Determined to continue the fight

The battle to rid the nation of nuclear weapons has lasted decades – and one grandmother from Maidenhead is determined to succeed in seeing the warheads banned from our shores. Nick Meakin reports.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first historic march to the nuclear bomb factory in the village of Aldermaston, outside Reading.

And earlier this year a dedicated group of 5,000 protestors travelled to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston to take part in a colourful, peaceful demonstration that surrounded the 4.5-mile base perimeter. MPs, veteran campaigners and celebrities addressed the crowds at what was the biggest protest at the Berkshire site in 20 years.

Among them was 79-year-old grandmother and activist from High Road, Cookham, Hilary Brodie, who is leader of the Maidenhead and Cookham branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – or CND, as it is better known.

The Bomb Stops Here protest saw campaigners gather at six of the gates to the weapons establishment, with each adopted by CND supporters from a different area of the country and each with a theme to mark a specific decade of anti-nuclear activism, from the Fifties to the present day.

Hilary was joined by her daughters Deborah and Judith and her four-year-old granddaughter. “It was a really rather special day,” said Hilary. “I’ve been to a number of CND events in the past and they are always very enjoyable.

“There’s always lots of colour and noise and people from different backgrounds and parts of the country.”

Coaches brought campaigners from around 60 towns and cities as far away as Aberdeen and Penzance. It attracted international protesters too, including a Japanese delegation with survivors of the nuclear attacks of 1945.

Campaigners carried placards of the CND symbol, similar to those used on the original march, which was the first time that the universally recognized symbol was used.

Speakers addressed each gate in turn before the crowd of protestors spread out along the fence-line to surround the fence.

The gates were then symbolically sealed and a 'moment of noise' rang out. Anti-nuclear messages and banners were attached to the fence, a form of protest upheld after the High Court recently ruled that byelaws banning such activity should be quashed.

Other byelaws banning a peace camp from being held next to the base perimeter were upheld in a new restriction on the right to protest.

Although the days of the Cold War, when the fear of nuclear war hung heavily on people’s minds, are now behind us, the nuclear weapons topic has never come off the agenda. The Aldermaston rally was organised to mark the 50th anniversary of CND.

Hilary said: “I didn’t join the CND straight away as I had two young daughters but I always agreed with what they stood for.
“After the (Second World) war ended there was of course a great relief but, when we began to find out what really happened at Hiroshima, then people’s opinions started to change. We were scared about what could happen if the bombs got into the wrong hands.”

Maidenhead has a long history with the CND as it was a major stopping place when protesters marched from London to Aldermaston.

Hilary recalled:“I remember walking up and watching one of the marches as they passed through Maidenhead Thicket. “There were hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds and everyone just wanted to make sure that the bomb was never used again.”

Fast forward half a century and CND rallies still get worldwide media coverage and attract thousands of supporters. But is their protest just all in vain?

“We know that it’s very unlikely that the world will just decide to stop producing nuclear weapons but we want people to know that we won’t stop trying to ban the bomb,” said Hilary.

“Rallies like the Aldermaston one make sure people remember that millions of pounds are being spent on things that can kill thousands of people. That money is wasted. It should be going to schools and hospitals instead of towards funding more bombs.”