing through it. Many had digging implements to bury their shit, but I expect that there were those who didn't so will not be working in that area for a while..
Some crapped out on the Common where the sheep and Cattle graze. Perhaps modern antihelminthics, meat inspection and sanitation have made some parasites extinct, but years ago there was a cycle that depended on a cow or a calf having access to where a person shat to pick up the worm that would get into their flesh for a person to eat when the Cow was butchered. Bury it deep.
I was very surprised not to hear of dead sheep. One farmer is quite likely to claim to have lost thirty, but that is rather a stale claim and they could well have been rustled. People said that the dogs had chased the sheep away, perhaps those overfed city hounds are not up to catching welsh mountain ewes or their lambs. But I remember one killer dog from Bristol that made repeated killing visits to Wales so there was big potential for serious trouble. Angry Farmer with gun confronted by a dead dog owner Raver who kept the GFarmer awake all last night seems an explosive situation to me. Should there have been Police snipers with instructions to shoot any loose dogs put between the Rave and the sheep?
It is quite usual for loose dogs to be shot on sight in these parts.
I have an experimental beehive in a corner of the forest, it was tipped upside down, fortunately I had the gear with me and restored order. Next day found the heavy stones to keep the lid on removed and only the metal cover of the lid remaining lying on the floor a bit bent. The Bees were a bit shirty then and stung some dogs that came along. Perhaps someone thought there might be insurance on the hive, and I could get a nice new one to replace the rotted old one. But in a Larch forest there are lots of dead dry brances on the trees and they should not have needed to take that old lid for kindling.
Our Sunday espionage report was that there were 3000 people there, the Police estimate on Monday night was 7000. -people were coming and going.
Now I have to go to check the forest fence is up to keeping out Welsh Mountain Sheep. Hope I do not start raving.
Note: To save space:
http://www.narconews.com/Issue37/article1305.html http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/5/10/215352/497
but do not think them put here as relevant to Betws.
And some did not know what a beehive is.
Instead of organising some portable easy to climb styles to gain access into a neighbouring private forest to distribute a shit each to various trees, the fence was damaged by many people climbing through it. Many had digging implements to bury their shit, but I expect that there were those who didn't so will not be working in that area for a while..
Some crapped out on the Common where the sheep and Cattle graze. Perhaps modern antihelminthics, meat inspection and sanitation have made some parasites extinct, but years ago there was a cycle that depended on a cow or a calf having access to where a person shat to pick up the worm that would get into their flesh for a person to eat when the Cow was butchered. Bury it deep.
I was very surprised not to hear of dead sheep. One farmer is quite likely to claim to have lost thirty, but that is rather a stale claim and they could well have been rustled. People said that the dogs had chased the sheep away, perhaps those overfed city hounds are not up to catching welsh mountain ewes or their lambs. But I remember one killer dog from Bristol that made repeated killing visits to Wales so there was big potential for serious trouble. Angry Farmer with gun confronted by a dead dog owner Raver who kept the GFarmer awake all last night seems an explosive situation to me. Should there have been Police snipers with instructions to shoot any loose dogs put between the Rave and the sheep?
It is quite usual for loose dogs to be shot on sight in these parts.
I have an experimental beehive in a corner of the forest, it was tipped upside down, fortunately I had the gear with me and restored order. Next day found the heavy stones to keep the lid on removed and only the metal cover of the lid remaining lying on the floor a bit bent. The Bees were a bit shirty then and stung some dogs that came along. Perhaps someone thought there might be insurance on the hive, and I could get a nice new one to replace the rotted old one. But in a Larch forest there are lots of dead dry brances on the trees and they should not have needed to take that old lid for kindling.
Our Sunday espionage report was that there were 3000 people there, the Police estimate on Monday night was 7000. -people were coming and going.
Now I have to go to check the forest fence is up to keeping out Welsh Mountain Sheep. Hope I do not start raving.
Note: To save space:
http://www.narconews.com/Issue37/article1305.html http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/5/10/215352/497 but do not think them put here as relevant to Betws.
Ilyan
Homepage:
http://www.indycymru.org.uk
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Correction.
01.06.2005 00:08
But about seven trees were also chopped down, and fireplace made and fire lit inside the forest.
Took Jill and Dafydd from Pembrey to help repair fence. Talked to the remnant of the Rave, and drove down to park by the forest entrance to unload a roll of wire. Went down the valley repairing fence for about two hours. Half way through we heard loud motorbike noise, when we got back to the car a rock had been thrown through the passenger window, and Dafydd's rucksack containing clothes, and his address book, stolen. Questioning the Rave people who had been clearing up established that two people noticed Red and Blue motorbikes, and one remembered a yellow one. The local sheperd boy on a Quad thought there were three, but had not noticed the colour. He has long been keen to id those off road bikers who frighten the sheep. Duct tape and polythene sheet provided by the Rave enabled the journey to the local Police Station and then home.
At the Rave there was a substantial theft of all one persons money, his keys and then his car to wreck it. The police refused to deal with the Crime, "If we come in, we come in fully kitted for riot." However people know just where the thieves come from so you may be able to take flowers before long. Justice can have a long reach.
Took Jill and Dafydd from Pembrey to help repair fence. Talked to the remnant of the Rave, and drove down to park by the forest entrance to unload a roll of wire. Went down the valley repairing fence for about two hours. Half way through we heard loud motorbike noise, when we got back to the car a rock had been thrown through the passenger window, and Dafydd's rucksack containing his address book stolen. Questioning the Rave people who had been clearing up established that two people noticed Red and Blue motorbikes, and one remembered a yellow one. The local sheperd boy on a Quad thought there were three, but had not noticed the colour. He has long been keen to id those off road bikers who frighten the sheep. Duct tape and polythene sheet provided by the Rave enabled the journey to the local Police Station and then home.
At the Rave there was a substantial theft of all one persons money, his keys and then his car to wreck it. The police refused to deal with the Crime, "If we come in, we come in fully kitted for riot." However people know just where the thieves come from so you may be able to take flowers before long. Justice can have a long reach.
Ilyan