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  The march was the best thing I've ever done
Updated 23 September 2002, 11.32
The countryside march
Rachel and her family live in Wales but came to London to join the countryside march.

  Click here to find out more on the issues they were protesting about

She describes what it was like being on the march and the mood of all those who took part.

"When we got to the station we saw a few people we knew who were going on the march.


The train arrived and we boarded with excitement.

At every stop I became more and more anxious to march for what I believe in! I live on a sheep farm.

Everyone united

As we got to the underground the staff were very helpful and there were notices everywhere about the march.

When we got back into daylight we could see the two marches meeting as one to go down Whitehall.

  Click here for pix of the march

We joined in the march and everyone was shouting, whistling and holding huge banners.

Hissed and booed

As we past the DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) building everybody hissed and booed at what a mess they are making of the countryside.

The two police outside the building had stickers on and were cheering us on!

Downing Street closed

The gates at Downing Street were closed off, so if Mr Blair wants everyone to roam the countryside why won't he let us walk down his street? Surely it's a footpath?

As we passed the Cenotaph everybody was silent, took their hats off and marched silently.

A counter was used to count the number of people on the march
A counter was used to count the number of people on the march
By now you could see the counter ahead and everybody had become really excited about all the cameras.

It was amazing being with 260,000 people all supporting the same thing! That was the number as we crossed the line.

Many people took banners and flyers, which everybody laughed at. Our banner was:

FOR SALE
1 RED COAT
1 FARM
1 BUSINESS
2 HORSES
1 HEART (BROKEN)

We went back to the counter to watch the others coming through.

Everybody was really tense because we had almost reached our target of 300,000.

Everyone screamed, shouted, raised drinks, clapped and waved banners.

Missed train

A  banner at the march
A banner at the march
We then left slowly, smiling and talking to people on the way for our train, but because we were watching waves of people flocking through we missed it and had to catch the later one!

Do it again

While we were on the underground, we talked to a few people who had been in the march (we all stood out like sore thumbs!).

My mam asked one family 'what are you marching for, hunting or farming?' They replied 'the whole damn lot!' They were from North Yorkshire.

The march was the best thing I've ever done and I'll do it again any time, while our way of life is threatened."

Rachel, 14, South Wales (farmer's daughter)


Why don't you write us a Press Pack report - and get it published on the site?!

It can be about anything that's happened in your local area - or your views on the news.

  Click here to find out how to do it

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More InfoBORDER=0
Find OutGuide to the countryside
Find OutGuide to fox hunting
VoteVote: should fox hunting be banned?
Club'Foxes should be entitled to live'
ClubWill fishing be banned next?
ClubMy dad could lose everything
ClubWrite YOUR report!
Club'Animals have feelings too'

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Past StoriesBORDER=0
Thousands of kids join countryside march
Kids prepare for countryside march
Scottish hunting dogs could face death

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Web Links
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Countryside Alliance
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