Seeing old Friends at Grain Coastal Park

I visited Grain Coastal Park last weekend and bumped into my old volunteering colleague Michael Dale.

Michael is now a leading-light in the park’s Friends group – a group of volunteers (mainly residents from the Isle of Grain) who spend many hours each week working hard looking after this increasingly popular and vast open space.

The Friends of Grain Coastal Park group has gone from strength to strength since it was created back in January 2012, following a successful community project undertaken by the Kent Wildlife Trust throughout 2011, in collaboration with St. James, Isle of Grain, Parish Council.  Those early project sessions were lots of fun and very interesting.

Michael and his volunteer colleagues have spent considerable time creating many great walks for visitors to enjoy.  In the noticeboard at the main car park (at the end of High Street, ME3 0BS) you will find a detailed map of the park showing all the walks.

If you’re looking to burn off some Christmas calories this weekend or during the festive period, or would simply like to get out of the house and enjoy fresh air and great views of the Essex coast and Isle of Sheppey – pop along to Grain Coastal Park.

  

No surrender, no Thames Estuary airport!

It's been a while since I added anything on here about opposing the ludicrous idea of constructing an airport in the Thames Estuary. But that doesn't mean the issue has gone away, sadly. Far from it!

I thought I'd include my most recent ‘Stop Estuary Airport’ photo-wall produced last year, to highlight the parliamentary petition currently being organised by the MP for Rochester and Strood, Mark Reckless. Mark represents all of the communities on the Hoo Peninsula - from Cliffe to the Isle of Grain.

You can show your support for opposing a Thames Estuary airport, and for Mark's petition, by completing the online petition form on his website. Just click here to get involved.

If you’re concerned about the possible destruction of the Hoo Peninsula, please make every effort to get your voice heard! Tell all your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues about the petition - let's send the message, loud and clear, that there'll be 'no surrender' from the people of the Hoo Peninsula!

Stay in touch with the Stop Estuary Airport campaign by visiting Medway Council's dedicated website. Another excellent resource is the site run by the Friends of the North Kent Marches, click here to visit.

Step up and save the peninsula from destruction!

  

News of Thames Estuary Airport proposals reach Switzerland

An unexpected package landed on my doormat yesterday, post marked Zurich. As I don’t know anyone in Switzerland, I wondered what on earth it could be!

It was from an organisation called SVS / BirdLife Switzerland and contained the latest edition of their magazine ‘Ornis’ - which reminded me of a request a couple of months ago from them to use one of the pictures from this website.

I don’t claim to be anything other than a keen amateur when it comes to photography, but it was nice to see one of my snaps actually published in a magazine. The image they selected shows a view of Hoo Flats, as seen from the Saxon Shore Way along the River Medway. The photo appears as part of an article about the Thames Estuary Airport proposals. Not speaking very good German, I’m afraid I can’t tell you ‘exactly’ what the article says.

Lots of interest in our little corner of the world. But not really a great surprise given that parts of our local area are internationally important to wildlife.

If you want to know more about why our local landscape is so important, visit the dedicated pages on the RSPB website here.

  

No Estuary Airport - local artists have their say!

As part of the campaign objecting to an airport being built in the Thames Estuary, local artists have joined forces to present ‘Beauty or the Beast’ - an anti airport art exhibition.

Artists and photographers will be sharing their own interpretations about what an airport would mean to them and they hope to highlight what they say are the ‘inconvenient truths’ behind such a scheme.

Click the image below to see the promotional flyer.

Organisers of the exhibition, which will run from Friday 30 March for one week, hope to counter the glossy artist impressions produced by those who have proposed the building of a Thames Estuary airport.

The opening event will be on Friday 30 March (7pm to 9pm) at Nucleus Arts (Chatham Art Centre, 272 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4BP).

  

E.ON Public Exhibitions

I went to Lower Stoke last week to take at look at the E.ON public exhibition about their pipeline proposals on the Hoo Peninsula. This exhibition, along with one held in Hoo the day before, was part of E.ON’s consultation into proposals for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pipeline. The pipeline could run from Kingsnorth to St. Mary’s Marshes and out into the North Sea, if a new cleaner-coal power station were built after the existing Kingsnorth Power Station closes in 2015.

As well as talking through issues and concerns regarding the impact on the landscape and disruption to residents, I was particularly interested to hear about the work to survey the seabed from St. Mary’s Marshes, out into the North Sea and up towards the North Norfolk coast. I knew there must be quite a few shipwrecks in that area, but didn’t expect such a huge number dotted around the maps on display.

If anyone would like more information about the recent exhibitions, contact E.ON on 0800 019 8315 or by email here.

To find out more about Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) click here and here.
 

Support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Special Appeal in Kent

The Hoo Peninsula is almost surrounded by water - with the Thames Estuary on one side and the River Medway on the other. Our area has strong links with the sea and increasing numbers of people use it for leisure activities, which is excellent and positive news.

As a teenager, I was proud to be a Sea Cadet. I really enjoyed my Duke of Edinburgh's Award assignment with the RNLI. I learnt many fascinating things during that time and I will never forget the dedication and commitment shown by the RNLI voluntary crew members.

According to the RNLI, last year was the busiest in their history and a lack of funds means there is a danger of them not being able to keep-up with increasing demand. In Kent alone, lifeboat crews were called out 411 times to help those in danger off the coast.

RNLI volunteers are not paid and they risk their lives to save others, and without public donations they would not be able to rescue anyone. If you would like more information about their vital work, or if you would like to make a donation, please visit their website.