Cum On Feel The Noize

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 190 months ago
Cum On Feel The Noize
Stop Heathrow Expansion sign

Entreaties from badly-barnetted glam-rock acts notwithstanding, residents living in Heathrow's flight path can't help but feel the "noize", every sodding morning as the first jet of the day - BA Flight 26 from Hong Kong - roars out of the dawn sky and touches down shortly after 5am.

A week after a group of councils lost their case over halting night flights, campaigners are taking a more direct approach to ensure that the aural misery is not extended further. Thousands of people are expected to take part in a march and rally against the airport's expansion on Saturday.

The group plans to meet at Hatton Cross tube at midday, before marching round the airport's permiter road to Sipson - the village that will be destroyed if new terminal and runway plans go ahead. From there they will gather in a field to form a huge 'NO', visible to passing planes, and a stunt that perhaps ironically resembles that famous British Airways advert from the Eighties.

The Make A Noise carnival is being organised by Stop Heathrow Expansion. You may recall their unscheduled appearance atop the Houses of Parliament earlier this year, when the group were aiming to pop a question about the airport to Gordon Brown, who was forced to cancel PMQs as a result.

The march will be led by John McDonnell, who ran an unsuccessful Labour leadership campaign last year. The group had also hoped to field a very special guest this weekend in the form of the Mayor, who was vocal during the electoral campaign on his opposition to Heathrow. However, Boris broke his promise and has cancelled his appearance due to "diary commitments". Londonist fears that Mr. Johnson quietly dropping his pre-election promises may be a key feature of his first few months in office. Now, about that new Routemaster...

Segueing loosely back to the point: in other Heathrow-related news, a plan put forward by Arup suggests that a Heathrow - Channel Tunnel link is feasible. According to the engineers, a new transport hub could be built for a snip under £10bn, replacing existing Terminal 6 plans and helping the environment by "encouraging people out of their cars". We'll leave you to enjoy the irony of promoting green transport links to the world's busiest airport.

Image courtesy of Matthew Gidley's Flickrstream via the Londonist Flickr pool

Last Updated 30 May 2008