In the Cold war this place was where our mutually assured destruction would have begun. Spot the nuclear pyramids in the background?Now families and horses roam around , Sunday strolling, where once no public could enter, where security was tight.
I've lived on the doorstep for 4 years now and couldn't bring myself to go there. I don't know why really, I imagined it would be a place of outstanding natural beauty- the way the born-heres go on about it. It is not. It is bleak, barren, austere, all that grows is scrub , bushes and gorse.......
At the other side, I have been, there is the art centre, the studios which I'd love to rent , to paint in, but can't afford, firstly and secondly, doubt would be allowed, the local art council is liberal democrat- I'm a Tory....... they would tell me I was "on the waiting list".
On The Other Side is the main gate and Peace Garden, a haunting place where the women's peace camp for many years stood. It is spectacularly small, considering the noise they made and media coverage they got.
I have known and struggled for sometime with my personal inner conflicts. People ask me , how can you be a Tory and a Buddhist? how can you be married to the Military and be a Buddhist? How can you believe in social welfare and be a Tory? How can you believe in peace yet let your son play with toy guns and swords? How can you be an English Teacher and yet be so quiet? And that is just for starters!
The answer is I don't know, but I am and many more conflicts reside within.
Visiting this place was so surreal and made me think .... What do I believe in????
I do want to save the planet, and protect human life, I understand now why those women chained themselves to the gates and laid on the roads when cruise missiles arrived on trucks, I do see now why they were so passionate about it.... but as a Buddhist who respects life, as an ecologist who wants to save energy and resources, as a tory who is compassionate and an equal opportunist, a fan of Obama, and as someone who can take the piss out of herself whilst taking herself far too seriously (yeah really) I do still think....
Mutually assured destruction was the only way.....? Lets face it, you won't bully me if you know I will lash back at you,now will you!!!
