YOUR story on the front page about the likely sell off of the Forest.
When I was Chairman of the Forest of Dean District Council, I, together with Dr Cyril Hart, went to London to see the then Minister Earl Howe about the proposed sell off of the forestry land at that time. Yes, another Tory Government.
Dr Hart explained about the commoners rights and the verderers' court etc and I stated then, as now, that the people of this country to whom the Forest belongs, fought two world wars for king and country. It is ours. No one owns the freehold of the Forest of Dean. The Government are the custodians and the Forestry Commission its managers, to which Earl Howe replied: "You are right and we should cherish our woodland and common land."
So what has changed? Surely the Forest is still our heritage. – Bill Hobman, Lydney.