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Churchill evoked as weekly gives front page support to villagers

Some of Churchill’s most famous words have been reimagined by a weekly newspaper as part of a campaign against plans for a new waste plant.

The Cambs Times gave a nod to the wartime Prime Minister’s ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ speech in lending its support to villagers in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire, who are fighting plans to build an anaerobic digestion plant nearby.

Farmers’ co-operative Fengrain has twice been refused permission for the AD plant by Fenland Council, but an appeal against the first refusal is current being considered.

Hundreds of objections have been lodged, on both applications, by residents fearful of the industrialisation of their village and the surrounding area – with the strength of resistance reflected in Friday’s front page, pictured below.

Cambs Churchill

Times editor John Elworthy explained: “Following discussion at a regional gathering of Archant editors late last year, I got inspired by our new chief content officer Matt Kelly and his view that local papers still have a major role, and need sometimes to ensure the communities they serve reflect better the opinions and thoughts of those communities.

“Which is precisely why I decided, on this campaign, to reflect community values in a positive way, demonstrating positive support for villagers who simply have had enough of the efforts to ‘force’ this AD plant down their throats.”

Winston Churchill’s speech to Parliament on 4 June 1940 is widely recognised as one of his finest, in which he warned of a possible German invasion without casting doubt on an eventual Allied victory.

John added: “Evoking Churchill? Why not. There has been a huge campaign locally against this scheme, it has universal support both from those likely to be affected and also by local councillors who have constantly badgered me to keep up the pressure.

“Sometimes pictures convey meaning. Sometimes words do the trick. Friday was one of those when the latter, I believe, worked.”

7 comments

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  • January 25, 2016 at 10:49 am
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    Stupid boy.
    What a corny trick!
    Stealing famous quotes is the lowest form of inspiration even at this level.

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  • January 25, 2016 at 11:58 am
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    Another week, another campaign from Cambs Times.

    Will this one be another Six Day War?

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  • January 25, 2016 at 8:07 pm
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    Please tell me both this embarrassing ‘campaign’ and the Arslikhan quotes from the editor are part of a Private Eye spoof (complete with ‘continued on P94)… There isn’t really a Cambs Times, is there?

    ‘Wimblington Say No!’ Is it a plea, or a command??

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  • January 26, 2016 at 12:09 pm
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    What happened to the capital letter on ‘we shall go on to the VERY end’? Doh!

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  • January 26, 2016 at 3:58 pm
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    John Elworthy has enough years behind him to know better and that you don’t need a chief content “officer” to remind you that local papers still have a major role. Otherwise, what’s he doing there as editor?

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