A small but determined group of activists are seeking to legalise (or de-criminalise) the use of the recreational drug cannabis. The group appear to have borrowed and adapted several national flags to add colour to their cause although the only one I can recognise is the Canadian flag where the maple leaf has been replaced by a marijuana equivalent. Rather disappointingly I didn't see them smoking any spliffs although perhaps I shouldn't say so as there is evidence that cannabis use fries the brain Link

Members of the society begin to assemble above Nant-y-moch reservoir, prior to setting out on a walk to protest against the proposal to saturate this scenic area with a giant wind farm.

It is proposed that a substation be built in either Abermule, near Newtown, or Cefn Coch, near Llanfair Caereinion, covering about 19 acres of rolling countryside, in order to gather-in the output from the multitude of wind-farms planned for mid-Wales. In addition, of course, there would also be a need to build a network of pylons to connect them all up and to the national grid.

Quite naturally, the people of Montgomeryshire want none of it and this sign on a trailer body beside the A483 between Newtown and Welshpool, just about sums up the local feeling. A measure of the strength of feeling is that some 2000 people attended a protest meeting at Welshpool on April 20th - not a bad turnout for a rural area! At least the local MP, Glyn Davies, has given them his full support and all credit to him. Watch out any local politician who favours this scheme - you won't stand a chance in the forthcoming elections.

I don't believe that there has been such strength of feeling in Wales about a large infrastructure project since the Llyn Celyn protests in the late 50s/ early 60s.

It is an absolute disgrace that the Welsh Assembly is sponsoring the project but, even if they did not, I'm sure that the so-called energy secretary in Westminster, the screwball Huhne, would force it through. He is after all, nothing more than a front man for Greenpeace. What price local democracy? It didn't work in the case of Llyn Celyn and it probably won't work in Montgomeryshire.

I can only complete this rant by repeating the well chosen words of Montgomeryshire United - "Stick your pylons" and if I may add - AND YOUR WINDFARMS!

See also SO1797 : Protest sign beside the A483 road.