what did I do? Keep out of it, thus saving it from inevitable chaos and distraction into something else totally?

that's what usually happens - started giving out a few anti-war leaflets, ended up running scarily popular gigs in a punjabi banquetting hall - getting raided by the council and police now, must be doing something right ...

but superb stuff, proof that if you get your act together, you *can* play the system and protect something important - they don't *always* win, even after Newbury, Twyford Down etc etc.

I've lost track of the whole campaign, so I don't know if you've already done this, but make sure that you write a book or something about what happened, as a handbook for other people in the same situation - Merrick's book about Newbury is great, but ultimately not a happy ending

well done

RG