On the morning of September 26th, half a dozen activists braved the steady downpour to inform people attending the Council's "Good Health in Hard Times?" event (at Trent Vineyard) that next door was a gun dealer - Heckler & Koch.

The weather was miserable, but it was one of the best and most successful pickets so far, with many, many leaflets given out to people attending the conference.  

As sure as eggs are eggs, Trent Vineyard staff came out and asked us to move from where we were, directly outside the building, to the main gate entrance.  Not only were we on - horror of horrors - private property, but we were also "disrupting" their "business". Yes, you read it right, their business. Interesting a church calling itself a business. Many of us old-time activists and lefties have long since thought that is exactly what they are, it's just the first time we've heard a church representative say so.  Another reason they gave was that we were causing a traffic hold-up at the car park entrance, thus putting ourselves at risk. We weren't of course. Traffic flow was very steady and continual but in dribs and drabs, hardly of M1 proportions.  

Anyway, in a neat two-way action, some of our group stood at the main gate entrance on Lenton Lane and the rest stayed at the entrance to the car park.  Banners were displayed alongside the people handing out leaflets.  Initially, some of the 'security' tried standing in our way as we handed out flyers but, bless 'em, they really didn't have the heart for it and soon dropped that in favour of directing cars into parking spaces.  They were non-confrontational, far different to the reaction you usually get from regular security staff in other places, and far, far different to how the cops always are.

The group standing by the main gate had the most success, with almost every car stopping to take a leaflet or two. In fact, there was sometimes a short tailback onto Lenton Lane. As is usually the case when people learn of the filthy business conducted by Heckler & Koch on this 'quiet little industrial estate', most expressed shock and surprise at not knowing what was going on there and were clearly disturbed to find out.  

However, the most gratifying aspect of the whole picket came just as we were about to leave.  A taxi driver fella parked at the side of the road next to us, praising us for doing what we are doing, expressing his shock and disgust on learning of a gun factory being there, and saying things like 'There is far too much killing in the world as it is, and these people are selling more guns from here?', and 'I'm glad you people are here telling others about this, it's all wrong, it's all wrong'. Before he left us he took a handful of flyers to hand around people he knew. As he drove away he was still shaking his head in disbelief.

This is why we carry on picketing. When there are just a couple or so of us on the regular monthly picket it can be a bit disheartening at times, but that fella alone showed why we have to carry on doing it. While the majority of the citizens of Nottingham know nothing about the existence of gun dealers and merchants of death and destruction on their doorstep, we must carry on doing it and bringing it to the attention of as many folks as possible.  

Finally, we noticed on the way out that some very naughty person has spray-painted 'H & K, Guns for Sale' on the blank space by Unit 3 on the big sign at the entrance to the site. It was a bit runny and smudgy and certainly not of professional sign-writing standard, but then it was probably done in a hurry - but is no less effective for that.

Heckler and Koch, merchants of death, are at Unit 3, Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX.  They are the world's second largest manufacturer of handguns, assault rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and grenade launchers.