Our Front Page Hacked by intruder.
The Front Page of our British National Parks web site was hacked into by an intruder recently. The result was that it no longer functioned as the gateway to the database, instead promoting a supposedly Tunisian cause, presumably in the belief that this was a good way to get publicity. The result was a few hours of frantic activity on the part of our web expert man Paul Clevett. Fortunately the problem was easily resolved. It just shows how easy it is to have all the things that we rely on daily removed by someone in cyberspace over whom we have little control or knowledge. All is well that ends well. In the meantime we display the illustration used by the hackers just in case you feel that Arfaoui Firas - Tunisian Hacker's method and cause are justified and worthy of your attention. A google seach produces about 300 results - that is a lot of hacking.
Stalked by a panther in Gloucestershire.
The Daily Mail newspaper on 27 May carried a story about two girls who were stalked by a large black cat, the size of a Great Dane, in Gloucestershire. Fortunately no one was hurt after the girls took flight arriving home cut and bleeding from brambles. What is apparent from the article is that sightings of supposed leopards and panthers are by no means unusual. Given other supporting evidence such as kill evidence and tracks, it is apparent that many wild animals roam and breed in the English countryside. Personal experience of this author includes nearly running over two wallabies and being confronted by a wild boar. This situation may well have come about as a result of the tightening of legislation regarding the keeping of dangerous animals. Owners, not wishing to see their pets destroyed or caged in zoos, released them into the wild, often in remote or lonely places such as national parks. Should we be alarmed you may well ask? If we do raise concern this could precipitate a nation wide hunt for these big cats, resulting in them being shot, at enormous expense and possibly with limited success. Such a culling would be difficult and controversial. The fact is that very few incidents occur and these animals are particularly adept at keeping out of the way of humans. Big cats are potentially dangerous but like the gun laws and the recent situation in Whitehaven, a balanced approach has to be made rather than a knee jerk reaction. I personally find the stinging nettles and brambles a greater problem than wild cats at my country retreat.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - SRF Field Trip Stranded in Arizona.
During April 2010 the field research unit of the Spas Research Fellowship found itself stranded in Arizona following the dramatic closure of European air space. The trip was a study tour of selected North American National Parks. 
Throughout the world people found themselves stranded for an indeterminant period of time and worse, where help was sought not everyone came to assist!
The Good - Air Canada and Super 8 Motel
We will be forever indebted to Vikas Patel and his staff at the Super 8 Motel, 1020 East Apache Blvd, Tempe, Phoenix, Arizona for their help and hospitality. For the first 5 days there was no indication of how long the crisis would last - days, months or even years! Under such circumstances communications are vital, not only for news but also to rearrange finances and travel. We were offered a larger than average room at a very keen price for an unspecified period. This gave us internet access, accommodation and telephone facilities. It also gave us valuable support from the staff, in particular Phil and colleagues, who as "front of house" were guiding us as to where to seek advice and help. A great public thank you to you.
Air Canada also came to our rescue, quickly rescheduling our flight and smoothly and efficiently organising travel back to London Heathrow when the air space was opened. 
This is the second time Air Canada have demonstrated their cool, calm, collectedness in the face of adversity, having lifted an earlier SRF party out of Newfoundland during extremely bad weather conditions in 2008. Thank you Air Canada.
Pictured left - Phil, one of several of the heroes at Super 8 who provided help and advice.
The Bad - Intune Travel Insurance, the British Consulate and Easy Parking, Heathrow.
Having taken the trouble to arrange travel insurance beforehand, Intune Travel Insurance were approached for advice and assistance. This involved international telephone contact which in itself meant purchasing a phone card to access facilities not available from the hotel. Intune indicated that they were unable to be of any assistance whatsoever as the travel policy apparently did not cover the circumstances. Subsequent discussion after retuning to the UK has resulted in an indication that a sum may be payable and we have now received a claim form. Following further exchanges of correspondence we have now reluctantly agreed and received a compromise payout of 250.00 UK pounds, a mere fraction of the costs that were incurred.
To contact the British Consulate involved a jungle of obstacles and complications. The Consul in Phoenix did not respond to messages left by telephone. In the end a direct visit to the offices was the only answer. In a city the size of Phoenix this involved considerable travel and anyone without access to a car would be confronted with a massive problem. Having arrived, the Consul was not available but the office staff offered use of the phone to contact Los Angeles. This in turn resulted in being told to register on a web site and we would be sent daily updates. Back at the Super 8, the requisite registration was performed. We still await the daily updates and other assistance.
Easy Parking at Heathrow were most helpful in managing the late return. They did however charge almost twice as much for the overtime as they had for the original arranged period.
The Ugly - The Volcano
Air traffic controllers were forced to shut British airspace after the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland on 14 April spewed massive clouds of ash thousands of feet into the sky. It was the second time the volcano has erupted in a month. But the second explosion was 10 to 20 times more powerful than the one on March 20. Eyjafjallajokull had previously been silent for almost 200 years. The ash cloud drifted across Britain and Europe with disasterous consequences. Many personal experiences were far worse than those of the SRF team, particularly people stranded without resources and for longer. Vital medications run out, there was no food or accommodation, alternative flights were impossible to access, you have no communication facilities, and for those with children or the elderly it was a nightmare come true,
After all this what is the news from American National Parks?
Beginning in April 2010, the United States Mint will issue 56 quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites. The five quarters to be released in 2010 will honour Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon. Each coin in the series features a common obverse (heads side) with the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan, which has been restored to bring out subtle details and the beauty of the original model. Each year, the public will see five new national site designs. The United States Mint will issue these quarters in the order in which the site was first established as a national site. This program follows a similar series depicting US States and Territories during the first decade of the 21st century. This generated massive enthusiasm for collecting the full set. By taking the collected coins out of circulation this in turn has generated an enormous income for the US federal government of 4.6 billion dollars.
With the new Sussex Downs National Park in Great Britain is this not an idea that could be replicated to advantage here? With our augment that The Malvern Hills are Britain's original National Park, albeit not named as such, we look forward to collecting all 16 of the series.
Click the logo below for details of one of the national park sites to see in the USA.
New Book - Florence Nightingale and the Water Cure
Florence Nightingale was a frequent visitor to locations associated with our National Parks. In particular Florence Nightingale's first visit to Malvern was in 1848 when she came with her mother, and described how she entered the village of Malvern 'through a Triumphal Arch of wet sheets and an avenue of flannels...' During the Crimean War she became extremely ill with Crimean Fever, now thought to have been brucellosis, and came to Malvern a further nine times. Malvern was her hospital and Dr Walter Johnson her chief physician, who almost certainly saved her life. This book contains much previously unpublished information about Florence Nightingale and the Water Cure found in her own letters and those of her family. The letters tell the story of when she came to Malvern, how she felt at the time of her visits, where she stayed, which members of the family came with her, where they stayed, who Florence saw, and what she did.
The book is the result of a year's intensive research involving reading many published works and hours of labour poring over bundles of letters at the Wellcome Library in London, the British Library, and the archive at Claydon House in Buckinghamshire where Florence's sister lived after her marriage to Sir Harry Verney.
This book is published in commemoration of the centenary of the death of Florence Nightingale. Click the book left for more details of publications by Cora Weaver and how to secure your copy.
ISBN 978-1-873809-87-7 The book has 88 pages and 29 illustrations, some never published before and is on sale for U.K pounds price of 7.95 including post and packing.
Click the banner above for more details of Florence Nightingale in Great Malvern and the Nightingale Trail around the National Parks.
South Downs now a National Park
The National Park Authority will be appointed by 31 March 2010 when the park comes into being, and will be fully operational a year later.
Hundreds of square miles of woodland, rolling chalk uplands and river valleys across southern England will be Britain's latest National Park, The new South Downs National Park will spread across Sussex and Hampshire thanks to a decision that comes more than 60 years after the area was recommended for park status, and a decade since the government first announced its intention to designate it as such. Designation of the South Downs, a tract of countryside between Winchester and Eastbourne, has been held up by a public inquiry and years of legal wrangling. Much of the land within the new park is already protected from development because it was previously designated an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Attracting around 39 million visitors every year, the South Downs was one of 12 areas in England and Wales identified in the 1947 Hobhouse report as being worthy of attaining national park status. The park will have an area of 1,625 kmē, of which 544 kmē will be in Hampshire, 807 kmē in West Sussex and 237 kmē in East Sussex. The total population living within the park will be approximately 108,000.
Click the Sussex University Armorial left to read "Tourism and the Sussex Downs", the major study that was instrumental in orchestrating National Park status for the South Downs. This study gives detailed insights into the complex issues that justified National Park status. The then new Labour Governement announced the intention 13 years ago and this has now come to fruition.
HOT NEWS - Great Malvern's Tudor Hotel burns
In the picture fire crews enter the building while grey smoke pours from the roof at the rear.
On Thursday 18th February 2010, one of Malvern's most important heritage buildings caught fire. The town was thrown into chaos as a combination of roads closed for the emergency vehicles and a heavy snowfall meant that traffic was backing up on all the approach roads. By lunchtime the fire brigade appeared to have the fire more or less under control but even through the thickly falling snow the damage was apparent. The Tudor Hotel was the 19th century water cure establishment of Dr Gully. He treated his gentlemen patients in the Tudor and the ladies in Holyrood House next door, the two buildings being linked by the Bridge of Sighs. In recent years the buildings have shown signs of severe deterioration and for a while housed people living on government assistance. More recently it has lain empty. Plans were under consideration to restore the building and give it an appropriate new life, but obviously any such notions are now jeopardised by the catastrophic fire. It will be a while before a full damage assessment is possible but often the unsafe nature of a surviving structure means demolition is inevitable. We await the aftermath with the knowledge that Malvern will perhaps lose forever a building that was in part responsible for putting the word Great in the town.
URGENT HELP WANTED - 13th hour attempt to save the Queen
The Ryde Queen is about to be lost for all time. For years this treasure from the age of steam has been rotting on the mud flats of the Medina Estuary on the Isle of Wight. She is now destined for the blowtorch as there is no funding for preservation. BDO, the administrators for Island Harbour have decided the paddle steamer must at last be cut up for 
scrap having lain derelict for 30 years. National Historic Ships, who help preserve maritime heritage, declare that the Ryde Queen rates as one of the country's 200 most important vessels. Meanwhile the PS Ryde Trust continue to fight for a reprieve with a petition to number 10. Please sign the petition if you feel that this stately unique vessel is worthy of something better than scrap metal.
Deadline to sign up by: 02 March 2010
Pictures - Isle of Wight County Press.
PLEASE EMAIL PAGE THIS TO A FRIEND
Thinking of driving to the National Parks this year - beware the tax!!!! 
When VAT was temporarily reduced to 15%, the Chancellor added 2p per litre duty to fuel to offset the reduction in tax collected from motorists. Now that VAT has been increased to 17.5% again this hidden tax has not been removed - hence recent rises in your fuel costs. If you feel strongly about this sign the petition at the link below to have this stealth tax removed! Click right on the petrol drum to go to the petition.
Please pass this link on to your friends - the more the merrier. Happy motoring!
FREE - new British National Parks post cards
We have just taken delivery of the new National Parks post cards. Such cards have proved to be a popular item in the past and the new one is particularly useful because it shows all the National Parks as well as the Malvern Hills, argued as being Britiain's first National Park. (click National Parks Data on the menu top left for further details) The cards, which measure approximately 10 cms x 15 cms are ideal for displaying the whereabouts of the parks as well as sending to a friend when you are out exploring. To receive 6 cards free, send a stamped addressed envelope, normal post card size or thereabouts, to Cards, Tower House, 15 Tower Road, Tadworth, Surrey, UK. KT20 5QY. One envelope per household please.
Mountains of Mourne National Park Next?
Is Northern Ireland destined to have its first National Park designated soon? The Mourne Mountains or Mournes (Irish: Na Beanna Boirche), a granite mountain range located in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland, are among the most famous of the mountains in the country. The surrounding area is an area of outstanding natural beauty and is proposed as the first national park in Northern Ireland. The Mountains of Mourne are partly owned by the National Trust and see a large number of visitors every year. The highest mountain is Slieve Donard at 849 metres (2,790 ft).
The Mourne Heritage Trust has issued the first of what it intends to be a series of position statements on the proposed national park for Mourne. The Trust has taken the step in order to provide some information for members of the public. The statement sets out the aspirations of the Mourne Heritage Trust for a 'Celtic Model' National Park in Mourne and sets out in broad terms what benefit the Trust feels the designation could bring to the wider Mourne area.
Taking coal to Wales is not all the story
Located at the heads of the valleys on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Brecon Mountain Railway was in the news recently about their coal supplies. The dry steam coal necessary to power their steam locos surprisingly does not come from the local open cast mine 3 miles down the road. Instead it comes from Siberia! Not another local mine, this is the Siberia in Russia!. Why you may well ask? The reason is Planning requirements. Apparently the local mine is not allowed to deliver the three lorry loads a year necessary for the locos due to planning restrictions. Instead the Mountain Railway imports from Murmansk, a city and seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia. That should produce an unimpressive carbon footprint as they say in eviro-jargon. They may not be the largest customer to support the revival of the local coal industry, but what a wasted public relations opportunity.
Thats not all however. A few years ago Wales was busy scrapping its steam locos that once proliferated just about everywhere. Now, not only are they importing overseas coal, they are also importing salvaged overseas locos. A visit earlier last summer by our field team to the Welsh Highland Railway at Waunfawr in the Snowdon National Park produced some pictures of a South African loco steaming up with a train full of eager tourists. We have seen a few foreign locos elsewhere as well.
There are numerous lines now open and a leaftet describes the Great Little Trains of Wales. As Wales steadily rebuilds its old railway network and lays on trains with steam locos to delight everyone, it is ironical that what was seen as unwanted in the 1960s suddenly has a new role in the 21st century. Is this all part of Wales recapturing its past heritage? If so lets hope the weather stays dry so that we can all enjoy it. If not how about importing some from Spain?
Click the loco above right to go to the Brecon Mountain Railway.
Were the Malvern Hills Britain's first National Park?
The modern perception of a National Park resulted from pre-war measures to protect the countryside and to provide access for the urban population of Britain's industrial towns and cities. The Second World War delayed the implementation of such designation although detailed proposals were well advanced. After the war there was great deprivation as we recovered from the conflict and the new National Parks were seen as something that was worth fighting for with the associated sacrifice of life. The year 1951 saw a number of designations confirmed and the National Park movement was at last underway. 
Or was it that simple? No, the Victorians had got there a lot earlier in the 19th century. Although not named a National Park, the Malvern Hills could arguably be called Britain's first National Park being established with its own statutory administrative body and countryside protection initially under an Act of Parliament of 1884 with subsequent amendments. With its priorities on public access and conservation, the Malvern Hills were well established as a specially protected area by the dawn of the 20th century. The Malvern Hills Conservators were empowered by an Act of Parliament that enabled them to resist everything from intrusion by major new road schemes, water company projects and urbanisation. In addition access by the public was and remains top of their agenda.
It is pleasing to note that the Malvern Hills are now included on the BritishNationalParks.com web site. Have a look and let us have your views.
Swine Flu Pandemic jeopardises holidays abroad
With the Swine Flu pandemic now world wide, travelling abroad for many may be under threat as countries take measures to avoid the spread of the H1N1 strain. Already we are seeing airlines turning away passengers with suspect symptoms. In addition many who develop symptoms are being quarantined abroad, unable to return home. This is all bad news for overseas travel but possibly good news for British National Parks tourism. There is clearly going to be a movement towards staying on-shore. This has the benefit of avoiding the close proximity of potentially infected people in an aircraft as well as providing an open air environment for recreation and healthy pastimes. Now is the time to explore all those hidden gems in our National Parks that previously went unnoticed. In anticipation we have brought forward the on-line availability of the BritishNationalParks.com web site which was not scheduled to be launched until next year. Use the web site to explore British National Parks and plan a "stay at home" holiday. We are adding to the data warehouse daily in an effort to keep pace with the Swine Flu scenario as it unfolds. Join us in flying the flag!
Book Review - National Parks of Britain
When we are asked for a good informative publication on British National Parks, this is the one that we recommend. Published in 2008, it is a comprehensive guide to the 14 Parks, albeit soon to be 15 with the South Downs awaited. As well as an overall summary, each Park is dealt with in detail. Each has detailed location maps, lists of places to see and visit and general text about the character of each Park. In addition there is a profusion of full colour pictures illustrating the wildlife, landscape and culture. The author Roly Smith is well known for his books on the British Countryside and this one must be one of his greatest creations. It is an invaluable source for scholars of National Parks as well as the visitor. Even if you have not taken National Parks seriously in the past, this book will kindle an interest that will set you travelling to explore.
Produced by AA Publishing, the ISBN is 978-0-7495-5671-6 Available from all good bookshops, it is also to be had on the web at discount price. Marked price is 20 pounds UK.
New Visitor Centre opens on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Summit
At a height of over 1000 metres above sea level the new 8.4m pounds visitor centre on the summit of Snowdon is destined to become a popular spot for walkers and climbers. For over 100 years there 
have been an assortment of buildings on top of this mountain, including a hotel, built by the Victorians. Public debate regarding whether there should be any building on Snowdon has been fuelled by Prince Charles who described a previous attempt as a slum. What will he make of this latest venture? Building materials include granite which sounds like something the planners stipulated. It also avoids breaking the skyline, which means it is sheltered to an extent. About half a million visitors climb Snowdon in a year and no doubt a cup of tea at the top for 1.40 pounds will be a welcome rest.
Out of interest we show the following picture of the Snowdon summit in the late 19th century. How we have moved on - or have we? Do you prefer it now or then?
Are Chinese Lanterns a threat to British National Parks?
We have recently been made aware of a possible significant threat to the wildlife of our National Parks. It is one thing to have a party with friends in the region of a National Park but one practice that is becoming more widespread could have devastating results. This is the igniting and setting off of flying Chinese Lanterns. Comprising a small candle and a paper bag, these glowing blobs are becoming a more familiar sight in our night sky. In recent weeks we have seen ground fires and roof fires result, when these flying flame bombs land still alight. As summer approaches with hot dry weather, the vegetation will be tinder dry. All we need for a forest fire, so familiar in the past in such places as Banstead Heath and the Malvern Hills. In Surrey farmers with hay drying in the fields were alarmed last year at the potential fire risk of these incendary devices flying in the region of Gatwick Airport. It is only a matter of time before devastation replaces the elation of sending these things into the night sky. June 2009
Beavers go wild in Scotland
Just to the west of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park lies the Knapdale Forest situated in a National Scenic Area that is flanked to the north by the Crinan Canal and to the west by the Sound of Jura and Loch Sween. This is the site of a project to reintroduce beavers to the wild and as such is the first of its kind in Britain. Several young beaver families have been released in a project orchestrated by the Scottish Beaver Trust. The beavers have been brought to Scotland from Norway and their release marks a return to the UK after a 400-year absence. The release will be studied to determine whether the trial should be extended and beavers reintroduced across Scotland. A note of caution is made on behalf of fish stocks however. The slowing of watercourses by beavers could alter the fish habitat. For further information click on the picture.June 2009
Expansion for the Yorkshire Dales?
Source: Mark Foster Darlington and Stockton Times
The Yorkshire Dales National Park could be extended to cover an even wider area towards its fellow authority in the Lake District. The Dales became a National Park in 1954 and currently covers some 680 square miles straddling the central Pennines in North Yorkshire and neighbouring Cumbria. But in some areas it is only a few miles from the Lakes - England's biggest National Park, covering an area of 885 square miles. The boundaries of both could be extended, after the Government's conservation agency announced it was re-starting work to identify possible new areas for protection. 
The issue of extending the boundaries has been raised before but it brought up legal uncertainties which now appear to have been clarified by the findings of the South Downs inquiry. Any proposals will be the subject of widespread public consultation. The areas under consideration are Birkbeck Fells to Whinfell; Helsington Barrows to Sizergh Fell; River Kent and around Levens; Orton Fells; Northern Howgill Fells; Mallerstang and Wild Boar Fell; Middleton, Barbon and Leck Fells; Firbank Fell; Lower Lune Valley and adjacent fells to the west; Kirkby Lonsdale area, and the area around Cold Cotes.
May 2009
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