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Reunion 2018
The 2018 Reunion was held in London at
The London Wetland Centre and Richmond Park NNR
on Wednesday 13th and Thursday
14th June.
The Programme was: Wednesday
13 June:
10.00 Convene for refreshments in The Water’s Edge Room at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s London Wetland Centre.
- 10.30 Welcome by our chair, Sheila Anderson.
Introductory talk on the history, purpose, and wildlife of the London Wetland Centre followed by questions and discussion.
- 11.30 Guided walks around the lakes and wetland habitats (on level ground) to visit the observatory, the sand martin nest bank, the Peacock tower and other hides.
- 13.00 Picnic in the grounds.
Afternoon free for personal exploration of the centre and its hides, followed by dispersal to accommodation.
Annual dinner at Pembroke Lodge:
- 17.30 Bar in the Russell Suite, and the flower garden, open for sole use of the 49 Club.
- 18.00-19.00 Pre-dinner presentation and discussion in the Phantom Room. Judy Ling Wong, trustee of the National Park City Foundation, will describe proposals to make London the world’s first National Park City.
- 19.15-19.45 Business meeting at tables.
- 20.00-22.00 Annual dinner. This will be a three-course meal, chosen in advance from the enclosed menu.
- 22.45 Bar closes and members disperse to accommodation.
Thursday 14 June:
Thursday 14 June: Richmond Park National Nature Reserve
- 09.30 Arrive at Pembroke Lodge car park.
- 10.00 Gather at southern end of the car park (look for the club’s yellow balloons). Alister Hayes, Royal Parks’ Senior Ecologist will give an introduction to Richmond Park and the NNR. Members will then be able to choose from three walks within the NNR led by Royal Parks’ volunteers, who will tailor the routes to the circumstances on the day (a printable map of the park may be downloaded from the Richmond Park website):
• A walk of approximately 3 miles, south of Queen Elizabeth’s Plantation, across Pen Ponds to the car park, up to White Lodge, across to Barn Wood Pond, and returning through Saw Pit Plantation and Sidmouth Wood;
• A slower walk of approximately 2 miles along part of the same route, but keeping north of Pen Ponds, and aiming to return to our picnic site at the same time as the longer walk;
• A short walk along paths, via King Henry’s Mound to Poets’ Corner and back.
- 12.30 All walks return to the starting point, where we will have our picnic lunch.
- 13.30 Members disperse.
Reunion 2017
The 2017 Reunion was held
near
Knapdale, near Lochgilphead,
south of Oban in Scotland
on Wednesday 14th and Thursday
15th June.
The Programme was: Wednesday
14 June - Beaver
reintroduction project at
Knapdale:
• 09.45 Coffee, tea and
shortbread at The Cairnbaan
Hotel, Cairnbaan (NR839908;
postcode PA31 8SQ). •
10.15 Welcome on behalf
of the 49 Club Committee.
• 10.30-12.00 Talk and discussion
led by Roisin Campbell-Palmer,
former Field Operations
Manager for the Scottish
Beaver Trial, on the Knapdale
beaver reintroduction project.
• 12.15 Members depart for
Forestry Commission Scotland
(FCS) car park at Loch Coille
Bharr (NR 785908; nearest
postcode PA31 8PS). •
12.45 Lunch at Loch Coille
Bharr car park (portable
loo available). Bring your
own picnic. • 13.30 Walks
led by local experts to
visit the site of the beaver
reintroduction project.
Thursday 15 June Taynish
National Nature Reserve:
• 11.00 Convene
at Tayvallich Parish
Council’s car park
(NR740869) next to
public loos (free), for
transfer to Taynish NNR.
SNH staff will provide a
Land Rover shuttle
service along the 1
mile, single track road
to Taynish NNR car park
(which is too small to
accommodate our group as
well as other visitors).
A portable loo will be
available here. • 11.30 Members will
be able to choose from three
walks within the NNR: Group 1 – A self-guided
all-ability walk to Taynish
Mill and back to Taynish
car park (0.5 miles in total).
Group 2 - Walk led by former
SNH site manager for Taynish
NNR along a level track
from Taynish car park towards
Taynish House, as far as
the picnic site in the meadow
on the right hand side of
the route. Return along
the same route (2.5 miles
in total). Group 3 –
Circular woodland walk
of 3.5 miles, led by
former SNH site manager,
with some difficult
sections through the
woods, to join Group 2
at picnic site and
return along the Taynish
House track. •
12.30 Picnic lunch for
Groups 2 and 3. • 13.30 Groups 2
and 3 return to Taynish
car park along level track.
