#HHDay2016 at Edale – a few words and images

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In many ways, I thought that this was the very best Hen Harrier Day event ever. But the very first with the #sodden570 must just edge it for those who were there.

Back in the Peak District two years later, after another successful rally in 2015 in the Goyt Valley, we gathered in a car park at Edale right next to the railway station.

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Huge plaudits and thanks should go to Stewart Abbott for organising the locations, the speakers, the weather, the crowd and a really, really great event.

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There were getting on for 400 attendees, some say more (they might be right too) and the most diverse range of speakers yet: young Findlay Wilde, the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner (in a tie!), myself (in a T-shirt), Jon Stewart from the National Trust, the leader of the Greens, Natalie Bennett and Derbyshire WT’s Tim Birch.

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And this array of speakers were marshalled together on the day by Alan Davies who did a fantastic job too. We auctioned a painting and it raised £110 – which will be turned into leaflets – and we all cheered and laughed a lot. I was interviewed by the amazing Georgia Locock, as were others, and by a TV crew from Manchester Science Festival. If you are attending the Bird Fair on Friday 19 August don’t miss Natalie Bennett appearing on a panel to discuss driven grouse shooting – she was fab!

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Most of these photos thanks to Guy Shorrock.

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5 Replies to “#HHDay2016 at Edale – a few words and images”

  1. It was our second Hen Harrier Day and I thought it was great very inspiring. Stewart as you say did a brilliant job of organising the event, we felt proud the be a part of it and feel that real progress can be made.
    The Miller Family

  2. Would have loved to been at Edale as well as Rainham, Mark, but we were helping on the RSPB stand at Countryfile Live. A whole day talking and working with young people full of enthusiasm and wonder. A bit exhausting but ultimately rewarding (and something of an antidote).

  3. That is very kind of you to say, it was hard work but at no stage was it a chore. I think I did the easy bit to be honest. The speakers all had something valuable to say and are all working very hard to help protect our wildlife. I thoroughly enjoyed the day (I can say that now) and would like to offer my huge thanks to every single person that made the effort and turned up. You all made it a great day for conservation and every last one of you can say, when we win, you were a very important part of the victory.
    Now let’s get pushing on that petition and get to 100,000.

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