Script

Phew, another busy week and one that sees the completion of the script for the tour of the Great Field. Actually, it's a bit premature to say that just yet but it's very nearly there and I'm on target for recording it next week. A great many drafts have been completed and circulated to various parties, their comments and corrections amalgamated and all that remains is to test the total duration (just in case all these marvellous ideas take twice as long to say!) and I believe it's ready to go. It's been rewarding actually and I'll really enjoy seeing the whole thing properly polished and captured on tape at last.

On Monday I met local farmer Reg Ashton and he was so wonderful, I simply cannot wait to share his annecdoates with everyone, they are all so funny, and touching, and will make perfect additions to the web-site, in addition to the Explorers. With luck I can film him very soon, driving his tractor on the Great Field - I'm not sure who is older, Reg or his tractor :)

I have today attended a meeting of the National Trust area staff and very much enjoyed their hospitality. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with such an important local organisation and many offers were made to test the Explorers when they are delivered in May. Tomorrow I am continuing the theme of reaching out to other organisations by speaking at the DWT Green Tourism event, a useful chance to engage with local accommodation providers and businesses in the area.

In addition I will be popping to the museum to pick up some much valued material and later on this week I'll be talking to some renowned sea-faring gents, I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime I must get some sleep!

Catch up soon, Katie

Much excitement

New logo.... ta da!!!

Chillly

Apologies for the inexcusable delay in writing, I don’t know where time has been going lately. Things are progressing rapidly in Braunton and I’m now in the midst of writing scripts for the multimedia tours (one of the Great Field, to incorporate Velator Quay and what was the railway and one at Saunton). The first draft was tricky but it’s good to have something on paper, to form a basis for the script, which can be chopped and changed until it’s perfect. I am delighted to have a local celebrity on board to narrate the Great Field tour – you’ll have to wait to find out who it is if you don’t know already!

Progress is also being made with the web-site. Our newly-appointed web-designer Pete Urwin visited at the weekend, with his lovely wife Sarah, and we took a tour of Braunton to show them the highlights. We were very fortunate to have beautiful weather and that always helps to make Braunton look it’s most attractive. We’ve also made a final decision about the Explore Braunton logo and Elke has done a really fantastic job with the artwork. All being well I can start showing it off very soon! In other areas of the project, the feasibility study for the Handy Gas site in Sandy Lane has now been completed and anyone who wants a copy should get in touch with me or my colleagues at the AONB office in Bideford. It brings together a great deal of research by consultant Ian Parkin and we’re grateful to him for all the work he put in. In addition, the wonderful Fiona at Bideford has produced some information boards that will go up in Braunton soon, one at Broadsands, one at Sandy Lane and one at Saunton Sands – I’m looking forward to seeing them.

I spent yesterday at the pannier market in Barnstaple, for the In Our Hands environmental expo. Despite what felt like sub-zero temperatures the turn out was good and my little ‘treasure hunt’ seemed to go down very well with the children who were numerous thanks to it being half term. It was a useful practice for the next event, which is the Discovery Day at the Milky Way (near Clovelly) on 16th March. The rest of this week will be spent refining my script, digging about at the Museum and arranging interviews to take place as soon as possible. I hope this weather holds as the sunshine really does help to get everything done more easily. I can bear the cold as long as there’s a hot chocolate close to hand!

I will write again soon; sooner than previously. In the meantime perhaps you’d allow me a little personal plug? My partner David is running in the London Marathon on 13th April to raise money for cancer research. It’s a cause that’s close to his heart and we’re hoping to raise as much as possible. Anything you’re able to donate, no matter how small, would be very much appreciated. There’s a link to the left or see www.justgiving.com/davidbourn to donate online or see me for the proper old-fashioned sponsorship form. There is, incidentally, a very funny video on David’s page that shows just what those crazy runners go through in the name of charity – it’s worth a watch.

Until next time, keep warm!

Shrove Tuesday

Well, Shrove Tuesday took me completely by surprise this year; I am totally unprepared. Everything seems to have been happening at warp speed lately and here we are in February already, it's mind-boggling. Anyway, much has happened in the past week, I am having difficulty in casting my mind back beyond this morning but... on Friday I attended the Discover North Devon day at Castle Hill in Filleigh, which was a stunning venue and somewhere I'd always wanted to get closer to so that was lovely. The event seemed a great success and it was certainly a useful opportunity to network.

After that I went to a meeting at Caen Primary School in Braunton. Other attendees included Louise Rands Silver, who is behind the local Forest School initiative, several head teachers and teaching assistants from other local primary schools, Mary Breeds from Braunton Countryside Centre and my estimable colleague Cat Jones, from the Devon Wildlife Trust. It was a hugely positive meeting and I'm very much looking forward to getting more closely involved with primary schools in the future, many ideas came out of the meeting and I've no doubt that many if not all will be actioned before very long. I went home on Friday quite stuffed with cake; it was Cat's birthday and I was fortunate enough to try three different cakes throughout the day, ideal!

I spent yesterday working at Bideford, which made a nice change and it meant that I could liaise more easily with colleagues there. I've made a start on my script-writing, which will be for the multimedia tour of the Great Field, and been ironing out maps, no, map issues with Caroline from Node. I've also put some thought into how I will organise my stand at the forthcoming In Our Hands event (Barnstaple Pannier Market, 18 February 2008) and the Discovery Day (Milky Way, Clovelly, 16 March 2008). Furthermore, I have had a catch up with Pete about the web-site and established contact with Elke Dossler of One Shoop (see here) - who is dreaming up a fresh identity for the project and I'm really excited about that. I have been to Braunton Museum and created some work there, the inimitable Jackie Edwards has kindly offered to prepare some material for me to view early next week and I have also addressed several admin issues that needed swift attention. Not bad for someone who was trucking until the early hours this morning.

I had hoped to go to the meeting this evening at the Mariner's Arms, where a band of locals will be discussing the vagary of the parish council's car parking policy. I think on reflection though that I will be much better off tucked up at home, lamenting my lack of pancakes in front of Emmerdale. If anyone has any feedback about car parking in Braunton I'd be pleased to receive it; it all adds grist to the mill. Otherwise I bid you adieu for now - have a good week!