Welcome to Blue Gate

This is an abstract from "Blue Gate", the last surviving entrance gate to the USA Airforce Base at Greenham Common, renown for housing Cruise Missiles during the Cold War, giving rise to the establishment of Women's Peace Camps protesting against the decision of the British government to allow the nuclear weapons to be stored there.  The protests started in 1981 when a group of men, women and children marched from Cardiff to the base to present a letter of protest to its Commander. In the following years camps where set up around the airbase disrupting military activity. The camps by each of the gates where given colours as name.  Blue Gate was established in 1983 in a very public location.  The air force finally pulled out in 1992, and the camp was disbanded in 1994.  The concrete runway and fences were removed in 2000 when to site was reopened to the public and is now the largest area of lowland heathland in West Berks, UK.

I also visited The Base, a purpose-built visual arts and craft venue currently hosting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 59.  A wonderful set of photographs.