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The Women's Library Folder
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Lisa Halse interviewed by Sara Sherwood

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Spurred into peace activism as a teenager after seeing images of the Vietnam War, Lisa would travel to Greenham Common from Devon. In this interview, she discusses the ongoing legacy of Greenham Common and her work with 'Carry Greenham Home' which built alliances and educated local communities.
Lisa was interviewed by Sara Sherwood in 2019.

Liz Beech interviewed by Leslie Lyle

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Liz.
'I went to Greenham because I was given an electric kettle for my 40th birthday by my mother!' Liz took a bus to 'Embrace the base' in 1982 with a Glastonbury women's group and consequently lived at Yellow Gate from 1983 to 1987. She thought this was with her husband's support, saying the men's role was to keep 'the home fires burning'. However, she lost custody of her two children, with Greenham being cited as the reason, almost definitely as part of a political strategy to scare other mothers at the camp. Liz says that she was much less afraid of life than before she went.
Liz was interviewed by Leslie Lyle in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Loppy Oubridge interviewed by Jill Raymond (Ray)

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Loppy was at Green and Yellow Gates for the winter of 1981/82 and was involved in the organising of the 'Embrace the Base'. She then stayed at the peace camp at Burghfield and worked for the Dorset Peace Council. She also talks about being a young mum at the same time and considers how her activism affected her children and the rest of her life.
Loppy was interviewed by Jill Raymond (Ray) in January 2021.

Lorna Richardson interviewed by Rebecca Mordan

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Lorna was involved in her local CND group from the age of 14 and learnt about Greenham through the Quakers. She talks about how her political and moral views were shaped by her aunt and how she first hitched to Green Gate with two friends when she was 16. Lorna recalls staying at Turquoise Gate, prison sentences, underground nuclear testing and singing songs to keep up energy and morale.
Lorna was interviewed by Rebecca Mordan in 2019.

Louella Crisfield interviewed by Emma Gliddon

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Lou has been a lifelong activist inspired by her time at Greenham in her teens. She is now a housing adviser in London and feels the experience at camp gave her the courage to be or do anything! She was there in her late teens and shares her experience of camp life, arrest and prison.
Louella was interviewed by Emma Gliddon in 2019.

Lyn Barlow interviewed by Rebecca Mordan

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Lyn.
Lyn left care at 18 and took a student trip to Greenham. This first visit had a huge impact on Lyn who visited regularly and moved to Greenham permanently 3 years later. Lyn's attitude to non-violence threaded through her engagement with MOD soldiers and squaddies and she describes talking with them about all sorts of subjects. Lyn went to various prisons many times, stating that there was no real stereotypical woman in prison, only stereotypical circumstances that conspired to put them there. She believes Greenham has valuable lessons in critical thinking that are just as relevant to young women today.
Lyn was interviewed by Rebecca Mordan in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Lynette Edwell interviewed by Kate Kerrow

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Lynette was a crucial figure at Greenham and ran the Greenham office from her house (where this interview was conducted). As the key administrator for the campaign, she was the person who triggered the telephone tree, and watched for cruise missiles. She gave space to the Greenham women in her home, letting them use it for phone calls and administration, as well as showers, childcare and long discussions on politics and feminism. As a journalist, she wrote press releases trying to get proper media representation and helped the women with paperwork related to court appeals. As a key player in the whole campaign, Lynette was arrested many times, herself experiencing physical assault. This is the fascinating story of one of the key brains behind the campaign. She was a key presence at Orange Gate from the beginning until Cruise left.
Lynette was interviewed by Kate Kerrow in 2019.

Lynne Wilkes interviewed by Kate Kerrow

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Lynne.
Lynne was based at Blue Gate, and did Night Watch. She discusses the impact of motherhood on her time at Greenham, and Greenham's impact on motherhood. Working in mental health at the time of the interview, she uses her learning about the way in which women supported one another to inform her practise in helping vulnerable people.
Lynne was interviewed by Kate Kerrow in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Maggie Parks interviewed by Elaine Ruth White

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Maggie.
In telling her story of living at the Greenham camp, Maggie Parks illustrates the power of the experience to inspire and uplift. Finding Greenham at the time of her beloved father's death at 58 years old, Maggie allowed the energy and love at the camp to swell into the void and become a vital part of something as powerful as her grief. Very much a personal life story, Maggie describes how the experience and energy has stayed with her in a lifelong career supporting and protecting women against violence.
Maggie was interviewed by Elaine Ruth White in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Maria Ragusa interviewed by Kate Kerrow

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Maria.
Maria visited Greenham regularly and taught self-defence to the women. In this interview, she discusses navigating the politics of self-defence and Non-Violent Direct Action, as well as how Greenham has influenced her life and politics.
Maria was interviewed by Kate Kerrow in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Mary Woodvine interviewed by Jessica Layton

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Mary visited Greenham when she was 16/17 around 1984/85. Mary visited just for 1 day and was there for the 'Embrace the Brace'. She remembers the fear surrounding nuclear weapons at the time and was apprehensive about visiting Greenham but then felt a sense of invincibility and togetherness with the other women there and genuinely felt that she could make a difference. Mary remembers one of the songs and gives us a rendition of it for us!
Mary was interviewed by Jessica Layton in 2019.

Mica May interviewed by Sara Sherwood

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Mica.
Mica came to the peace movement accidentally while living in Manchester and visited Greenham for the first time for the Embrace the Base action. Describing it as a transformational experience, Mica lived at Yellow Gate in 1983. In this interview, Mica meditates on the artistic practices at Greenham, the creative actions which she took part in and the importance of women-only spaces.
Mica was interviewed by Sara Sherwood in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Muswell Hill Women interviewed by Rebecca Mordan

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of the Muswell Hill Women.
The 'Muswell Hill Women' were active members of a local CND group who went to Greenham to do night-watches, make food, raise money and bring equipment, especially waterproofs, to the women who lived at Greenham. They designed, made and sold their own badges and carried Greenham home to their local communities. They talk about their admiration for the women who gave up their lives to live at the camp, the strength of women-only protest and the importance of Greenham as a location to focus anti-nuclear action. They are clear that Greenham has much to teach young people today about protesting against the power of the State in a way that is non-violent.
The Muswell Hill Women were interviewed by Rebecca Mordan in 2019.
They were photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Nina Millns interviewed by Nicky Arikoglu

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
At the time of the interview, Nina was a writer, actor and activist. She attended a nursery established by Greenham Women. Operating through a non-hierarchical and collective decision-making process they, some as openly gay and bi-sexual women, encouraged the children to explore their identities, something Nina believes was a direct result of their own Greenham experiences. Nina believes Greenhamas legacy is that of an activism that bypasses and lies outside established systems of power and norms of protest so as to raise awareness of issues and move them forward. She feels Greenham's legacy has made it second nature for her to raise such awareness, to effect change on particular issues, and never to feel helpless in the face of existing power structures.
Nina was interviewed by Nicky Arikoglu in 2019.

Oak Chezar interviewed by Vanessa Pini

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Oak.
Oak Chezar arrived at Greenham from America in 1985 when she was 29 and stayed at both Blue and Yellow Gates until 1988. She talks about zapping, the effects of radiation, evictions and how Greenham changed her life, leading her into a women's performance group, teaching Women's Studies and writing. She says that writing kept her sane. Oak also recalls doing headstands in Newbury jail and how living at Greenham stopped her being a germaphobe! Oak Chezar is the author of 'Trespassing, A Memoir of Greenham Common'.
Oak was interviewed by Vanessa Pini in January 2021.

Peggy Seeger interviewed by Rebecca Mordan

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Peggy.
Peggy is a folk singer, songwriter and activist who wrote 'Carry Greenham Home'. Along with other musicians, she sang to the march that was coming through from Wales to Greenham in September 1981. She later joined them at Greenham Common and recalls journalists, donations and getting pissed-off with lounging men! Peggy speaks of how women don't have a written history and how we have to celebrate the power of a lot of women together. She remembers women improvising singing collectively to dumfound police, showing skill in keeping the peace where men could not and Rebecca Johnson signing her nightmare of nuclear war.
Peggy was interviewed by Rebecca Mordan in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Penny Gane interviewed by Florence Weston

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Penny was drawn to Greenham by the thought of women being there on their own, shouldering the responsibility of taking on the world. 'It was a call to all of us, which is why I became active.' She recalls the strong women of Bristol taking part in Non-Violent Direct Action and supporting women living at the camp. She remembers Joan Baez visiting, a truck ploughing through the benders, the Greenham Common Newsletter and how, ultimately, 'The women always won.'
Penny was interviewed by Florence Weston in 2019.

Penny Gulliver interviewed by Isabelle Tracy

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Penny.
Penny was 21 when she went to Greenham. She stayed for a year. She lived at Blue Gate and was at the camp during the evictions. She recalls the enjoyment of political discussions with women, recounts actions such as painting out the lights on the runway to try and stop the Cruise missiles landing. Penny talks about the legacy of Greenham, the impact of the protest, going to prison and the echoes of Greenham across her life.
Penny was interviewed by Isabelle Tracy in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Pixie Taylor interviewed by Vanessa Pini

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Pixie.
Pixie spent two periods of her life at Greenham. Firstly, when she was 18, she went down on an overnight coach from Dundee and lived at Green Gate from 1985-86. She returned for the 10th birthday in 1991 and lived at Blue Gate until January 1994. She talks about the differences in the eras, evictions and bailiffs, women only spaces, learning to value her body and her time in Holloway. She recalls doing doughnuts in a borrowed car in the base during the American leaving ceremony and reads from a Greenham newsletter documenting leaving Blue Gate. Pixie speaks about how ludicrous it was to have nuclear weapons being driven around the country and how Greenham wouldn't have survived without humour and laughter. She also remembers writing to Greenham at school on Dennis the Menace paper and getting a reply!
Pixie was interviewed by Vanessa Pini in January 2021.

Rosalind Clark interviewed by Sarah Learmonth

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Arriving at Greenham with her 4 year old daughter at 27 years old, Ros soon gravitated to Green Gate. Her memories are about the unity of singing and artistic expression, the quietly powerful strength of women together and the challenge of constantly questioning yourself, whether you wanted to or not. Having met so many women who had been abused in various ways by the men in their lives, Ros went on to qualify as a counsellor. For Ros, the legacy of Greenham was the strong sense of female empowerment and support.
Ros was interviewed by Sarah Learmonth in 2019.

Rosy Bremer interviewed by Nicky Arikoglu

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Rosy arrived at Greenham in 1989 visiting frequently until living permanently at Yellow Gate between 1993-1997. The INF Treaty had been signed and the Cruise missiles were being removed, public and media interest in the nuclear threat had diminished. However, Rosie participated in multiple NVDA's, including those at Aldermaston and Burghfield. She believes it was the low-level, constant, daily disruption to the military that effected the removal of the cruise missiles and return of the common land to the people. Greenham, she thinks, was a model for women to speak out on major political issues. Imprisoned thirteen times, including for actions against the later war in Iraq, Rosy's unshakeable belief is that individuals, united in the face of injustice or mis-use of state authority can fight back and win.
She was interviewed by Nicky Arikoglu in 2019.

Ruth Nichol interviewed by Sara Sherwood

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
In this expansive and generous interview, Ruth discusses travelling to Greenham with her friend Sarah Green in 1981/2 and stayed at Yellow Gate, finding solidarity and comfort in the women's peace movement in Sheffield, the acrobatic workshops she led at camp so women could take part in creative actions, how her interests (spirituality, in particular) developed at Greenham and the deep friendships at the camp which she formed. Ruth also recounts the thinking behind forming Green Gate in the early years of Greenham.
Ruth was interviewed by Sara Sherwood in 2019.

Sally Hay interviewed by Leslie Lyle

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Sally.
'I went to sleep last night pondering whether we made a difference. As I said yesterday, it's my belief that language is critical in making attitudinal changes. The challenges to the standard discourse that the Greenham Women made were like little prods on the wheel of a giant ship. Gradually the ship turns and then it carries on turning and eventually a noticeable change of direction has taken place. We did that. I played a tiny part in that, something of which I am proud. So, thank you all for giving me the opportunity to remember.'
Sally was interviewed by Leslie Lyle in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Sarah Green interviewed by Josephine Liptrott

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Sarah.
Sarah is an environmental campaigner who has been involved in protesting the devastating damage caused to the London wetland areas by HS2. She was already involved in a women's peace group when, attending a rally at Hyde Park in 1981, she heard about Greenham Common and decided to give up her job to live there. She resided at the camp for around five years, based at the main gate which became known as Yellow Gate. She describes an incident during which local vigilantes pulled up in a van to spray the women with offal and discusses the microwave 'zapping' of the protesters during which she feared for her safety. Like other women, Sarah was arrested and imprisoned due to her involvement in non-violent direct action but she had a unique experience of being at Greenham as she gave birth to her son there!
Sarah was interviewed by Josephine Liptrott in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Sheila Eschle interviewed by Tricia Grace-Norton

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording.
Sheila was already an active member of a Peace Group and decided to join Greenham because of the development of weapons of mass destruction. 'There is so much in this world to love and cherish: and I wanted my name to be there to say I stood up and said NO I don't want nuclear weapons'. She used to go with her friend Janet for 2 weeks at a time and camp in the woods, sometimes taking her 2 daughters with her, and organising coach trips to Greenham. On her first visit she was shocked by the sight of the huge fences. She and Janet felt very strongly about not getting into trouble as they had to get back to look out for the future of their children. Sheila's daughter, Catherine, was influenced and inspired by her mother and Greenham to take up a career in International Relations from a Feminine Perspective. In one of the demonstrations items from home were pinned to the fence, Sheila pinned pictures of the family. It was a tremendous feeling of female solidarity.
Sheila was interviewed by Tricia Grace-Norton in 2019.

Sheila Thornton, Barbara Blower and Mockie Harrison interviewed by June Hughes

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Sheila and one of Sheila, Barbara and Mockie.
June Hughes met Sheila with her sister Barbara Blower and their close friend Mockie Harrison. None of them stayed for a long time but visited regularly for short visits. They helped with supplying food for the camp in a fairly well organised way with loosely arranged rotas for cooking and delivery the food.
They often took their children with them, staying mostly at Red Gate. They kindly sang some of the Greenham songs on the recording.
They were interviewed by June Hughes in Milton Keynes in 2019.
They were photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

Sian Jones interviewed by Jill Raymond (Ray)

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Sian.
Sian was living in Southampton when GCWPC began. Orange Gate, on the south side of the common, was the nearest for Southampton activists who were regulars at camp and beyond. Sian's initial involvement included night watch, hot food runs and cruise watch. She enjoyed being on the land with women and the elements and even went to sea with the women's boat action group.
She also talks about how the network of Greenham Women grew over the years and the development of other anti-war and international groups like WATFY (Women's Aid To Former Yugoslavia) and Women in Black.
In this photo, Sian is staring at the muncher during an eviction at Orange Gate.
Sian was interviewed by Jill Raymond (Ray) in February 2021.

Sue Say (Agege) interviewed by Isabelle Tracy

This folder includes the recorded audio of the interview along with a transcript of the recording and a photograph of Sue.
On Sueas first evening at Greenham she heard a woman talking to a soldier on the other side of the fence. It was that powerful conversation that kept her at Greenham, protesting nuclear missiles but also exploring the multitudes of different ways to be a woman by meeting and talking to amany shades of womena. Sue went to prison many times, took the government to court for illegal strip-searches and won, changing the law in the process. She talks about the radical potential of laughter and creativity, the unconventional methods she and others used to draw attention to issues and the strength in unity at Yellow Gate.
Sue was interviewed by Isabelle Tracy in 2019.
She was photographed by Christine Bradshaw (copyright Christine Bradshaw).

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