Greenham Common statue campaign

Welsh campaigners led the demonstration

Welsh veterans of the Greenham Common anti-nuclear demonstrations are on the campaign trail to raise money for a commemorative statue.

A touring exhibition charting the involvement of Welsh women aims to raise money for a life-size statue which, they hope, will be located at the Welsh Assembly.

Greenham veteran Thalia Campbell

Welsh peace campaigners led the way in the anti-nuclear demonstration of the 1980s, that laid siege to the Greenham Common airbase in Berkshire.

"The women who set the march up lived in Wales around Carmarthenshire, and I think the atmosphere in Wales was different to England," explained Greenham veteran Thalia Campbell.

"It was more progressive and we were ahead of our time here in Wales. I think we took the message to England and then to the rest of the world."

Thousands of protesters gathered to voice discontent at the siting of 96 Cruise missiles in Britain.

Money is being raised for a life-sized version

The missiles were eventually flown back to The United States of America. The last of them left in 1991.

Now the camp may be gone - it was disbanded in the new year - but the spirit among protest veterans lives on.

A touring exhibition charting the involvement of Welsh women in the movement aims to raise money for the life-size bronze statue.

The archive charting the campaign is due to begin its tour Wales to help raise the £20,000 needed for the project.

The organisers hope the Assembly will house the permanent reminder of the part played by Welsh women in one of Britain's longest ban-the- bomb protests.