Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

G10 Peace Camp Update - 27 March

SETTLED IN: The G10 Peacewatch camp is surviving despite continuted high levels of policing and US helecopters flying overhead at regular intervals. This page is a bit of an update and tells you how to find the camp, what supplies are needed and how to send cards and letters.
And please don't forget out 1 month birthday! (see below).

Over the past few sunny days people have settled in to the extent that one child from the camp will be starting at the local primary school. There is always a need for more people to camp as folks are always coming and going. It's probably worth calling Nick (07736 964653) or Adele (07754 064146) or Brenda (07932 628269) first if you're thinking of camping for a few days or coming as part of a large (more that two or three) group. (Please don't leave message for them to call you as the mobile bills are getting out of hand). Read further down this page for more info on support the camp or getting up to Fairford to camp. (you can click on small pics to enlarge them).

G10 BIRTHDAY: It's also coming up to a time of celebration with G10 approaching its first month Birthday. Remember that G10 bomber watch camp was launched by Kate Holcombe (now excluded by bail conditions), Brenda Burrell and and Sergeant of the Peace Corps Nick Barry on 2nd March, the day before the B-52's arrived. Everyone is invited to send birthday cards and presents for Wednesday April 2nd - details of addresses given below.

Nick says - Everyone's invited to the G10 birthday "Walk on the Wild Side - Drag Queen Parade" - from gate 10 to the armoury starting at noon on Wed 2nd April. Bring dresses and make-up for all the boys (it's optional but they're all up for it!).

To find G10 Peacecamp check out the MAPS PAGE of this site. The camp is about 3/4 of a mile from Kempsford or 1/4 mile for Dunfield. In general you should park carefully in Kempsford (don't forget to have a pint at the Axe and Compass. Sarah allowed the peace camp to be there for a long time and she's still our friend). Dunfield is a very small village and we discourage people driving up there unless absolutely necessary to drop off a heavy load of supplies. If you're coming to stay for a while it might be best to hitch or get dropped off by friends as the parking really is very limited and we're trying not to annoy the local people who have, on the whole, been very supportive.

There are police cordons on each approach road and officially the road is closed to all vehicles. There are always police at the camp and they come from all around the country. On the whole they're reasonable and act lawfully but from time to time they get bored and have to arrest someone to keep their spirits up but it usually amounts to nothing. The camp runs a 'top of the cops' chart and it's always interesting to see which constabulary makes the number one spot. You should expect to be searched under section 44 of the terrorism act 2000 as you pass through these cordons. Only pedestrian access is allowed to the camp. One thing that's often in short supply is water, so if you're visiting bring in a few plastic bottles and take out some empties to refill for you next visit.

The following equipment / supplies list was provided by the campers on 27/Mar (list in no particular order): WE ALWAYS NEED PEOPLE TO CAMP. Age 7 grey tights (for the girl starting school). Camping chairs. Water (see above). Wheelbarrow (for moving heavy stuff up and down the road). Cycle trailer (likewise). Car 12v chargers for Erikson and Seimens mobile phones. Stamps (for thank-you cards). Cards (for sticking stamps on). Video camera (pref DV). Good binoculars. Torches (and batteries). Puncture repair kit (for bikes). Pens & pencils and paper. Boxfiles / plastic files. Matches. First aid kit. Bread. Sugar. Tahini. Homous. Wheat free / vegan food. Redbush tea. Other herb teas. Any other food / soft drinks. Tobacco. Alchohol (beer, wine or spirits all very welcome). Antihistimines (ciaratyn / zirtek).

Latest update 29/3: we're in need of a proper meet point at G10 for visitors. Many of us were concerned that visitors, having got through all the police checks, might not be greeted / informed if we were asleep etc, so we can do a rota for this.. so, to get this going and to add to the wish list, we need: folding table, pasting table would be ideal. cover with G10 peacewatch on the front be great. plastic wallets. a visitors book. a collecting box. a badge maker and badge blanks.
we'll design some leaflets to hand-out with info about the camp and what to look for on the base...

Mail is now reaching the camp. In fact the camp now gets a nice big mailbag every day but we'd like to see it grow even bigger. Cards and letters are starting to come in from all around the world. We'll hopefully be starting an indepentent blog to carry the messages and comments we're receiving (any volunteers?). Here's the best address to use - although most variants also seem to reach us:

Fairford Peace Camp
Gate 10
USAF Fairford
Near Kempsford
Gloucestershire
GL7 4HE

For anyone out there who has wondered just how close the camp is to the bombers this picture just about sums things up. Note: the van is not a camper van, it's a police "smile please you're on camera van".

Read about an earlier attempt to remove the peace camp when it was forced to relocated by the Americans. Thankfully we seem to be over this kind of thing for the time being at least. Remember the camp is a legal protest against the war and although unwelcome is not actually breaking any law.