John's story

A rare presentation of history books, posters and memorabilia about Greenpeace will be on display in the local Star Brewery gallery in the first week and on weekends in August, from the 2nd to the 10th.

Most people will be unaware that the HQ of Greenpeace International was situated in Lewes during the 1970s to 1990s in the top part of an office building in the town’s High Street, just above the home of the local paper.

During that period, they succeeded in saving many of the world’s whales and baby seals. In 1985, they were shocked by the dramatic destruction of the Rainbow Warrior, one of their most valuable ships, and Lewes was flooded by media people from all over the world.

They then later went to Russia to help the children affected by the April 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. They also fought to prevent the dumping of nuclear waste into the ocean around the UK and elsewhere. These are just some of the many important examples of the dangerous projects they took on try and save the natural world.

We hope to bring together some of the existing members of Greenpeace from those past years who still live in Lewes.

A fresh GREENPEACE group of people has formed in the town and they will be active during the whole period.

John May

Former editorial director of Greenpeace Books