In 1966, while working on Kythera in a development team under the instruction of George Koksma, we were sent to survey Platia Ammos in order to be able to work out plans for the placement of a water supply and the ensuing water works within the village. When we arrived in the morning however, a surprise awaited us. All the women of the village were gathered in waiting for us, and as soon as we appeared they charged us with long poles and gardening tools, crying: You’ll do no surveys here! We had no choice but to retreat, and we were even more shocked to find that some of the women were our personal friends, yet they stood against us in defiance!
Years later we talked with one of those women, and remembering the incident asked her what had happened. She explained that a water supply had never managed to be laid on in the village after that, and the reason for the women’s reaction had been misplaced rumours about the survey that had at the time been going on in Agia Pelagia, in order that roads might be built there. The people of Platia Ammos had wrongly assumed that our survey in their village was also to do with roads, roads we intended to build through their property!
As for our friend, she had been forced by the other women against her own better judgement, to join them in their stand against us!