Northern Ireland Office

So can he do this? Both ban the parade and allow the original parade's commission determination to stand?

Look, it's a really good question and it's something we're seeking clarity on and we have put that question to both the Northern Ireland Office and the Parades Commission.

The Parades Commission have said they won't comment while there's a legal process ongoing and the Northern Ireland Office haven't gone back to us yet.

But if you look at the legislation, the Public Processions Act, as we've mentioned, 1998, and there are two provisions in that legislation that allow the Secretary of State to intervene in a parade.

The first is called Section 9 and that allows the Secretary of State with an application made by the Chief Constable to review a determination and at that point he has three options.

Pigs reaching abattoirs could neither be slaughtered because of the increasing power cuts nor fed because the animal feed was not getting through.

Thousands upon thousands of gallons of milk were poured down the drains by farmers although when the Northern Ireland office agreed to compensate them the pressure was taken off and many of them began to support the stoppage in full fervour.

When essential shops opened, queues bought out their little bread, plain and pan loaves which also people shared with their Lowland Scots cousins.

Soon there was no milk or bread people resorted to hoarding dried milk and flour and canned food.

The contractor stated that mass men had entered their yard for heavy lorries to use in the barricades.

And at this time the Executive met again.

No one, not least the Northern Ireland Office, had expected the Protestants and Ulster to go into revolt.

Indeed, no one had expected them to retreat everywhere.

Talks about mediation resumed this morning.

Yesterday, the two sides had discussions with Northern Ireland office officials for over four hours.

Afterwards, Brendan McConaghie of the Garvaghy Road Residents briefed a large crowd in a hall.

He told them he'd emphasized to the Northern Secretary, Chris Bryant, that the vast majority of them did not want an Orange parade.

For old-school Republicans, this felt like a smack in the face, but there was a plan, a plan to embarrass the absolute fuck out of Margaret Thatcher.

In November 1982, the paramilitary prisoners presented themselves for work for the very first time, and the Northern Ireland Office thought that they had finally, finally broken the resolve of the men, that they had conceded.

But my oh my, they were hoodwinked because these men were planning an escape of the unescapable prison.

But first, they needed the lay of the land.