RUMBLINGS…

This is Sierra Jane Manning, born on Monday, March 16. This is supposed to be a (rare, occasional) outdoor blog but I suppose her name is as good as an excuse as any!

The birth was perfect and very swift. As Sierra was two weeks overdue, Steph was due to be induced but there wasn’t even time for that; less than four hours after contractions began, Sierra was delivered in the induction suite before there’d even been chance to get to the labour room.

In fact, Sierra was very nearly born on the ward’s bathroom floor. Steph delivered with only the lightest gasp of gazanairre – there wasn’t time for anything such as proper pain killers. Thankfully she didn’t need stitches afterwards either. Mother and baby came home yesterday and are doing perfectly; Sierra’s feeding well. No doubt I’ll get a hunger for outdoorsy again soon but for now every thing’s family flavoured and it tastes great.

Sierra’s name, of course, refers to the Sierra Nevada in California, the “range of light”. Steph and I hiked there along the John Muir Trail a couple of years ago. It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and a place that holds special memories. Sierra is a fairly popular name in the US – and it’s also a very beautiful name! Ron “Pathfinder” Strickland who I met on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2004 suggested it a few weeks ago during a Skype chat we had… to him we say a very grateful “thank you” for such a beautiful suggestion. We owe you a pork pie Ron – it’s on its way, also via Skype!

And congrats to the wags at TGO who correctly predicted that Sierra’s name might have a PCT connection – by the way, the fluffy rabbit’s great folks!

To everyone who’s sent messages and presents, Sierra says “thank you - see you at the bar!”

This afternoon the Government released its response to the petition, on the Prime Minister’s own website, for wild camping to be legalised in England and Wales.

Guess what? The government is going to do nothing.

Ho hum.

Let’s have a look at what the Government says, bit by bit. Along the way, purely for the sake of interest, I’ll compare it with the response I received from Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, via my local Tory MP, David Curry, way back in February.

“This Government appreciates the potential benefits of wild camping in England and its attractiveness to campers who already have the opportunity to camp in the wild in Scotland,” says the Government today.

Compare that to what Mr Benn said in February: “I do appreciate what Mr Manning says about the potential benefits of wild camping in England and its attractiveness to campers who already have the opportunity to camp in the wild in Scotland.”

Spot the similarity? There’s more…

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Congrats to “Weird” Darren Christie (pictured – click on the pic for a bigger-than-life nasty fright), John Hee and all those who are pushing for wild camping in England and Wales to be legitimised.

Their e-petition on the Prime Minister’s website clocked up its 1000th name at the weekend – there’s a still a long way to go but with every new signature it gets harder and harder for ministers to overlook the growing call for us to have the simple right to camp responsibly, quietly and – let’s face it – invisibly in the English and Welsh countryside.

Deadline for signatures is May 24 this year – that’s less than two months now but with the total standing this afternoon at 1085 signatures, hitting the 2500 target must suddenly seem so much more feasible.

(more…)

Morning all, I hope I’ve solved the spam probs and have re-opened the facility to post comments again. The only difference is thast you now have to register -  apologies for that, but it’s better than having a site overloaded with links to gambling sites. You can register by clicking the comments button at the foot of each blog entry, or in the Meta index at the foot of the right hand column. You should then be sent a login password and all will be well in the world. Thanks to everyone who got in touch while the problems were overcome. Now, sign the wild camp petition! (link to the right).  

What goes around comes around. This editorial, from the May 2000 issue of TGO, illustrates the fact that we’ve been through this wild camp problem before… with the same amount of interest from the government that we seem to be getting this time around.

The campaign begun by Darren Christie in 2008 echoes the fears Cameron McNeish raised in 2000 - that wild camping wasn’t going to get official recognition.

It’s going to take a heck of a lot more signatures at Darren’s on-line petition to get the Prime Minister or any of his government to take a blind bit of notice of what we’re calling for – the harmless legitimisation of leave-no-trace wild camping.

If you haven’t signed yet, what are you waiting for? If you have, tell your pals!

On a lighter note – it must be spring. Steph and I spotted our first curlew on the moors on March 2. I’d actually heard one fly over the cottage a few nights before, but assumed the odd noise in the dark was just another of those earthquakes we get round here from time-to-time!