A COMMEMORATIVE

walk has taken place to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Save Our Sands campaign.

In 1969 children held their own walk in protest over plans by the Ministy of Defence (MoD) to relocate the Shoeburyness gunnery range from Essex to the range they owned at Pembrey.

Along with children the communities of Burry Port and Pembrey rallied together to block the plans, which had they been successful would have transformed the area between Cefn Sidan and Kidwelly into a massive gunnery range, firing missiles into the sea off Gower.

It was a David and Goliath battle in its scale and saw committies formed from as far as Swansea to Pembrokeshire with people standing shoulder to shoulder with Burry Port and Pembrey. It is is a fitting reminder that the country park and Cefn Sidan beach as we know today would simply have ceased to exist.

Thurday’s fundraising commemorative walk of the SOS campaign saw 10 local schools take part, amounting to 850 pupils, along with members of the SOS committee.

Money raised by the walkers will go towards raising funds for a SOS anniversary monument.

The walk was started by BBC weatherman Derek Brockway, also known for his Weatherman Walking series of BBC One Wales.

Schools taking part included Glan Y Mor, Pembrey Primary, Burry Port Primary, Parc Y Twywn, Ysgol y Strade, Pwll Primary, Trimsaran Primary, Ysgol Mynyddygarreg, Ysgol y Castell and Ysgol Gwenllian.