Apart from the horror of receiving a bill for over £3,500 from our solicitors, this was a relatively calm month compared to the previous ones, perhaps the calm before the storm. Many people in the group took advantage of the apparent gaps in the diary to take some time out.

During this time, a new double chambered compost toilet was built to replace the original structure from which we had previously been evicted by a nesting bird. Pete attended the Radical Routes gathering of co-ops on behalf of the group. We did an information stall, photo display and a demonstration live in bender at a wood fair in Oakhampton. We met lots of interested people, some of whom came along to our first open day which we held at the woods on the 22nd. The event was well attended and the day before we provided a display in town at the community club for those who could not make it to the woods.

There were loads of visitors to the woods this month, both day visitors and people staying longer. Amongst the visitors were many children, which was nice. At one point we had a three-month-old baby staying for about a week. Another group of visitors was a large group of students from the Basque country who were visiting Moreton as part of an exchange project.

Work on the appeal continued with witness statements and proof of evidence being prepared. We also had visits from both John Bainbridge, Dartmoor Preservation Association chief execuative, and Rupert Lane, head of trees and woodlands at the National Park who will be giving evidence for the Authority.

The month ended with a renewal of interest in the project by local newspapers on the run up to our public enquiry, and the showing on television of the Carlton TV documentary ‘How Green is our Valley’ about planning controversy in Moreton.

August 2001