150th_Supplement

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Thursday, 2 March, 2017
Police look on as tree surgeons prepare to fell trees standing in the route ofthe
Newbury Bypass
1996: Newbury Bypass– the battle begins
11 January 1996
IT was only 9.15am but it had
become impossib le to fell any
more trees.
Contractors had c hopped
down ten trees in just 45
minutes, before some 150
security guards were forced
back into a circle to prevent
their digger being occupied.
Demonstrators had gradually
moved in to the wooded area
behind the Newtown straight
BP garage.
At first, small g roups sat
inside the cordon and were
dragged away by the security
guards to shouts of ‘leave your
jobs – there are other better
things you could be doing f or
the same money ’.
Just as the last of ten tr ees
crashed to the g round just
after 9am, mor e protesters
arrived from the field adjacent
to the A34.
They tore down the cordon
and fought against security
guards who tried to stop them
throwing themselves on the
ground.
By 9.15am security guar ds had
been forced into merely
defending the dig ger and any
possibility of work continuing
was stopped.
At this point violence f lared as
groups of demonstra tors
threw themselves in blocks
against lines of security
guards.
Other protesters jumped into
the huge earth piles created by
the uprooted trees.
Several others climbed trees.
The air was thick with
confrontation as a dog barked
while the protesters argued
and insulted the security
guards.
From time to time r oars went
up as protesters succeeded in
jamming themselv es under
another felled tr ee.
Even so some demonstra tors
still joked with individual
security guards, or laughed at
the masses of overcoated
journalists talking into their
mobile phones and dodging
the mud.
A protester read out a leaflet
saying “The Newbury Bypass
is the most contr oversial road
project ever”.
Security guards and protesters clash as work on the Newbury Bypass grinds to a halt
Valuing our history
and moving forwards
with great success in a
modern world.
When the Newbury Weekly News was launched in 1867 St Bart’s appeared in some of its early
reports. Major milestones have been recorded on the newspaper’s pages and the last 150 years
have seen the two establishments grow together in the local community.
St Bart’s has developed into a thriving comprehensive school providing students with
an outstanding education and exceptional facilities.
ST BARTHOLOMEW’S SCHOOL
Founded 1466
Congratulations to the Newbury Weekly News on its anniversary.
Please get in touch for more information about St Bart’s.
St Bartholomew’s School, Andover Road, Newbury RG14 6JP
01635 521255 @St_Barts_School
St Bartholomew’s School, the boys’ grammar, moved
into its new building, Wormestall in 1885
In 1910 Newbury County Girls’ School, the girls’
grammar, moved into its new building, Luker.
An education for the 21st century,
St Bart’s current building opened in 2010.
Newbury Weekly News