The large crowd of young people who gathered in a disused quarry on the morning of this day in 1932 knew they wanted to make a statement. But they could scarcely have imagined their actions that day would still be celebrated over eight decades later.

The famous Kinder Scout Mass Trespass has been commemorated regularly since as a seminal moment in the struggle for the Right to Roam, with celebrations marking its anniversary every five years. But for the first time, a group of activists has decided the event deserves remembering more often – on a yearly basis.

The first of these annual celebrations is taking place this weekend. Organised by the Kinder and High Peak Advisory Group (KHPAG), the ‘Spirit of Kinder’ event marks the 81^st anniversary of the Trespass.

Kate Ashbrook of the Open Spaces Society is set to deliver a speech along with KHPAG chairman Terry Howard, National Trust Peak District estate manager Jon Stewart, and publisher of the recently published Battle for Kinder Scout book, Keith Warrender.

An added musical twist comes in the form of Boff Whalley, founder member of Chumbawamba, who will sing their Mass Trespass-inspired song ‘You Can’. The Chapel-en-le-Frith Male Voice Choir will lead the finale with the group singing of Ewan MacColl’s the Manchester Rambler, with the famous lyrics “I may be a wage slave on Monday/But I am a free man on Sunday.”

The story of the trespassers is well known in outdoor circles. Fed up of the the obstacles ordinary people faced when trying to walk in the uplands, where gamekeepers patrolled the moors policing access and huge areas were off limits to the public, they took matters in their own hands and organised a mass trespass on the Derbyshire hill of Kinder Scout in protest.

About 400 took part, but following a scuffle with gamekeepers a handful were arrested and five were eventually tried and imprisoned for between two to six months. But the relatively severe sentences had the opposite effect to the one intended, actually earning them widespread sympathy and giving a boost to the open access movement.

John Harvey, chairman of KVCG: said: “Our campaign has already been endorsed by people like Sir Chris Bonington, Lord (Roy) Hattersley and Kate Ashbrook. We now need the general public to join us. We hope to get support from some of the millions of keen walkers and outdoor pursuits enthusiasts who are benefitting from the legacy of increased access to mountain and moorland.”

KHPAG spokersperson Roly Smith explained the decision to run an annual celebration of the trespass stemmed from interest in last year’s 80^th anniversary event in Edale. “It was really because of enuthisasm we had last year,” he said. “The amount of media interest was astonishing. We had everybody from the Jewish Chronicle to Newsround covering the event. We thought, let’s build on that, let’s not wait every five years, because there are things to be said about access, and I’m sure Kate Ashbrook in particular will say them. Hopefully she’ll push these issues forward.”

Admission is free and all are welcome. It will be held at New Mills Town Hall at 2.30pm on Saturday April 27.

Trains are available to and from Manchester and Sheffield, including a ‘Folk Train’ departing at 11.45am from Manchester. Chorley Folk Club have been enlisted to perform to the captive audience of passengers en route to the event, and there will doubtless be some pro-rambling anthems in their set too.

« Back