I ADMIRE Graham Morgan's spirited leadership of the campaign to preserve the status of the Forest. I understand his pride in a place where his family have lived for generations. I came to the Forest in 1973, but looking at the reality, those with deep roots here are today in a minority.

If he looks around the district council there are at most three or four who originally came from this area. The same with the West Dean Parish Council. Last Wednesday, as representatives of over 8,000 people in these former mining villages, we unanimously passed a motion expressing our total opposition to any sell-off. Only two of our number can claim to be of the original Forest breed. But I believe we are just as passionate about doing anything we can to save the Forest.

We were saved last time in the most curious way, which until you read this letter is only known to half a dozen people. When Margaret Thatcher was informed of the strenuous opposition to privatisation of the Forest she ordered Geoffrey Howe, a decent likeable chap, to use his powers of persuasion on us. What she did not take into the reckoning was Lady Howe. She had become outraged by Thatcher's indifference to the homeless in London. So, she left her own comfortable home and police protection to spend a cold night sleeping rough in central London. When Thatcher was told, presumably by Special Branch, she was furious that the wife of the Foreign Secretary could behave in this way and there was total war between the ladies. I had received a bit of help from Geoffrey in the educational field but my informant was a member of St John Ambulance who had stood by that night. Howe, unlike our MP, decided to defy the party line, was insulted, demoted to Leader of the House and finally he stood up in the Commons to make his resignation speech. He said that working for Thatcher was like playing cricket with a captain who had broken all the bats and hidden the stumps. This caused the fall of Thatcher. As for the Forest of Dean he had given his opinion that "Communities should keep control of the forest and woodlands they loved and enjoyed".

Thatcher's ghost still haunts Downing Street and her policy of giving top priority to the financial services industry, ignoring manufacturing, destroyed most of the still productive coal mines. This has now led to the financial crisis in which we find ourselves and explains a drive to sell off precious countryside.

I came to the Forest in 1973 to visit my old friend Frank Dawson (who sadly died in May) the Warden of the Field Centre of Parkend. In the evening we repaired to the pub. Frank warned me that Ron Meek, a retired deputy in the mines, was very particular about his customers and might suggest that in future I drank elsewhere. It came to closing time and we drew the curtains and plates of free home-made sandwiches were passed round. Then suddenly, a policeman marched in with his Alsatian and pointed out the time to Ron. Someone very close to me said: "Frank that's the dog we saw worrying sheep". Within seconds every man in the pub was prepared to swear an oath they had witnessed this too. The policeman left hurriedly. We bolted the door and carried on.

My job was in Switzerland and I was told there had been 500 applicants. But I decided there and then to bring my family home. Nothing was given free in Switzerland. No one challenged the police. By chance there was a job going at this new Whitecross School. I have never regretted coming here. Unlike you, Graham, many of us choose to live here and believe ourselves equal to you in this just cause.

Roger Horsfield

Bream