Dolly Watson was probably the most famous participant in the anti-M11 protests in and around Claremont Road. Aged 93 when the authorities decided to knock down her house, her resistance was an inspiration to everyone involved in the campaign. She died in February 2001 at the age of 99. These are the only notable references to Dolly that we have found on the Internet -- if anyone knows of any longer pieces, please contact us.
From Carnivals VS Capital:
One of the oldest people that was on the M11 was Dolly and she was like 93 when she got evicted, and she lived on Claremont Road, which was on the route. She'd been born in the top front room, and lived there all her life. She lived on the street right through all that, through the Blitz, through everything. Through the whole entire street becoming a complete painted-up fucking autonomous zone, with punks and nutters walking up and down the street and punk bands playing outside her door, and fucking loads of incredibly surreal shit happening. And she just took it in her stride.
From Life In The Fast Lane:
I was taken out through Dolly's home of 93 years. Her roof had been the first to be trashed. On the rubble-strewn landing I caught a glimpse of London in the Blitz. The drone of war planes had now been replaced with that of D.O.T. diggers. Having lived through both World Wars and seen a Zeppelin shot down in the cemetary opposite, Dolly felt the random destruction of that time was less devastating than the total and inevitable destruction brought by the road.
From New Internationalist:
For many people, the sense of community and solidarity brought about by the protests was unprecedented. Although the majority of protesters were young, it was the involvement of individuals from every part of the community that allowed the protests to be effective. Faced with a common enemy, people who had never spoken to their neighbours before suddenly found that the barriers of race, class and wealth became less important. Claremont Road’s most effective protester was a 93-year-old woman, Dolly Watson, who refused to leave the house she had lived in all her life. Journalists flocked to photograph her drinking tea on her doorstep with dreadlocked, para-booted squatters.
From SchNEWS:
Dolly Watson died peacefully two weeks ago a few months from her 100th birthday. Dolly became embroiled in the No M11 Link Road campaign after she refused to leave her home where she was born that was due for demolition to build the road. Her home was in Claremont Road, which became the scene of the first mass direct action in an urban area against road building in 1994. She said of the protesters: "If I was queen, you'd all be knighted."
From The Shadow:
It took more than 700 riot police, 200 bailiffs, and hundred of private security guards to evict the Claremont campaigners, at a cost of over 2 million - the most expensive and lengthy eviction of squatter in post-war British history. There were 47 arrests and several injuries as police tore into the netting and dumped piles of rubble and urine down the bunker holes. And it wasn't just hardened crusties and eco-savvy hippies at the frontlines. Local housewives, high school and college students, a record producer, even 93-year-old Dolly Watson, born and raised in one of the homes, all took part in the campaign - outraged at the government's plan to tear up a community for the sake of shortening the commute time to London by seven minutes.
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