Corby protest march, April 2015

Two years after my first protest march, I went on my second against the proposed waste plants for Corby.

I would estimate that there were over 500 people there, nearly double what we had in 2013.

Here are some things I learned from my second march:

1)  the words to 'We Are Corby, Mighty Mighty Corby!' thanks to Lee;

2)  you have to be careful holding a placard aloft in high winds - walking up George Street a gust of wind took my trusty sign and but for my swift evasive action I could have whacked Margot Parker and Tom Pursglove on the head;

3)  the only green items of clothing Rob McKellar and Andy Sawford own are a silk tie and a check shirt (respectively) - we had a brief discussion about our finest green outfits before the march started;

4)  in the interests of balance, Phil Bromhall from the Lib Dems and Jonathan Hornett of the Green Party were also there, but I didn't discuss clothing or nearly accidentally assault them with my placard;

5)  the people of Corby and surrounding areas show a great sense of community spirit and solidarity.

The march had a good atmosphere and was attended by a wide range of age groups.  It was peaceful, non-political - although supported by all the major political parties - because this is an issue that affects us all.

Rich or poor, young or old, we all breathe in the same air.  We all want that air to be clean and free of pollution.

I strongly believe that every Council needs to promote 'reduce, reuse, recycle', not leap straight to gasification and pyrolysis as quick-fix 'solutions' to landfill.

Private companies should not be profiting at the expense of local people's health, bringing technologies with questionable safety records and a history of catching fire in exchange for a handful of jobs sorting the rest of the country's rubbish.

The message is clear - Corby says NO to waste plants!