Demonstration: Steps of Pevensey Bay Library
Saturday 20 February 2016, 10:30am
The atmosphere at the ‘small peaceful demonstration’ to support the reinstatement of Pevensey Bay Library, showed how much support there is within the community to see the much loved facility back in the Bay.—Bay Life, 20 February 2016
Pevensey Bay Village comes together in community show of strength
News of the demonstration began on Radio Sussex at 6:30am . As the local news sequence began, second on the agenda was the story of the little village in East Sussex campaigning to see their library re-open.
As the news reader explained that as a result of a flood in January 2015, that the library had been closed ever since, the importance of the campaign was suddenly shoved local centre stage.
At home as people heard the news and that there was an interview to follow with one of the organisers of the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, Margaret Martin. people started to tune in to what was to come.
Resident of the Bay, Pauline Forster, on hearing the news commented “that Margaret Martin and her small team, it is so good that people recognise the effort that she has put in, she is well justified in the efforts, people have appreciated her efforts and backed her”.
The interview at 7:30am was brief, but very much to the point. Margaret Martin explained,
“…..after more than a year since the flooding, East Sussex County Council saying that there is going to be a survey just is not good enough is it?
As the interviewer pointed out, East Sussex County Council had said that, “we expect survey works to begin on site within the next few weeks “.
But you could hear puzzlement in the story.
How can things possibly have taken this long just to get to the stage that a survey will be undertaken in the next few weeks?
Perhaps things began to dawn on people… not a few weeks after the event in January 2015, but a few weeks and a year after the event in 2016.
The case put by East Sussex County Council hardly stacks up when you see matters in this way.
Having said that, as Margaret Martin pointed out, the community is grateful for action now and the move by the County Council to undertake a survey.
Perhaps the local authority has underestimated the strength of feeling in the community about the situation.
“What in Pevensey Bay? What, a demonstration?”, was one comment heard later in the day.
The Argus covered the story with a big piece, both in print and the web, then the Eastbourne Independent covered the story both in print and the web and on to the ‘small peaceful demonstration, on the steps on the library at 10:30am.
Inclement weather and wind and there they were.
And the people started to arrive and the cars honked their horns and even a bus was heard to honk their horn as passengers craned their necks to see why the demonstration was taking place.
And then a Pevensey Parish Councillor turned up, talking in a personal capacity.
Helen Burton told Bay Life, “there was a great atmosphere in true village style with campaigners, children and dogs in attendance.
“Cars and buses honked their horns in support as they drove past and lots of people waved.
“We are so lucky to have a library in our parish and we need it reopened. Rural communities like ours are reliant on library services, libraries aren’t just about borrowing books anymore they are a vital source of local information and a hub for village life”.
And then people from the Information Centre arrived, people from the local Health Walks, people from the Parish Pump magazine, impassioned people who had lived in the Bay barely six months and said that they just had to be there, young people, older people, all ages, all walks of life.
As the thread of people stretched out along the pavement, it became obvious that something was happening here in Pevensey Bay, because the community does not do demonstrations.
And then the press arrived to cover the story as the demonstration was happening.
And then something interesting dawned on the people present, by this time 30 plus and they were still coming for the short half hour photocall.
Where was the East Sussex County Council representative to talk to the campaigners? There was nobody there.
Where were the Parish Councillors who have publicly promoted the issue that there should be more positive communication about the matter? There was nobody there, apart from one parish councillor acting in a personal capacity.
Where were the District Councillors?
So no councillors, no representatives from organisations, just people.
Afterwards in a local cafe people drew together to talk about what had happened, the buzz and drive, ambition and passion to see something happen to ensure that the library will re-open was obvious.
Bay Life talked to three of the campaigners that had come hot foot from the demonstration.
There was a commonality of feeling and shared sense of experience. There was also a full and articulate sense of the issue and an acute understanding of what was at stake in relation to the vitality of the village.
There was not just passion there was purpose and drive.
If anyone thinks that the issue of Pevensey Bay Library is somehow going to go away, what the demonstration showed this morning is that this is simply not going to happen.
Because there will not be a committee deciding on whether Pevensey Bay Library will have a future.
No committee at East Sussex County Council will make the decision.
No committee at Pevensey Parish Council will add their twopenneth.
No District Councillors will decide.
Just people will decide.
Because what happened today showed how much local people care about their library and how much they will be part of the campaign until the library returns.
Because people will decide.
There were thirty people today, there may be three hundred next time, if there is a next time, and if it takes 15,000 people, one for every visit to the local library in a year, to make the point that Pevensey Bay Library must be returned to the community, then that is what will happen.
Campaigns do not start with local authorities, campaigns start with people because people make decisions.
And the people of Pevensey Bay decided today what will happen.
They made the decision. The library will be returned to the community and that is a promise.
Congratulations to the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, the organisers of a wholehearted and successful campaign event.
Simon Montgomery
editor, Bay Life
IMAGE CREDITS: Friends of Pevensey Bay Library
