The Ely Standard has published a super letter of support for my stand in and for the food-growing Fens. The letter is from a friend of mine who, unlike some others who preach Prince Charles's 'greenie' nonsense to us locals, knows well of what he writes. I left a message on John Aitchison's answering machine saying that he was and is 'a good old boy,' there being no higher compliment that can be paid by any East Anglian to anybody - even anybody originally from 'the North.' Mr Aitchison's letter follows:
"Wicken Fen Project Should Be Stopped
I feel I can no longer let my frustrations and beliefs go unreported. I agree wholeheartedly with Geoffrey Woollard, whom I have known well for the best part of 40 years, and support his efforts to do battle against this unnecessary and short sighted Wicken Fen project.
In Farmers Weekly, issue December 18-25 2009, we read 'The growing demand for food around the world has put UK agricultural production back at the heart of the economy and political thinking'.
Also at the Oxford Farming Conference last January, Secretary of Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Hilary Benn said: "I want British agriculture to produce as much food as possible - no ifs, no buts."
The hectarage and yield of crops has got to keep going up and up if we are to keep feeding an ever increasing population. A fuel crisis is also not that far away. Gas and oil supplies will run out eventually and we may well have to grow more and more energy either as bio-mass or as bio-diesel. So why in the light of this thinking can't the Government put a stop to this project dreamt up by the National Trust. This organisation does a superb job of preserving historic buildings, many of which the owners have been forced to vacate. Why therefore is it getting involved in removing land from agricultural production?
The British agricultural industry is one of the most productive in the world but it seems to have the most problems to overcome to be in such a position. Although I would not be directly affected by this project, I have been in and around agriculture, which includes formal training all my life and I am of the opinion we should be as productive as possible, and this project should be stopped forthwith.
W John Aitchison
Qua Fen Common
Soham."
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John's wife, Rosemary, is vice-chairman of Soham Town Council and, because I don't have the Aitchisons' home E-mail address, I have sent a message to her and John via the assistant Town Clerk, Mrs Gloria Walker, as follows:
ReplyDeleteThanks a million for the superbly supportive letter in today's Ely Standard!
As ever,
Geoffrey Woollard.