Needling away

The protests are building up.

No, I’m not referring to Tunisia or Egypt but to Cumbria. And to be geographically exact, Grizedale Forest.

The Government’s dim notion to flog off the UK’s national forests has sparked a bonfire of protest, with a YouGov survey reporting that 84% of the population is opposed to it. A protest website has been established with its own Twitter account, a petition launched, the local MP is getting involved and even media heavyweights like Lord Melvyn Bragg are wading in. (He said he would sign a petition like a shot, apparently oblivious to the fact that it has been in existence for over a week and already has over 241,000 signatures.)

Now there is a protest rally in Grizedale on Sunday at 1.00 p.m. See you there. Bring sandwiches.

The story features in this week’s Westmorland Gazette, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to have another go at it. Those of you with long memories may recall that I last tackled this a fortnight ago. On that occasion a cartoon about a different story got in the paper. However, one joke struck me as worth dragging back for editorial scrutiny, so it went into today’s mix of sketches. And lo, here it is again, subtly altered to confound the editor.

As usual, you can see which one appears on the front page by purchasing tomorrow’s Westmorland Gazette. Or, if you are too busy rioting in Tunisia or Egypt, you can view the cartoon on my website from 8.30 a.m. Thursday morning.