Reflections on Protest and Parenting Amidst Nature's Beauty

Thirty years after the passionate road protests against the Newbury bypass, the elevated road now looms large, a constant reminder of the environmental costs of progress. For the author, who was part of the campaign, the Newbury bypass remains a sore point, even today.

On a walk in The Chase, a nature reserve adjacent to the bypass, the author is accompanied by their friend Sarah, a 'cow watcher' for the National Trust. Their mission is to check on the wellbeing of conservation grazers – Shetland cows with upswept horns – which play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and plant life.

The reserve, once common land with a rich history dating back to 1819, has been a playground for the author and Sarah. They recall devastating sewage spills that killed local wildlife and the great storms of 1987 and 1990 that left trees like 'spilled pencils.'

As they wade across a stream to find the cows grazing among wild daffodils and golden saxifrages, memories of their children come flooding back – 'welly walks' with grandparents, watching great spotted woodpecker chicks fledge, and following silver-washed fritillary butterflies.

Their walk complete, they meet at a garden centre cafe, where the author, aided by 'brain fog,' mistakenly heads to the pub first. The zigzag patterns of peaty-black mud from Sarah's boots across the polished floor serve as a humorous reminder of their conservation work and shared experiences.