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Hay Independence
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Situated on
the border between England and Wales, the small medieval market town
of Hay-on-Wye was proclaimed an Independent Kingdom on 1st April
1977, by Richard Booth, now acknowledged as the founder of the first
Town of Books. |
Why Independence?
In a world
increasingly ruled by impenetrable bureaucracy, and self-interested
big business organizations, the Kingdom of Hay was created as an
alternative to embrace the good humoured common sense of ordinary
intelligent people, which of course ought to be the basis of good
government everywhere, always !
Today with
government sleaze never far from the headlines, the issues raised in
the King of Hay's Declaration of Independence more than twenty years
ago are probably more crucial than ever. But the spirit of the
Kingdom of Hay has never been one of despondency. The original
Declaration in 1977, presided over by the well-known figure of April
Ashley, was celebrated with fireworks and a party for the whole town.
And when the King, resplendent in his royal robes with crown, orb and
scepter made from an old ball-cock and copper piping, was afterwards
asked whether he was serious, his reply was:
"Of
course not - but it's more serious than real politics..!"
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