Newbury Friend speaks on Greenham links
Peace worker helped to defuse some potentially volatile situations
A Newbury Quaker and former clerk has spoken more about life within the Meeting during the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp.
Ahead of the forthieth anniversary of the campn, Isabel Gowers wrote to the Friend after former Greenham member, ahed of the forthieth anniversary of the camp Lynette Edwell thanked the Meeting for its support in the 1980s. Isabel Gowers, who became clerk at Newbury Meeting in 1982, said that, during the time of the movement, opinion was divided in the Meeting. ‘There were many different views as to how we should respond. They varied from positive encouragement to be active, to some members who were already active and opening up their houses, to others who had reservations about offering any help at all. The local community was also divided. We lost members to other Meetings, including two clerks. Those who remained were determined to find the way forward together. It was not always easy but happily no one else left us. We tried to follow the Quaker business method, and our care for the Greenham Women was always first on our Business Meeting agenda.’
Among her good memories, she said, were ‘being part of the small group that met together over coffee to talk through issues; and our lovely peace worker, Jess Ellison, who won the affection of all, and the respect of council officials trying to evict the camps. She helped to defuse some potentially volatile situations. Her widower Tom, who took over after her tragic death, made sure that the facilities we had installed in the Meeting house for the use of the Peace women were kept working.’
Isabel Gowers also paid tribute to ‘the generosity of one of the Peace women who gave us a beautiful hall table she had made’ and ‘other Peace women who helped us face our ignorance and prejudices’. She also recalled, ‘Hearing about the exploits of the Cruise Watch followers who were able to track the convoys and so undermine the suggestion that missiles could be hidden in the local countryside.’
Newbury Meeting sometimes joined Friends from other Meetings outside the Greenham Base for worship.
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