Photo: Ros Wills
In this week’s listings:
- National anti-fracking rally, Preston New Road, Lancashire
- Meet the Regulators drop-in event, Doncaster
- Mardi Gras procession for Bury Hill Wood, Surrey
- Anti-fracking march, Mosborough, nr Sheffield
- Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour event, York
- Plus meetings, film screenings, lectures, regional gatherings
Please let us know (click here) if any of these details are incorrect or if other events should be included. And click here for our event listing for the rest of February and beyond here.
Monday 20 February 2017
Continuing rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details
Reclaim the Power Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour: strategies and tactics to oppose fracking, 7pm-9pm, University of York, Heslington York, YO15 5DD. Details
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Continuing rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details
Frack Free Yeovil meeting, 7pm-10pm, Meadow Road, Yeovil BA21 5PD. Details and contact for venue address.
Frack Free Manchester monthly meeting, 7:15pm, The Green Fish Resource Centre, 46-50 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE Details
Frack Free Mansfield meeting, 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Rosemary Street, Mansfield NG19 6AB Details
Wednesday 22 February 2017
Continuing rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details
Road to Leith Hill and Bury Hill Wood, Surrey
Meeting of Surrey County Council planning and regulatory committee to consider proposals to meet Condition 20 of planning permission MO/2016/1848 for oil exploration at Bury Hill Wood. Condition 20 requires Europa Oil & Gas to carry out a pre and post development condition survey of parts of Knoll Road and Coldharbour Lane. 10.30am, Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN Meeting agenda and details of condition
Meet the regulators event. Informal information session attended by The Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Oil and Gas Authority, Public Health England and Doncaster Council staff, 2pm-7pm, Keepmoat Sadium, Stadium Way, Doncaster DN4 5JW
Frack Free Ashfield monthly meeting to discuss latest developments, future plans and other business, 7.30pm-9pm, The Wyvern Club, Urban Road, Kirkby in Ashfield Nottinghamshire NG17 8DB
Bolton Against Fracking Horwich meeting, 7:30pm, St. Marys Club, Horwich, Bolton BL6 5 Details
Thursday 23 February 2017
Continuing rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details
Insider’s guide to the Advertising Standards Authority and Committees of Advertising Practice, 9am-11.30am, Advertising Standards Authority, Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6QT. Details and booking (£60)
Derbyshire Times Facebook Live event about fracking with representatives of INEOS Shale. 12.30pm at https://www.facebook.com/derbyshiretimes/ Details
Frack Free South Yorkshire on SheffieldLive radio, 4pm-5pm, 93.2FM and online at http://web.sheffieldlive.org/shows/sounzaboutright/
Reclaim the Power and Bassetlaw Against Fracking Keep it in the Ground mobiliser tour: strategies and tactics to oppose fracking, 7pm-9pm, Retford Labour Hall, New Street, Retford DN22 6EG. Details
Are we going to be fracked? presentation, 7.30pm, Zion URC Church Hall, 21 Langsett Road South, Oughtibridge S35 0GX. Details
Frack Free Northwich AGM, 7:30–10:30pm, The Penny Black Wetherspoons, 110 Witton Street, Northwich CW9 5AB Details
‘From Seismic Faults to Social Fracking – a Rocky Guide to Communicating Public Science’. Free lecture by presenter and lecturer Professor Iain Stewart. 7.30pm, The Athenaeum, Derry’s Cross, Plymouth PL1 2SW, Details
Screening of Groundswell Rising, hosted by Frack Free North Somerset, 8pm-10pm, The Bell Inn, Banwell, 1 The Square, Banwell BS29 6BL. Details
Friday 24 February 2017
Continuing rolling roadside protest against Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road, 9am-3pm, Preston New Road, Westby PR4 Details
First day of Earth First Winter Moot, weekend of campaign updates, networking, planning, solidarity and socialising, beginning at 6pm, MERCI, Bridge 5 Mill, 22A Beswick Street, Manchester M4 7HR. £25/£30 including vegan meals and accommodation. Details and to book
Frack Free Dearne Valley present Dash for Gas film screening, 7pm, Ings lane Sports and Social Club, Vancouver Drive, Bolton-upon-Dearne S63 8DT. Details
Frack Free Exmoor, Quantocks and Sedgemoor screening of Groundswell Rising, 7-9pm, Taunton Quaker Meeting House, 13 Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4EP Details
Frack Free Ashfield Social Evening, 7:30pm, Chand Indian Cuisine, 8 Toothill Road, Mansfield NG18 1NW Details
An illustrated talk by Peter Golding – local geologist and tutor – answering questions such as: What exactly is fracking? Will it affect my property? Is it safe? Do we really need it? Organised by The Wildlife Trusts, 7.30pm-9.45pm, the The Salvation Army Hall, Portland Road, Hythe, Kent CT21 6EG. Details
Saturday 25 February 2017
Second day of Earth First Winter Moot, weekend of campaign updates, networking, planning, solidarity and socialising, all day, MERCI, Bridge 5 Mill, 22A Beswick Street, Manchester M4 7HR. £25/£30 including vegan meals and accommodation. Details and to book
Friends of the Earth North West regional gathering, 10.30am-5pm, The Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BT. Details or contact Carla.doran@foe.co.uk
Friends of the Earth Greater South East regional gathering, 11am-4pm, The Printworks, 143 Clapham Rd, London SW9 0HP. Details or contact laura.mcfarlane-shopes@foe.co.uk
Don’t frack Lancs national rally, 11am-2pm, Maple Farm, Preston New Road, Little Plumpton PR4 3PE. Details
Anti-fracking Mardi Gras funeral procession for Bury Hill Wood, near Dorking, 11am-6pm. Start 11am at Dorking Railway Station, follow A25 through Dorking, then up Coldharbour Lane to Bury Hill Wood. Expected to take two hours. Details
Leith Hill villagers Saturday gathering, 11am-2pm, Bury Hill Wood, near Leith Hill, Dorking, RH5 6HN
March Against Fracking, 12 noon, from The Queen, 135 High Street, Mosborough, Sheffield S20 5AF and 1pm from Eckington Market Place, Market Street, Eckington, to Butcher’s Arms, Main Road, Marsh Lane, S21 5RH. Details
Blessing water and earth at Preston New Road. Water is life event. 2pm-4pm. More to follow. Details
Sunday 26 February 2017
Final day of Earth First Winter Moot, weekend of campaign updates, networking, planning, solidarity and socialising, ending at 4pm, MERCI, Bridge 5 Mill, 22A Beswick Street, Manchester M4 7HR. £25/£30 including vegan meals and accommodation. Details and to book
Categories: Diary
DRILL OR DROP? 
Thank you Ruth
Seems like the article from the Telegraph on Cuadrilla’s response to the [Edited by moderator] anti-frack protest is worthy of a headline article, Ruth?
I liked this quote in particular: “In a letter to security minister Ben Wallace earlier this month, seen by the Telegraph, the local chamber of commerce said the “appalling and intimidatory tactics” used by anti-fracking activists are deliberately targeting local businesses and are preventing the firms from benefiting from opportunities created by the booming shale industry.”
Hi hballpeenyahoocom You’re quite right about the article – I’ve added it to the headlines page. I’m also following it up with Cuadrilla and Lancashire Police. I’m waiting to hear from Cuadrilla but a spokesperson for Lancashire Police confirmed this morning that there had been no arrests related to verbal death threats and physical assault against workers at the Preston New Road site. Best wishes, Ruth
[Comment removed by moderator]
Most of these people want is to see their face on the news paper or Facebook that is why they are so keen for a photo opportunity.
Not worthy of comment either of these, so I will, ‘booming industry’ ?er Not, Peeny. Egomaniac protectors, not, in comparison with you pro commentators KW. et al. Given no other choices, direct action, having exhausted all other planning and legal options is only available choice to prevent heinous destruction of our environment, R,Lock on folks, resist this at all costs.
Agree that booming industry is poor choice of words. It is booming compared to where it was 6 months ago, but certainly not on an absolute scale.
If you’re concerned about the heinous destruction of the environment, then I would imagine most of your time is spent traveling the country protesting large-scale wind and/or solar installations, right? Given that these forms of power are 200-500x more destructive of the environment than shale gas, they would be your most natural target. Good luck!
So Mr Irving, if you don’t get your way through the civilised process, you’ll do whatever it takes? Are you the same over everything you want in life? [Edited by moderator]
I thought you were supposed to be independent Ruth. You obviously object to the ‘greens’ being asked any serious, soul-searching questions. This man’s (and his associates) acceptance of the word ‘no’ is one of the main issues of the argument. If his objection is simply that he is an anarchist and doesn’t like not getting his own way, there is no point in him discussing the oil and gas industry as he has nothing constructive to offer to the argument. I consider my point would have shown this but you chose to amend it. I shall view your site from now with considerable scepticism.
Thanks for your reply Paul. You were right in your assumption. We are all presented with boundaries in life. One person’s will to overcome an obstacle may in another person’s view be considered as cheeky, or illegal, or bullying, or worse. From what he stated, it would appear that Mr Irving is somewhere in that muddled grey area. Such action should not be encouraged in civilised society. Indeed, it should be shown up for what it really is – nasty.