Local kids get busy with the agitprop.
Their message is unequivocal.
Even at this age the kids recognize the corporate enemy.
The big beech now has several treehouses as well as supporting one of the corner
Another odd building under construction.
Tunnels can be devastingly effective. One UK tunnel took 40 days to evict.
These photos are of the latter, possibly one of the last battles of Sherwood forest. Destruction has been so thorough over the years that now its maybe stretching it a bit to call it a forest at all any more. This camp is on the corner of two roads and defends a number of mature trees. The oldest of these is a huge beech tree around seventy feet high and with massive limbs that one can walk about on. This was listed as an ancient tree in 1840, one hundred and sixty four years ago and is thought to be now between 250 and 300 years old.
It's often said that protecting the environment is a mainly middle class occupation. But Mansfield Woodhouse is a very working class area and the local support has been great. There is a lot of tooting of car horns in support as people drive past which offsets and outnumbers the occasional insults. There have been two demonstrations in the town so far to save the trees and local people support protesters in a number of ways including regularly bringing hot meals on to the site. And these aren't simply locals who will be directly affected by the new slip road. Some of them travel from nearby villages too thus dispelling any myths that they are against the scheme simply for their own self-interest.
The site itself is now covered with amazing collection of bizarre looking dwellings and defences, mostly made from old recycled materials. Blue polyprop rope crisscrosses the trees and two nets are suspended by an intricate set of long walkways. There are at least five treehouses with plenty of scope to build more too. Underground tunnels have been dug and the whole site is surrounded by fencing and barricades too.
A lot of work has been put in here and new defences and refinements continue to get built. But the site is now on high alert with an eviction likely at any time what is really needed is for more people to get down there and get involved.
Living on the site is never dull and there are always things to do. Apart from the regular and creative building process this week was half term and a number of children came to visit and show there support.
