Exmoor comes to capital -

Exmoor comes to capital - but burglars beware, Martin Hesp, Western Morning News, Saturday, 21st September 2002

Exmoor is getting excited. It's not often the folk of the hills go to town. In fact there's an old joke in the villages which goes something like this: An Exmoor bloke goes to the FA Cup final. He says to a policeman helping him and his mates to cross The Mall: "Busy up yer today ain't it?" Policeman: "Not particularly." Exmoor Bloke: "Must be. There's two busloads of us up from Exford."

Pat Bawden, secretary of pressure group, Endangered Exmoor, says "I think it will be the biggest countryside protest ever". Apart from something like the World Wars, I can't think of anything that's got them so motivated - except perhaps for foot and mouth. That hit us hard and people are still suffering. I can't believe that the Government won't listen to us this time. Exmoor will be more or less empty on Sunday. We've organised a sort of system of cover for the purposes of security, feeding animals, that sort of thing. Believe me, there'll be a few free-range dogs around to see off any would-be burglar."

People from all walks of life are joining tomorrow's march from the West somerset and North Devon areas around Exmoor. But the heartlands of the National Park are dominated by hunting folk, who intend spearheading their own campaign for survival. They will present their case to convince the nation that they are an endangered species. Get rid of hunting, they say, and you destroy an entire way of life ....

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