The Silos Song by Rebecca Johnson, on the John Peel show in 1987.

What an amazing blast from the past!

Listen to this amazing recording of one of Rebecca Johnson’s Greenham songs, recently circulated by Aldermaston Camp women.

 

Broadcast on a 1987 radio programme by John Peel, it was included on a record of peace songs, put together by supporters to raise money for Greenham in 1983.

Rebecca sang this song at Newbury Court in February 1983, after she and other Greenham Women were found guilty of “breach of the peace” for occupying and dancing on the silos at dawn on New Year’s Day (1.1.83).  Under the 600-year-old 1361 Justices of the Peace law under which the women were convicted, the Judge had to ask each of them if we would sign an agreement to be ‘bound over to keep the peace’ – which he said meant that we had to agree not to do any more protests at Greenham.

As you can imagine the answer was no. Each of the women gave their reasons for saying they were doing their best to keep the peace — and this song was Rebecca’s answer.

The judge sentenced them all to 14 days in Holloway Prison.