A Simpa Life Podcast: A UK Cannabis Activism Retrospective: Interview with Alun Buffry and the Late and Beloved Winston Matthews 2021

A small problem at the start but soon corrects

 

Forget Me Not - In Loving Memory

Featuring: (some are extra photos of the same person several years apart)
John Sullivan, Cedric Skinner, Paul Jolin (Australian Paul), Richard Scott (Scotty), Keith Marshall, Phyllis Franklin, Judith Dawson, Greg Hurn, Klarika, Vera and Stanley Buffry, Aaron Whitehead, Keith Huckle, Mick Smith, Graham Whitehead (Monty), Roger Martin, Tim Sillence, Billy, Lou Whitehead, Mark Angus, Levi McCarthy, Larna Simmons, Levi McCarthy (2), Bob Wilton, Ingrid Waters, Joe Thompson, Nigel Ellis (Nudge) Susan Bewsick, Vera Buffry, Joe Hardy-Sharpe, Sid Grubb, Vera Buffry (2), Smiley Wilde, Stanley Atkins, Damien Donnelly, Harold the Baker, Lesley James, Chris Lausch (Polish Chris), German Jonny, Lesley James (2), Liza Frost, Claudi Stiller, Spider Gill, Larna Simmons (2), Beryl Jackson, Norbert Stiller, Patrick Rowlings, Pete Hunter, Dave Barker (Woofer), John Davies, Anne Clarke, Jackie Barnard, Colin Paisley, Jaime Carran, Larna Simmons, Mick Pryce, Susan Beswick, Alistair Stevenson, Edie Ellison, Howard Marks (Mr Nice), Derrick Large, George Bacon, Chrissie, Miroslav, Don Barnard (2), Lesley James (3), Paul Fowler, Chris Baldwin, Marcus Davis, Jack Girling, Mick Pryce, Don Barnard, Tom Hamson, Pat Tabram (Grannie Pat), Lynn Zimmer, Winston Matthews, Joep Oomen, Ivor Garfield, Clare Gardner, Sheriff Lyness, Liza Frost, Peter Donnelly (Paddy), Andre Furst, Davy English, Jaime Carren (2), John Cripps, Maggie Bevan, Mandy Medlar, Paul Flynn MP, Phil Stovell, Julian McAlistair, Christine Humphreys, Don Good, Smiler, Miroslav, Frank Kirk, Colin Campbell-Clarke, Jane Stevenson Liz Gotto (Warden), Sue Duggan, Robo Linders, Keith Huckle, Anne Clarke, Alistair Stevenson (2), John Banham, Mike Beavis, Lee Harris, Lesley James (4), Sid Carter (Siddy), Nick Herne, Jack Girling (2), Fernada de la Figuera, Charlie Briston, Marcus Davis, Winston Matthews, Alysia Solomon, Ali Baktoo, Lesley James (5), Simon Edye (Ronaldos Icecream), Miroslav, Miroslav (2), Jackie OToole, Frank Kirk, Nol van Shaik, Winston Matthews, Lesley James (6) Allan Ivans, Ian Harris, Roger Warren_Evans, Allan Ivans (2), Alysia Solomon (2).

A UK Cannabis Activism Retrospective: A Simpa Life Broadcast interview with Winston Matthews and Alun Buffry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO47qGQU9lo

A slight problem with quality at start but stick with it.

RIP Winston Matthews

My Weed and I, Stoned Again! by Al Zeeman, Amazon and Kindle

 Due for Publication on Amazon UK tomorrow, January 1st 2026 - already available on Kindle
"MY WEED AND i, STONED AGAIN!" by Al Zeeman

Al Zeeman first consumed cannabis in 1970 whilst at University, firstly in the form of “Coffee Bhangs” and hash cakes, then smoking mixed with tobacco or pure in pipes. After graduating, he travelled across Europe to India and back, stopping off in several places such as Kabul to sample the hasheesh.

Upon returning from India, he started following the teaching and practices of Prem Rawat, then known as “Guru Maharaji”, a fifteen year old from India.

A few years later, Al started smoking cannabis again and continued to so for almost 50 years, including his time in several UK prisons. He continued to follow Prem Rawat which he still does today.

But during the time since 1970, Al Zeeman travelled widely throughout Europe, also visiting Morocco, India, Nepal, Kashmir and Egypt, meeting many people and smoking hos weed (and theirs) and was so often "stoned again”.

The author also participated in “Legalise Cannabis Campaigns” for over thirty years, even standing for Parliament under the banner of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) on the single issue, in 2001.

This is his account of his experiences, the places he saw and some of the friends he made.

This book, along with many amusing anecdotes, recalls his encounters and near misses with the forces of law in the UK. Also the book contains a wealth of information on the uses of cannabis / hemp, the types and sources, smoking utensils, some political opinions and a chronology of cannabis.

Zeeman pays tribute to the cannabis campaigners and enthusiasts that he met along the way, many of whom have now passed on, including Howard Marks, Chris Baldwin, Don Barnard, Winston Matthews, Mark and Lezley Gibson, Clara O’Donnell, Jack and Tina Girling, Lee Harris, Steve Pank, Jooep Oomen and “Granny” Pat Tabram.

At the end of the book, Zeeman gives his birth name, Alun Buffry, stating that he has never made any attempt to hide his identity.

Table of Contents:
NICOLAS CULPEPER, CANNABIS LAWS – PROHIBITION, COFFEE-BHANGS AND HASH CAKES, THE DEALER’S HAT, FIRST CHILLUM, A BRUSH OR TWO WITH THE LAW,
FRANKFURT, MUNICH, BELGRADE, ISTANBUL, AFYON /AFYONKARAISHAR, THE FISHERMAN ON THE BEACH, HEADING EAST, AFGHANISTAN, KABUL, HELMUT, KHYBER PASS AND ONWARDS TO INDIA, INDIA: HARIDWAR AND THE GANGES, NORFOLK, THE WRECKING CREW, BUSTED, WICKLEWOOD, MR NICE, JACK AND LILY, STANLEY ATKINS, JOE HARDY-SHARP, POLISH CHRIS – CHRIS LAUSCH, MONTY, LESLEY JAMES, THE “BIG MONEY GANG”,CAMPAIGN TO LEGALISE CANNABIS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 1992, BANGED UP, HOWARD MARKS, MR NICE 1997, THE LEGALISE CANNABIS ALLIANCE (LCA) 1999, TRAVELLING HIGH, NOL VAN SHAIK’S SPANISH COMPLEX, CAMPAIGN GROUPS DURING AND AFTER THE LCA, METHODS OF CONSUMPTION, TYPES AND SOURCES OF CANNABIS, RECREATIONAL OR MEDICAL, CANNABIS ABROAD, HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, IRELAND, GERMANY, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, GREECE, ITALY: SICILY, MOROCCO, INDIA, OTHER COUNTRIES, THE BAD STUFF, GROW YOUR OWN, CANNABIS PROTESTS, HEADSHOPS, SMOKEY BEARS PICNICS, RALLIES AND MARCHES, COFFEESHOPS, BYE BYE, ADVICE ON ARREST, HUMAN RIGHTS, A CHRONOLOGY OF CANNABIS

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GBZ325K5

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1919212930

With thanks to Mars Bilters for the front cover image

An Alliance of Eyes

 Now in paperback and on Kindle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alliance-Eyes-Alun-Buffry-ebook/dp/B0BNW36LVZ/

AN EXUBERANCE OF EMOTIVE EXPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES TO ENKINDLE EXISTENCE.

A Collection of words by an alliance of authors and eyes.

Ali Taylor, Alun Buffry, Clara O'Donnell, Simon King, Ryan Kif, Luke Richardson, Mars Bilters, Melissa Doordaughter, Sarah Dougan, Winston Matthews, Jacqui Malkin

 

So what was the LCA all about?

So what was the LCA all about?

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance and what we did is in the Commemorative Edition of Legalise and Utilise, available on Amazon: the campaigns, the elections, the people, the fliers, the policies, "The Challenge", the communications with the Home Office and much more. LCA candidates contested over 80 election, distributed hundreds of thousands of fliers, attended protests, picnics in the parks, rallies and festivals: spoke at the Oxford Union, House of Commons, Universities, trade union fairs and even a High School for Girls in London.

LCA campaigning helped see the downgrading of cannabis to Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Acts, albeit after deregistering as POLITICAL PARTY it was ungraded again. Such was the value and influence of a devoted campaign, run all along on a shoe-string budget by volunteers.

LCA was the only UK single issue cannabis party to have a party broadcast on TV and radio. It was probably the most active cannabis campaign group in the UK, ever.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08VWY9YYK/ref=nosim?tag=webbooks05

 

 

WE have seen a few depart our midst over the years:  RIP Howard Marks, "Grannie" Pat Tabram, Chris Baldwin, Oatrick "Patman" Dennings, Derrick Large, John Wakelin, Michael "Uncle Mick" Pryce, Payl Fowler, Mark Palmer, Leslie Von Goetz, Dr Anne Biazanek, Charlie Bristow, John Davies, Jeff Ditchfield, Nol van Shaik, Tom Hampson