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This account was written and compiled by Astrid Ubas, who at the time had served as a Nipponzan Myhoji nun for 12 years,
and who had since left the order in 2002.
Core group, who walked the whole route.
Anna, from Germany
Astrid Anjusan, 38, from Holland, Nipponzan Myohoji buddhist nun 12 years
Elinor McKenzie, 60, from Scotland, red flag carrier
Kreb Dragonrider, 42, from England, druid 4 years, Trident Ploughshares
Marjan Willemsen, c.25, from Belgium, Trident Ploughshares
Ulla Roder, 45, from Denmark, Trident Ploughshares
Others who walked part of the way.
Andrea, from Potsdam, Germany.
Alison Crane, c.25, from England, Trident Ploughshares, Turning the Tide
Angie Zelter, c.50, from England, peace activist 15+ years, Trident
Ploughshares
Bridie
Colette
Dave Barry, from England, Life Foundation
Dinidi, c.48, from England
Edward Stanton, c.60, from England, quaker
Hakafumi, 19, from Japan, Maruta Anjusan’s nephew
Handa Shonin, 42, from Japan, Nipponzan Myohoji monk 22 years
Jim Curtis, c.30, from England
Lydia Tindle, c.50, from Geordieland
Karen Fallon, c.25, from Scotland
Marina, from Switzerland
Maruta Anjusan, 48, from Japan, Nipponzan Myohoji nun 28 years
Mathilde, from Sweden.
Nagase Shonin, 42, from Japan, Nipponzan Myohoji monk 22 years
Penny Pullen
Susan Lasenby, from England, Trident Ploughshares
Suzan van der Hijden, c.25, from Holland, Amsterdam Catholic Worker
Takashima Shonin, 51, from Japan, Nipponzan Myohoji monk 30 years
Tim, c.22, from England
Yuko Anjusan, 34, from Japan, Nipponzan Myohoji nun 8 years
Support driver.
Peter Lanyon, c.60, from England, peace activist 30+ years, Trident Ploughshares.
Monday 26 June 2000
Aldermaston to Theale
7 miles
3.30 pm, Aldermaston Atomic Weapon Establishment, 13 Aspirant walkers meet at the Women’s Peace Camp, that has been especially
extended for the occasion. Two women express their joy by climbing on-and-over-the fence, confusing both police and us.
The Peacecamp-women hand us a welcome cup of tea, and the flame from Hiroshima. It was lit from the ashes in 1945,
and kept alive ever since, by a mother whose son died there, later by a temple. The flame was given to several people
to spread it around the world, and brought to England by a musician performing at Glastonbury. We were given a share in a
very special, very fiddly container - with a list of instructions 4 pages long!
We would attempt to keep it going until Faslane - unfortunately we were not able to do that - so a lamp was later lit
symbolically only.
At 4 pm, the diverse group of walkers-to-be stand in a circle for the first time, in front of the main gate of the A.W.E.
We are of mixed nationalities, ages, religions and backgrounds. Some of us know each other, others not. Some are seasoned
activists, others have no experience of direct action.
We look at each other a bit curious - what will happen next? We sing some songs, pledge to walk up to Faslane, and then: we’re off!
Our lazy joints feel the first action, walking a few miles to Theale, along the fences of the A.W.E. and along some quite scary,
narrow, winding + overgrown lanes.
That evening we stay at the Friends Meeting House in Newbury.
We meet and introduce ourselves in the lovely Quaker garden there, and we talk about the reasons for the walk.
Soon we start yawning, and we have an early night, a bit unused yet to sleeping on the floor...
Tuesday 27 June 2000
Theale to Upton
17 (24) miles
Trouble with The Flame - fuel has been overfilled, and container catches fire. Hiroshima flames are not to be toyed with!!!
Meet up in Theale with Ganesh, Elaine and friends & children, who join us for the day. The children pick up rubbish as they
walk - great!
We walk across the hills and have our picknick in a cemetery with a 1000 year old tree.
The first blisters have appeared - Tim’s look especially big. Nuns puncture them professionally.
Taste the best grapefruit ever just before arriving tired & hot in Upton. Welcome by Rev. and Mrs. David Blat from Didcot.
Later we have an unexpected wonderful veggie meal at the local pub. We meet some local people and the Bishop of Reading.
Too tired to talk much, but fold lots of paper cranes together - it’s a success. Crash out at the village hall early.
Wednesday 28 June 2000
Upton to Oxford
18 (42) miles
A long walk again - all our muscles, joints & feet protest. Joined by locals on last miles today. Angie Zelter keeps us
humoured with songs and hilarious stories.
In Oxford we’re welcomed in a hall nearby, where Angie and Astrid speak about the two joint organisers of the walk:
Trident Ploughshares & Nipponzan Myohoji. Sarah Lazenby does a great job as facilitator, getting a high quality
discussion about the edges of nonviolence loose amongst the few people there. We meet up with Raga, who had done some
advance work for the walk, and who had made the Flame connection.
After all that, we sleep like logs (? is someone snoring? who??)
Thursday 29 June 2000
Oxford to Chipping Norton
19 (61) miles
Goodbyes to Suzan van der Hijden, Dinidi, and Yuko Anjusan. We’re smaller. Its hot and a very long distance to go. Some people
have swim in the river at lunchtime. Try to tell Kreb discreetly that women are changing in the bushes that he’s heading for,
when he turns round the other way, he bumps into others peeing there!
Walk through fields of sheep and poo. Amazing how many different pitches of bleat they have! Angie brings souvenir for Anna???
We stay at Methodist church hall. Kreb cooks nice pasta with tomato-gingernut sauce. Rain in the night refreshes the land.
Friday 30 June 2000
Chipping Norton to Stratford-upon-Avon
23 (84) miles
Sorry to say bye to Angie, she’ll be back again in Scotland.
the longest day of this walk - about 23 miles. Last stretch seems endless, we arrive with tongues upon shoes.
Bliss on arrival! Showers in leisure centre revive us no end, and then: a friendly welcome in the Friend’s Meeting House.
An absolute lesson in how to welcome guests! We’re deeply grateful for the warmth, understanding, generosity and encouragement
of the Friends (Quakers).
There’s even a lady next morning who runs after us to give Kreb a pouch for his Buddha-image: he has vowed to carry Buddha
all the way to Faslane. It’s beautiful but very heavy, and giving him back-trouble. Kreb belives the lady who gave him the
bag is an embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Saturday 1 July 2000
Stratford-upon-Avon to Shirley Birmingham
20 (104) miles
We decide to shortcut today’s distance and walk to Shirley, as planned originally, before Cotteridge came up as accomodation
place. We’ll bus up and down from Shirley.
Peter Lanyon and Elinor McKenzie will leaflet today in Cotteridge.
The walk goes smooth, we arrive early for a change. Two members of Rugby CND come to visit us and give us some encouragement,
even a donation. We’re touched by their thoughtfulness.
A public meeting was announced outside, but to everyone’s great relief no one shows up for it, and we make it an internal
evaluation instead. We have a small but diverse and very determined group, with each person offering special gifts into it.
Some of us have loads of experience in direct action, some have been in jail for their beliefs, some are very religious,
some have great humour, others have great eyes for other’s needs and practicalities, or great wisdom. Some of us have
special difficulties - hearing problems, language trouble, back & foot pains, cultural differences, sensitivity, etc.
How will we get on in the weeks to come? I can see everyone’s strength by the way we went on yesterday, when it bacame
very tough physically. But we may have passed the physical challenge now, new ones are sure to come next!
(From Kreb’s & Astrid’s notes)
Sunday 2 July 2000
Shirley to Sutton Coldfield
14 (118) miles
On Sunday, Kausik helps out ferrying people back to Shirley. On the way there, he tells a lot about the area.
We walk through Birmingham suburbs, trying to leaflet as we go. We soon find, it does not work well.
A church minister admonishes us for sitting on his church wall during a short break: "we worship in OUR way,
and don’t want anyone intimidated". Feel a bit sad for him. What would he say if Jesus sat on his church wall?
Meanwhile, Peter is leafletting with much more success at the Millenium Flame of Peace in cetennial Square, where he gets
into discussion with hundreds of clergy at a Christian conference.
We arrive too early at the Friend’s Meeting House in Sutton Coldfield, and it starts drizzling. We opt for a cup of tea.
the 1st pub we enter does not serve tea or coffee, and the next one we pass, it looks noisy, with some brawly big men
jeering at us from the door. But then, Anna steps up to them and says: "WE are walking to Scotland, and what
about you?" The situation turns round totally, and we end up in the pub, with cups of tea on the brawly men,
with an eager audience, and people pouring their souls to us!
Monday 3 July 2000
Sutton Coldfield
Rest day
On Monday, we havea rest day at the Quaker House. It is a comfortable enough place, with a great kitchen,
and the Quakers donate plenty of groceries as well.
Lots of things are happening in the group: both Tim and Jim have to go home, hopefully to come back later.
A little tension between two walkers - personality clashes. Marina from Switzerland arrives, and more monks
- Astrid is happy! We fold lots of cranes. Marjan works on the computer of the CND office. Anna gives great
massages, Kreb teaches finger-spelling. Ulla and Astrid cook. We spend the evening talking about the coming
week, and tidying up.
Tuesday 4 July 2000
Sutton Coldfield to Wolverhampton
16 (134) miles
Starting the walk through a huge park. many drums today, with both Nagase Shonin and Handa Shonin arrived.
Miss Peter for a week. The joggers and dogwalkers are very friendly.
Arrive much earlier than expected, missing Matt who was looking out for us on the road - bit of confusion.
We find our host-house, a big mansion used as a yoga centre. We’re welcomed by Steve and the cats, who
impress us by their calm, open attitude, accepting the sudden invasion of their home and all confusions placidly.
Finally we do meet Matt, and other friends who cook us a big curry - a meeting set up by the local Friends
of the Earth in a wildlife centre near the canal. Is cosy but with few people.
We spend most of the vening talking about the factory nearby, where Depleted Uranium (DU) ammunition is made.
This factory came into the news 18 months ago, when there was a big fire. We hear that this is not the first
fire there, and get some more info. We decide to do a joint action tomorrow morning (also joint with Cat
and others from manchester CND). It will be the first ever action there.
(For those of you who do not know, this is the problem of DU:
DU is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal, used for armour piercing bullets. It is very dense,
effective and cheap because it is a waste product of the nuclear industry. DU is an alpha-emitter, with
decay products emitting beta and gamma radiation. It has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. It’s called ‘depleted’
becuase 60-70% of the U235 has been removed; compared to natural uranium if you take equal amounts, DU is about
half as radioactive as natural uranium. But natural uranium never occurs in 100% concentration as in DU. So in
effect, DU is much more radioactive than than natural uranium is! DU is regarded as medium level radioactive
waste, giving off relative low doses.
The biggest problem is, DU burns on impact, releasing toxic, radioactive and very hard dust particles, that
can cause great damage to the body tissues, genetic, and immune system. The particles can stay for several
years, irradiating nearby tissues continuously. DU ammunition was widely used in the Gulf War, Iraq, 1991.
It is associated with digestive and respiratory disorders, cancers, birth defects, neurological damage,
damage to kidneys, immune system, & genetic damage. Women and children are especially vunerable.)
Wednesday 5 July 2000
Wolverhampton to Stafford
19 (153) miles
10 am, we walk into a quiet lane at Featherstone, just north of Wolverhampton, to the gates of Royal Ordnance Special
Metals. We do have a continency plan in case we can not get in, but we do not neet it. The gates are not shut;
there’s just a barrier which we walk round easily, and past two security men that Nagase shonin-san ducks round
very nicely, leading us all straight up to the reception office. The inner doors are shut, so we sit down and
ask to speak to the mananger - poor man has had a hernia and funeral, so we talk to the quality control man.
Elinor is our spokeperson, and questions him on concerns for the workers, neighbours, and military personnel as
well as obviously for targeted people. The women from Manchester ask some penetrating questions, including:"Are
you aware that you are actively involved with preparing a war crime?" We appeal to the individual responsibility
of each of us, the manager seems almost in tears. We then present him with the Dan Fahey report on DU effects, and
a string of cranes with Sadako’s story.
The filmers and police escort us gently out - the action gives us lots of energy for the rest of the day, even after
saying goodbye to the Wolverhampton Friends of the Earth & CADU (Campaign Against Depleted Uranium) people.
On our arrival in Stafford that afternoon, we find a welcoming committee awaiting us with a big banner, flowers from
Avril Sinclair of the Racial Equality Council. Some lovely colourful welcoming - posters, and a radio interview!
We share a meal with the Quakers. Roger Oldfield of Trident Ploughsares and Alison Crane of ‘Turning the Tide’ are
there, as well as other old and new friends. We enjoy the company enormously. Dave Barry from the Lief Foundation
brings photos! Good dreams in the Friends Meeting House - it’s a lovely one, all wood, from 1730.
Thursday 6 July 2000
Stafford to Hanley
14 (167) miles
A cool day, partly along the canal. Astrid misses the group and spends the day running after them. Welcome in a park
by Pauline and other CND members, then by a group of Caribean drummers!
We share a communal meal at the packed CND office, tell about the DU factory, and then split to different families,
for a nights sleep in a REAL bed and a REAL shower!
Next morning everyone appears fresh and full of stories about ‘their’ family’s welcome. Thank you!
Friday 7 July 2000
Hanley to Macclesfield
20 (187) miles
The first showery day. People getting tired, happy to arrive after 20 miles. Ann, Lucy, and later two local quakers
came to see us - they care so much...
Dave from the Life Foundation drops in - brings foot massage, a peace flame, and washes our clothes! What service - great!
Saturday 8 July 2000
Macclesfield to Stockport
17 (204) miles
Dave is joining us today. One mile into the day’s walk, it begins to pour. Poncho time today! We walk along the
Manchester canal towpath, and the people we meet are very friendly. It clears up in the afternoon.
A hard looking chap full of tattoos stops Kreb, we’re a bit worried, but he comes back with a smile and a pound donation!
We’re met on the road by Tim Carlisle, who leads us to the Friend’s Meeting House, where we had a wonderful vegan
supper. Rev. Takashima from Sri lanka finds us eventually here!
Sunday 9 July 2000
Stockport to Manchester
17 (221) miles
We thought it would be an easy day, short distance, nice route, etc... ha!
Start to walk along riverbank - turns into a jungle. Get off path onto road. It start raining...
We meet a very nice couple who tells us of a street fair nearby, where a woman from Menwith Hill is leafletting.
We go there to say hello, and are invited to the couple’s home for tea. Spend a lovely long time there, munching
organic vegan cookies, and are photographed in the garden. This photo would later turn out to be a real crisis-saver!
When we got back on the road, we get lost a couple of times in the end, we find Stretford Road... but... no Chinese
temple anywhere. Frustration. Turns out there are 2 Stretford Roads, each in quite different areas of Manchester.
to work as a group on communication, and to start thinking about the blockade at the ned of the peace walk. We’re
all tired and really need a rest. Fatigue makes us grumpy.
Monday 10 July 2000
Manchester
Rest day
We join morning chanting, beautiful sounds, especially Kreb is inspired. We have an amazing breakfast at the turn-around table.
Later that morning, someone starts singing, and suddenly we’re all tuned in. It breaks the growing group tension
completely, a great feel. We say goodbye to the Chinese Temple with gratefulness, leaving another string of cranes,
with Sadako’s spirit.
That evening there’s a meeting at the One World Centre - only 2 person show up, we dont mind, and we chat on.
That night is spent in another temple, a converted warehouse - beautifully restored by the Friends of the
Western Buddhist Order. The atmosphere is clear and good; we feel calm, even after a difficult talk about
group tensions - it’s O.K. Lets just keep putting one foot in front of another... our differences are
sometimes hard, but --- to get to Faslane and to bring the energy of the walk there.
Continued on Peacewalk page 2
Text © 2000 Astrid Ubas, Kreb Dragonrider, Marina, Marjan Willemsen, Andrea,
Takashima Shonin, Handa Shonin, Anna, Angie Zelter
Drawings © 2000 Astrid Ubas
Website © 2007 Kreb Dragonrider