'5 Spades a-leaning' visit the 'Diggers 2012' at Runnymede 4th October 2012

Diggers Camp Runnymede 041012

Diggers on the Hill with 5 Spades 041012

Diggers Geodesic Dome or Roundhouse 041012

Diggers 5 Spades a-leaning overlooking Heathrow and London

The Diggers join in Solidarity 041012

Diggers The Longhouse with mud walls 041012

Diggers and Spades gathered in the main street 041012

Diggers Kitchen in the Longhouse 041012

The Diggers of 1649 reform in 2012

On a beautiful sunny afternoon in October I arrived on a hill overlooking the river Thames at Runnymede. A hill reminiscent of St George's Hill in 1649 where Winstanley and his Diggers found themselves after the English Civil War.

I looked up at the noise above my head and then across the valley to the vast airport at Heathrow and beyond to the city where The Shard, The Gherkin and other monuments to the sky gathered in the distance.

Behind me amongst the trees was a simple encampment. Prominent was the newly built Roundhouse for Democratic meetings. Afterall, Runneymede is the selfproclaimed Birthplace of Modern Democracy.

The '5 Spades a-leaning' join The Diggers

The Diggers each lent their hands to tie together the five spades of the sculpture using a piece of ancient hemp.

They then also joined in Solidarity.

Whilst the city screamed overhead and in the distance, the diggers were, like the 5 spades bound together by an ancient cord.

How happy these 15 or 20 are in their uncomplicated life just being together with eachother. The smell of cooking mixed with the sounds of a panpipe playing from the woods and a fiddle from the nearby log fire in the Long House faded as we trod off down the grassy slopes of the new St Georges Hill back to the other world.

Everything about The Diggers 2012 can be found on their own website. Diggers 2012
NB. The Diggers are not on National Trust Land.
Will the Diggers of 2012 be hounded by The Powers that Be for the same reasons that 'The Powers that Were' destroyed The Diggers of 1649

..... visit to the 'Diggers 2012' at Runnymede, 20th October 2012

Mark and Claire lighting stove Runnymede

Claire Runnymede 201012

Phil at Runnymede

Cutting wood Runnymede

Freedom

Vinnie with his bamboo tattoos at Runnymede

Elizabeth in the kitchen Runnymede

I find myself this evening loading a few pics onto this page whilst Radio 3 is featuring Myshkin in Session and talking about her home made of wattle and daub in the woods of Oregon.

Hence these few pics also now added - the daub at Runneymede

Simon Moore at the window Runnymede

beyond to the Thames

Daubed wall, Runnymede

Mark and Claire in the window Runnymede

It is now late autumn at Runneymede. The rain makes everything damp, including the bedding and the fallen leaves slide on the heavy clay soil.

The communal roundhouse now has a stove to keep warm and three guitars leaning against one of the seats.

Elizabeth has arrived from the States and is straightening out the kitchen. She was boiling large quantities of steaming hot water in a cauldron over the primitive wood stove.

Vinnie was found outside shirtless and gathering wood for the winter. He asked me to say that if anyone asks, his tattoos are all made using bamboo.

Simon Moore was preparing to leave for a few hours to talk at the Ranters Corner on Leyton Marshes, a precious piece of greenery in London that he tried to help save from the Olympic onslaught.

Land and Freedom Gathering on Sat Nov 24th at Runnymede

'Race Into Time' will be returning to join this Gathering on the 24th November 2012 at Runnymede.
The concept that was developing during the Art Action at Leyton Marshes on the 21st Oct will continue with a theme connected to the Diggers of 1649 - 2012.
You are all welcome to join in this process and make your own sculptures from the clay on the 24th.