Bristol has a strong tradition of individuals and groups mobilising in solidarity with political actions and events across the country, and around the world. A major new initiative is now being prepared for, beginning 1st Oct 2006, which is to blockade Faslane naval base, in Scotland for an entire year!

Faslane in Scotland (along with Devonport in Plymouth) is home to the Trident nuclear submarine fleet. They are armed with nuclear weapons, and may soon be refitted with a new generation of battlefield nuclear weapons, as Bush and Blair prepare the world for the use of such nuclear weapons against Iran.

Below is a package of information, intended to set the stage for the mobilisation. Background information, a new report from Margaret Jones, maps and accomodation and transport details are all provided. Please use this info to begin mobilising yourselves. Please also use the Bristol contact below for more info, and to be put in touch with others.

TAKE NOTE BOB GELDOF AND MAKE POVERTY HISTORY:

This time we will be travelling to Scotland, not to walk around the streets of Edinburgh waving placards for a day, or to dance around at pop concerts for a matter of hours, but to shut down the menacing UK war machine, and directly challenge its Orwellian hypocrisy, for the next full year!

THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT WE HAVE ENTERED THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME IN HISTORY SINCE 1939.



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CONTENTS:

1.) Background Reminder
2.) Latest Reoprt From Margaret Jones
3.) Accomodation / Transport Details
4.) Maps Of Faslane Area.


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1.) Background : MAKE NUKES HISTORY! F365 - AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME
Link:  http://www.faslane365.org/

'October 1st 2006 will see the beginning of an audacious civil resistance initiative to apply critical public pressure for the disarmament of Britain's nuclear weapons.'

WHAT IS IT? The idea behind F365 is a simple but powerful one: invite a different group of several dozen people to blockade Faslane Scottish nuclear naval base every day, for a year.

WHY DO IT? Britain's Trident nuclear weapons are coming to the end of their shelf life. The British government is considering whether to replace Trident nukes with another lot of 'user-friendly' battlefield nuclear weapons. This raises the terrifying prospect of a nuclear weapon being used, for the first time since Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Then, 100,000 people were killed by a single blast. Many others died lingering deaths.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT WILL WORK? This struggle to get rid of UK nukes, & free ourselves from depending on USA military policy into the bargain, is highly winnable. But it needs us all to do more than just write to our MP. Being prepared to get arrested for something you believe in, especially when thousands of others are doing it too, sends a strong message to those in power who would like to ignore us all.

WHAT WOULD A YEAR-LONG BLOCKADE ACHIEVE? The blockades at Faslane every year attract hundreds of people, & their arrests have clogged up the court system in Scotland. Now questions are being asked in the Scottish parliament. A year-long blockade will be something that even Parliament, & the public at large, are unable to ignore. There's loads of support for getting rid of nuclear weapons in Scotland.

HOW DO WE GET INVOLVED? Each group joining in F365 will be autonomous - responsible for making its own travel arrangements to & from Scotland, & for accommodation on arrival. Groups just need to contact a steering committee. The steering committee keep a calendar, & can tell which blockading days are taken, & which still available. The group or organisation then chooses its day.

WHEN DO WE START? The blockade begins this October 2006, & will continue till the autumn of 2007. So it's not too soon to start thinking about whether your group or organisation would like to take part.

BIT EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THIS, ISN'T IT? Like G8, it depends on getting the word out well ahead of time. We want F365 to be a household name. When the time comes, people won't want to be left behind!

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE? Visit:  http://www.faslane365.org/
Email:  reforest@gn.org (national steering committee) or  nabataat@yahoo.co.uk (for the Bristol connection).
Also See:  http://www.tridentploughshares.org/

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2.) LATEST REPORT FROM MARGARET JONES:
Email:  nabataat@yahoo.co.uk

NEW NUCLEAR THREAT

Israeli subs have been sighted in the Gulf of Oman, within striking distance of Iran. Their missiles can carry Harpoon nuclear warheads. US B2 stealth bombers are also nuclear capable. A special hangar has been built to house them at RAF Fairford, and the planes recently visited the base on a training flight.

None of this means, by definition, that the U.S. or its allies will launch a nuclear attack on Iran within days. But the situation is certainly frightening enough for us all to keep a very close eye on it.

Meanwhile, at AWE Aldermaston preparations continue to develop the new battlefield nuclear bomb, a possible replacement for Trident.

The world is in more danger from nuclear weapons now that at any time since the bombing of Hiroshima.

Are we being too polite about our own government’s role in all of this?

Not in My Name. Does that mean only pinning on a Stop the War badge and going to march round central London once a year? Do we really imagine these acts alone - important as they are - are going to make our government take us seriously?

RESISTANCE
One way to step up pressure is by civil disobedience. Well organised people power has won gains in struggles from British-occupied India to the USA of the 1960s.

So 2 million people marched in London 3 years ago? Imagine if only a fraction of them had quietly sat down on the road. Blair’s government would have found itself confronted with people who wouldn’t just get back on the coach and leave .... .

Yes, there would have been arrests. But we would have forced the government to pay attention.

One reason some European governments stood aside from the attack on Iraq, or sent only token forces, was that they knew their citizens would come on the streets - and not go back home till their demands were met.

The plan to non-violently block the gates of Faslane nuclear naval base with a different group every 24 hours for a year is not a gimmick ‘to get everybody arrested’ pointlessly. It’s a plan to show we mean business. As the Avon & Somerset group we will train before we go, and know what we’re doing and why.

Mass direct action could stop UK nuclear war plans in their tracks. In such dangerous times, can we afford not to try it?

INTERESTED? CONTACT:  nabataat@yahoo.co.uk
Or visit the website:  http://www.faslane365.org



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3.) ACCOMODATION DETAILS:
For more accommodation information:  http://www.a1tourism.com/uk/helensburgh

BED & BREAKFAST - HELENSBURGH

Eastbank
10, Hanover St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 7AW
Tel: 01436 673665 (phone and fax No)
Single from £30 / double from £52 per room per night

Bellfield
199 East Clyde Street Helensburgh G84 7AJ
Tel. (01436) - 673 361
Single from £23 / Double from £46

Longleat
39 Argyle Street Helensburgh G84 7EN
Tel. (01436) 671041

Balmillig
64b, Colquhoun St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 9JP
Tel: 01436 674922

Shiloh
201, East Clyde St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 7AJ
Tel: 01436 671005

The Green Kettle
Whistlefield , Garelochhead , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 0EP
Tel: 01436 810409

Sinclair House
91-93, Sinclair St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 8TR
Tel: 01436 676301

Bonniebrae
80, Sinclair St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 8TU
Tel: 01436 671469

Yetholm
103, East Princes St , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 7DN
Tel: 01436 673271

GARELOCHHEAD

Mambeg Country Guest House
Mambeg House , Garelochhead , Helensburgh , Dunbartonshire G84 0EN
Tel: 01436 810136
£25 per night (if 2 people share a room).
There's also a 4-person room

BED & BREAKFAST - DUMBARTON
Woodbank
Stirling Rd, Dumbarton, G82 2PF
Phone: +44 (0)1389 764466
Prices:
Single from: £20.00
Double from: £40.00
per room per night
Phone: +44 (0)1389 731943

Kilmalid House
17 Glenpath, Dumbarton, G82 2QL
Phone: +44 (0)1389 732030
Prices:
Double from: £40.00
per room per night

Milton Inn
Dumbarton Rd, Milton, Dumbarton, G82 2TD
Phone: +44 (0)1389 761401
Fax: +44 (0)1389 768858Prices:
Single from: £46.00
Double from: £55.00
per room per night

YOUTH HOSTELS

SCOTTISH YOUTH HOSTELS ASSOCIATION
CENTRAL BOOKINGS: 0870 - 1 -55 - 32 - 55
Deposit (20% of full fee) required 4 weeks from date of booking.
Full payment 6 weeks before date of arrival
Dates & Prices
(Or see phone No above)
Check Availability
Local Information

Glasgow YHA
The Best Hostel in Town! Glasgow Youth Hostel, situated in the heart of the historic West End of the city, offers great value quality accommodation. Fully refurbished in 2004 and awarded 4 stars by VisitScotland, the hostel is perfect for independent travellers, families, and groups. All rooms are en-suite with good self-catering facilities available. Discover Glasgow's art galleries, glorious architecture, friendly culture, shopping and fantastic nightlife. "Feels more like a hotel than a hostel... a great place to stay" - Scotland the Best
Address: 8 Park Terrace, Glasgow, G3 6BY Hostel Tel: 0870 004 1119
Central Bookings: 0870 1 55 32 55 Map Reference: O.S.64 (GR 575662) Total beds 148

Directions:
By Bus: No 44 or 11 from City Centre. Get out at first stop on Woodlands Rd and follow the signs
By Car: From M8 motorway, take the exit for Charing Cross, and follow signs.
More detailed version on SYHA website: www.syha.org.uk

Loch Lomond YHA (At Balloch)
£15 per night
Deposit (20% of full fee) required 4 weeks from date of booking
Full payment 6 weeks before date of arrival
Loch Lomond Youth Hostel is an impressive country house set in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, with stunning views of Loch Lomond and hills to the east. The house retains many original features including a sweeping staircase with vast stained glass window and Ballroom. Watch out for ghostly appearances! Within easy reach of many tourist attractions and outdoor activities, there's so much to see and do. "Scotland's most beautiful Hostel...a turreted building complete with ghost." - Rough Guide
More detailed version on SYHA website: www.syha.org.uk
Balloch Central train station is 2 miles from the Youth Hostel. Also possible to cycle there safely.
Loch Lomond YHA (Balloch) O.S. map ref: O.S.56 (GR 368834)

CAMPING & CARAVANS
Luss Campsite (for tents)
(8 miles from Balloch)

Lomond Wood Holiday Park
(caravans only - no tents)
01389 - 759 475

Faslane Peace Camp
About a mile from the North (main) gate, a few hundred yards from the South (back) gate. May be possible to camp in the wood behind it. (But be aware this is MoD land, so this may not be possible, as in the past.)
Bus no. 316 from Helensburgh runs past the camp every hour (except on Sundays, when it goes every 2 hours), and stops outside.
TRANSPORT INFORMATION (SEE ALSO MAPS)

Trains from Bristol
Virgin trains, Bristol Temple Meads to Glasgow Central. Journey takes roughly five and a half hours. Once arrived in Glasgow, walk the 400 yards to the other main Glasgow Station (Queens Street) for trains to Helensburgh.
Book at least four weeks in advance for best choice of cheap tickets.
(Around £20 EACH way.)

Sleeper from Euston
(Scotrail)
Book at least four weeks in advance for best choice of cheap tickets.
(Around £20 EACH way.) For Bargain Berths - Telesales: 08457 55 00 33 (Also for arranging to take a bike on the train.)
http:// www.firstgroup.com/scotrail

Glasgow to Helensburgh
Glasgow Queen Street to Helensburgh. Trains run every half an hour.
Journey takes about an hour, costs about £4.50 single, £50 Cheap Day Return,
£7.00 peak hours return)

There's also a bus from Glasgow to Helensburgh (Mon and Sat, every half hour. Sunday every hour. Check further details with First Glasgow.)

Garelochhead (small hamlet, other side of Faslane from Helensburgh)
Get the No 316 bus. Starting from Helensburgh, it goes on a round trip every hour (except on Sundays, when it goes every 2 hours), stopping at Faslane and Garelochhead.
For timetables:
www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/ roadsandtransport/gettingabout/bus/
(For locations, see map.)

Garelochhead Minibuses: (01436) 810200

Glasgow Queen St (usually platform 8) to Balloch Central
Balloch Central train station is 2 miles from the Youth Hostel. Possible to cycle safely to the Hostel from the train station. (Or walk.)
Hostel is on the A82 (opposite Duck Bay Marina).

Faslane Naval Base
Along by the Gareloch, roughly 5 miles NW of Helenburgh on the A814.
(See maps.)



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4.) MAPS OF FASLANE AND GENERAL AREA:

Please Visit These Maps And Zoom In And Our For More Detail:

MAP OF Faslane Area:
 http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=56.07&lon=-4.8139&scale=100000&icon=x
MAP Of Nearby Helensburgh:
 http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=56.0036&lon=-4.734&scale=100000&icon=x
MAP Overview Of General Area + Glasgow:
 http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=55.8642&lon=-4.2518&scale=1000000&icon=x