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The men who fought for your right to walk in the peak district.


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One of the best things about Sheffield is its proximity to the peak district.

 

Being able to walk/cycle/bus/drive out a short distance to the hills in the West and go for a walk.

 

To walk up kinder scout is a pleasure and it is something that all Sheffielder's should do. I would personally recommend an annual trip in Autumn when the ground is moist in dew, and then you can combine your descent down Jacob's ladder with a bit of foraging.

 

But to walk up Kinder Scout is a pleasure that was fought for. For Kinder Scout was once a place the common man was denied access. The plebians were not allowed to walk there, the land was private. Owned by the landed gentry it was set aside for the shooting of grouse. The poor and middle classes were not welcome there, even if they just wanted to have a walk.

 

For, Kinder Scout was owned by the Duke of Devonshire. He used it to hold grouse. But it was only worked for 12 days a year, remaining deserted for the rest.

 

But nigh on 80 years ago (on the 24/04/1932) a band of men (and women) took direct action in the form of a mass trespass.

 

The land was no longer the preserve of the idle, idle rich (who seldom visited the area anyhow), it was the land of the people. The people took back the land for the common good. And 80 years later, we, the good people of Sheffield (and further afield) can enjoy the freedom of walking up Kinder.

 

We can only do so, because of the men and women who broke the unjust laws of the time secured us the 'right to roam'.

 

That is to say, the people have the right to roam in the countryside, and that right only came about because of the men and women who trespassed Kinder Scout.

 

The following link contains the lyrics to the song 'Machester rambler' (and the song itself) which is about the trespass of Kinder;

 

http://kindertrespass.com/index.asp?ID=27

 

The 80th anniversary of the trespass is on Tuesday, and it is a day we should all remember.

 

We should also note that the trespass was organised by unemployed men of the time, one of them active in the NUWM and YCL, that man being Ewan MacColl, who wrote the Machester rambler.

 

Interestingly, the NUWM is soon to resurface in the UK as a grassroots organisation. Motions have been put into place, and increasingly they are gaining momentum. Last year, unemployed youth gathered together and marched upon london in a fight for jobs. We also had riots last year. But let's not dwell upon them whilst trying to paint the past in a perfect picture, the economic turbulence in the 1930s also led to riots aswell as movements like the MASS TRESPASS OF KINDER.

 

Long may the people fight for their rights, so that we the people can enjoy those rights.

 

Anyhow, if I see up you Kinder, remember to say hello, or more aptly 'ey up'!

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I may see you up there in a Darth Vader mask one day....yeah keep up the fight.!!

 

That day was a good laugh.

 

Clegg still hasn't cut my garden :hihi:

 

Haven't got a megaphone yet, but I'm sure somebody will pass me one if I need one :D

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