Raising money to defend our homes from National Grid.

Mathrafal lies half way between Pontrobert and Meifod in the heart of one of Montgomeryshire's lovely valleys. My Nain and Taid used to live nearby (at N01 Tanyffridd Cottages). He used to be the local roadman. My first road accident was near Mathrafal when I fell off Taid's bike. Today Mathrafal was the site of the Sustainable Life Festival, where thousands of people turned up to to raise money to save this beautiful area from the destructive ravages of National Grid and wind farm mega-businesses - and to have a bit of fun at the same time.

Mathrafal used to be the seat of kings and princes of Powis from the 9th century to 1212, when the Castle was destroyed by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, and the seat of power moved to Powis Castle near Welshpool. Historically, Mathrafal has been a place where the people of this part of Wales have fought for their existence. The people of the area know that we are in for a similar fight today, and over the next few years. This time the enemy is National Grid and the onshore wind industry, whose power is derived from central governments and made fat by massive subsidies paid out of our taxes. (Its a cruel irony that we are being forced to pay for our own desecration!)

Stuck me in conversations today that people are afraid of National Grid, in the way that people might have feared Darth Vadar and other dark forces. Many local people believe these dark forces are so powerful that they cannot be resisted - a resignation that those leading the Mid Wales Connection Project have been keen to encourage. Luckily there are thousands of other people who are made of sterner stuff, and are going to fight these onshore wind leviathans to the last ditch. Llewelyn ap Iorwerth might never have won if he had been up against today's 'People Power'.