A supporter of Britain's projected new rail line to the midlands and north, High Speed 2, was in the Chilterns recently following the Tour of Britain cycle race. He reports as follows:
"The familiar "Say No to HS2" signs had lined the roads to Gt Missenden for 2 hours. We were pedalling the lanes to see the Tour pass through. The posters seemed particularly thick at our chosen viewing spot. The cyclists eventually swept past and were followed up the hill by a couple of men collecting the signs. I casually remarked to the man standing next to me :"That's interesting,they've been specially put there for the race." His posture stiffened. With alarming clarity I knew instantly: wrong words,wrong place. The mood of this Chiltern resident was hostile. My innocuous comment had lacked the mandatory anti-HS2 venom. I was among the wrong tribe.My lips froze and I sought sanctuary by quietly walking away. A little later,at the top of the hill, the full "Say No to HS2 Mobile Reactionary (unintentionally the key word) Force" was mobilised. Flags, banners, posters, hoardings and crowds on both sides of the road to catch the TV cameras."
This is a good illustration of the kind of opposition to this and other infrastucture projects large and small particularly around more affluent rural areas of Britain. Most striking is the mood of intolerance. There is a torrent of well financed mis and dis information distributed by large numbers of vociferous well organised activists with it seems a lot of time on their hands. Any attempt at discussion is usually brushed aside with well worn, and frankly misguided, statements. There is little chance of a friendly chat about the pros and cons in the pubs of Buckinghamshire. HS2 supporters are not welcome inside their doors,- or even outside in the garden.
Despite all this effort, most of it so far has been in vain other than as a delaying tactic. TV viewers will hardly have noticed this roadside graffiti which has long disfigured parts of the Chiltern Area of outstanding Natural Beauty which its distributors claim to be protecting. The Hybrid Bill meanwhile continues its determined, if slow, progress through Parliament despite the noise and interventions of "very influential people" and local councils throwing six figure sums of taxpayers' money into the protest pots rather than using it for anything useful such as properly repairing a few of their seriously potholed roads.
"The familiar "Say No to HS2" signs had lined the roads to Gt Missenden for 2 hours. We were pedalling the lanes to see the Tour pass through. The posters seemed particularly thick at our chosen viewing spot. The cyclists eventually swept past and were followed up the hill by a couple of men collecting the signs. I casually remarked to the man standing next to me :"That's interesting,they've been specially put there for the race." His posture stiffened. With alarming clarity I knew instantly: wrong words,wrong place. The mood of this Chiltern resident was hostile. My innocuous comment had lacked the mandatory anti-HS2 venom. I was among the wrong tribe.My lips froze and I sought sanctuary by quietly walking away. A little later,at the top of the hill, the full "Say No to HS2 Mobile Reactionary (unintentionally the key word) Force" was mobilised. Flags, banners, posters, hoardings and crowds on both sides of the road to catch the TV cameras."
This is a good illustration of the kind of opposition to this and other infrastucture projects large and small particularly around more affluent rural areas of Britain. Most striking is the mood of intolerance. There is a torrent of well financed mis and dis information distributed by large numbers of vociferous well organised activists with it seems a lot of time on their hands. Any attempt at discussion is usually brushed aside with well worn, and frankly misguided, statements. There is little chance of a friendly chat about the pros and cons in the pubs of Buckinghamshire. HS2 supporters are not welcome inside their doors,- or even outside in the garden.
Despite all this effort, most of it so far has been in vain other than as a delaying tactic. TV viewers will hardly have noticed this roadside graffiti which has long disfigured parts of the Chiltern Area of outstanding Natural Beauty which its distributors claim to be protecting. The Hybrid Bill meanwhile continues its determined, if slow, progress through Parliament despite the noise and interventions of "very influential people" and local councils throwing six figure sums of taxpayers' money into the protest pots rather than using it for anything useful such as properly repairing a few of their seriously potholed roads.
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