Helen and Sylvia meet with two students from Bradford University to talk about the virtues and disillusionments that befall the modern day peace campaigner. Coinciding with an opportunity to meet with a local journalist, the women share insights, ideas and frustrations of a society that supports the upgrade of nuclear submarines yet arrests those that stand in opposition for breach of the peace. As two generations come together, history shares a table with the future; so is it time for the batten to finally be handed down?
FURTHER INFORMATION
Read the article that was published as a result of this encounter.
Sylvia has, by her own admission, received countless convictions as a result of campaigning for a peaceful world. In this episode we discover how her family has been effected by the choices she has made.
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:
Disarming Grandmothers 