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!