Episode 10 in the Disarming Grandmothers of the UK Documentary Series: "A life enhancing experience"

31 May 2012

EPISODE TEN: A LIFE ENHANCING EXPERIENCE

Helen stepped into the peace movement in 1981 when she and four other women chained themselves to the fence at RAF Greenham Common, in protest over the decision to store cruise nuclear missiles on the site.  The ‘Women for Life on Earth’ group initially wanted a televised debate: upon this request being denied, the group began a women’s only peace camp that was to, in various forms, last the best part of nineteen years and at it’s height attract 35,000 women to the base.  Between 1992 – 1993 the nuclear missiles, along with American military personal, returned to the US and a new focus of the women’s peace camp – to give the common land back to the people of Berkshire – began.

For Helen, the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, was life changing.  Leaving her five children and husband behind, she began her new life as a passionate feminist and anti-nuclear campaigner.  In this episode she talks about her decision to become a woman of Greenham and during this conversation I found myself wondering, whether behind every strong, determined and principled individual, lays a few regrets?

FURTHER INFORMATION

To find out more about the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp visit Your Greenham, where you will find a collection of short films, letters to the women and Greenham songs to give you a flavour of what life was like.

See archive footage of Helen at Greenham Common in the short film ‘March to Greenham’.

Hear Helen talk about her experiences of Greenham Common on Radio 4.

CREDITS

This episode could not have been put together without the support of the following people who very kindly donated photographs:

Pete Addis
Helen John
Jenny Matthews
Liz Somerville at Photofusion
John Sturrock
Mary Timimi
Thanks also to:
John Green
The Morning Star
&
Leon Rosselson who donated ‘The power of Song’.

Source:

Disarming Grandmothers

Source:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/yourgreenham/0,,2070851,00.html