2026 Haymaking, Picnic and AGM: Mark and Maria’s Swansong
Today was our final work party with our two excellent volunteers, Mark and Maria, who are about to move to Northern Ireland. We wish them well with their move and their new life there and thank them very much for the amazing contributions they have made in the 18 months or so they have been with us. They will be much missed!
12 volunteers turned up at 14.00 to rake up the hay that Peter R had mown a couple of weeks earlier. The hay was bone-dry and the wind did not disturb the tarpaulins, as it has in the past! Three areas of our site and a perimeter path needed clearing and this was easily completed before four o’clock.
After much discussion, it had been decided that the traditional BBQ would be unwise, given the ongoing hosepipe ban and the relatively dry state of the site; so John cooked sausages at home and arrived with them (plus buns) in time for the start of the picnic at 16.00. Accompaniments of various salads, crisps, onions, mustard and ketchup – along with additional vegetarian sausages – made for a good feast, though some of us (but by no means all) missed the usual smoke from the BBQ.
We were delighted to be joined by a few ‘old’ volunteers – David R, Barbara G and Pete F – as well as other guests who are not volunteers.
Once the food was put away, Val launched her first AGM as Chair. She began by delivering a heartfelt tribute to Trevor, who has just stepped down as Chair after 10 highly successful years leading the Trust. She presented him with a voucher for a one-day wildlife photography course at Bempton cliffs, along with Airbnb vouchers; and John, our Vice-chair gave him a book of photographs (accompanied by some humorous comments) that he (John) had assembled. Trevor responded with a few well-chosen (and slightly tearful) words.
Val then whipped through the rest of the AGM business, including a succinct summary of all the Trust has achieved in the past year. And we then slowly dispersed in the evening sunshine.
Peter Maingay
September 10th 2026
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