Deserting
Did you know that this island is practically a desert? When we first started visiting we had no idea. We enjoyed the open expanse of the park without counting the different types of grass or paying much mind to the pretty but brutish swathes of alexanders. This is a good spot to contemplate what things we can do to help protect and diversify our local environments. And to understand that helping things thrive and grow might sometimes that mean letting go of something...
Things you can do!
Dream Big - What kind of monument would you build here. Make a list of things it could include or sketch up and idea!
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Raise your voice - Local Musician Daniel Stephen Turner has written a new shanty for the project. The lyrics are down below... While we wait to get the recording right you could have a go at coming up with your own tune for it!
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Choreography Task - Create a little dance that reflects the weather on the day of your visit. We are trying to grow things too though so add in some moves that might encourage rain later in the day or repersent rainbows, the best of both worlds!
Why we had to abandon our original plans...
We were supposed to be building a big mound, covered in oyster shells in the middle of the grassland in front of you. It would sit in the centre of a large spiral labyrinth. It was going to be SPECTACULAR.
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But over time it became apparent that doing this properly was going to take some more thought. Even with our very best intentions, of using natural and local materials and consciously attempting habitat building for insects and other wildlife...
As it stands putting that many oyster shells and moving that much earth onto the grass land would be really disruptive for the eco system and maintanence of the park. This is why you should pick up any shells you see in the grassland and put them somewhere else (like inside the moon mound or back on the beach)!
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In the next few years the grassland will be reinstated with a beautiful variety of wild flowers which in turn should encourage a greater diversity of wildlife. These same wildflowers have been planted on the moon mound we have made on a less precious part of the park.
For now this wildflower meadow is the best spectacle we will see on this part of the site...and my goodness we are looking forward to it!
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Bickerings of War Lyrics
Chorus
War takes the world away
From lovers, saints and hearts
Sings a callous song
To give it sinners, waifs and scars
Verses
Oh, the men they’re here to fight
And the pill box shares the shore
Sing a dirge to ward the waves away
The bickerings of war
For all the time this land has lived
The coast has ebbed and flowed
The sea has seen a million miles
Of pebbles, sand and shore
On the Essex coast, oh Cudmore Grove
With eyes across the Colne
A fated lover sends his thoughts
To his wife upon the Stour.
A tide away but many a mile
His lust is strong and sure
He hatched a plan to leave his post
To see his love once more
He’d take a boat late one night
And sail along the moors
Saddle up to the river bank
On the opposing shore.
He’d take a walk till the daybreak
Then hitch a ride to Bures.
A town upon the Suffolk line
Denoted by the stour
His wife would wake up in the morn
To a big surprise
A smiling face staring back at her
Surrounded by sunrise
A comrade snapped him back to life
As a ship came into shore.
The enemy was bearing down
The sirens gained a roar
The boat it fired warning shots
That hit the island dirt
The planes began to take their swipes
Across the island's heart.
The message sent out to our force
Had made its way inshore
Allied defence came to help
The planes came four by four
Our fated lover took a run
Straight up to the static gun
A stray shot hit him in the leg
His head was truly spun.
His comrades pulled him back to hold
And patched his wound with gauze
But it was clear that time was done
His life was underscored
His final thoughts they were taken
By memories of his wife
“Tell Laura I love her”
His final breath of life
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Next Stop... Land Watchers
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