THE September 1 edition of the Gazette reported the community celebration in Sipson to mark the defeat of the proposed third runway at Heathrow (A great feeling: No third runway).
This is also a fitting time to thank the remarkable band of people who make up the No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG): Geraldine Nicholson, Linda McCutcheon, Christine Taylor, Christine Shilling and Audrey Holdsworth, have worked tirelessly on behalf of the local community to win a battle that many people said could not be won.
When I worked for Hillingdon Council I was the NoTRAG link officer, and after my retirement they asked me to join the committee.
I was happy to do so, and it enabled me to see at close hand the enormous amount of time and effort that they put into every aspect of the campaign.
They went on marches and lobbies, organised meetings and demonstrations, spoke at national conferences and some of them became media celebrities.
This was all in addition to the mundane jobs of writing letters, sending emails, delivering leaflets and even selling the tokens for the rides at the Sipson celebration.
The stress of the campaign was sometimes enormous, and I know that there were quite a few sleepless nights at key times.
There were other people on the committee who played a positive and supportive role, and I hope that they will not be offended when I say that it was the drive and dedication of these local women that helped achieve this remarkable victory.
DAVID BROUGH c/o Hayes One Stop
Station Road Hayes
