News
28th January 2012
Cephalopod Recruitment from English-Channel Spawning Habitats (CRESH) is currently collecting sightings of cuttlefish and their eggs through the newly launched 'CuttleWatch' scheme to help build a picture of which areas are of particular importance for this species. The project includes the Marine Institute at University of Plymouth and the Marine Biological Association. If you would like to report any sightings or records please contact them by email at: CRESH@mba.ac.uk, by phone at 01752 255026 or by text 07806938789. If the cuttlefish you see are tagged - there's a cash reward! We have for you to download the scheme's information poster with what to look for and another showing what the tag looks like.
This weekend is the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. Lots of information on their website but in summary all you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of their bird ID sheet), and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden, or local park, on either Saturday 28, or Sunday 29 January 2012.
25th January 2012
We had a great turnout of 19 helpers for the Big Litter Pick (January 15th) so a big thank you to every one of you, the amount of rope and netting collected was astounding, as was the amount of carpet underlay. 
We have noticed, as have others, that dog mess across the dunes is particularly bad at the moment. Please, please clear up after your dog and if you can manage it, it would help if you could pick up another pile nearby to help reduce the build up. We really do NOT want to see a backlash against dogs on the beach (many of us are dog owners ourselves) especially as so many beaches are closed to dogs now. If anyone has ideas on how we can encourage the poop avoiders to Scoop that Poop, please do let us know.
Another reminder that feeding the wildfowl while in the car park opposite the lake is not a good thing, please would you cross the road to feed them at the lake side. Another moorhen lost its life earlier this week after dashing across the road for some bread and being hit by a car.
On a cheerier note, we have the work party this Sunday from 10:30am (meet by the picnic tables in the picnic area by the car park). We hope to see you there.
19th January 2012
In St Austell Bay, anchored off Mevagissey is a large ship that arrived there on Boxing Day. She is the Elbella, weighs 23,500 tons and is registered in Valetta, Malta. She is a dry cargo carrier and we don't know how long she'll be moored there.
Back on dry land the next work party will be Sunday 29th Jan from 10:30am. Details on our Events page.
12th January 2012 Part 3
We hope to bring you some good news very soon but are waiting for the official nod re: publicity........
In the meantime, we'll see you on Saturday evening for a chat? We'll be at Tywardreath Village Hall, doors open 7:30pm
12th January 2012 Part 2
Paul Mason (ranger) has been liaising with the Environment Agency about the Polmear Stream and got them to do some remedial work on it, plus remove some of the reeds from the bank and clear the sand bar. He also got them to agree to do monthly checks on the state of the stream and do any work as necessary to ensure that it remains free flowing, however we understand that any future blockages by tidal sandbars is still a contentious issue. As far as we can tell some more work was done by the EA in December and the stream remains free flowing. A Kingfisher at work was spotted at the stream recently, so keep your eyes peeled.
12th January 2012 Part 1
The western end car park has been resurfaced with clay waste recently which has made the car park better to use. The access road is starting to get potholed again and we've raised this with the hope it can be fixed.
During December, people were making piles of the large pieces of debris that was being washed up on the beach, this was removed by Serco when they collected dead fish from the beach. We've a Big Litterpick this Sunday and hope to clear any large debris off the beach as well as the usual sack collections. Do come if you can even if it's just for a little while. Kick off from the main car park is 10:30am.
30th December 2011
Our first event in 2012 will be on 14th January with an informal meet and mingle at Tywardreath Village Hall, do come along and say hello.
Park Leisure won the tender for the beach cafe and will start work on this in 2012, they aim to have a cafe on the ground floor and a bistro in the evenings on the first floor. Miles Dewhurst, a Director of Park Leisure 2000 says "We have designed an environmentally sympathetic building with many local community benefits, from free to use Sand Friendly Wheelchairs to an Education Suite, we feel that we can offer a true benefit to all who choose to visit the Par Beach area.”
The Access Group (which consists of representatives from Groundwork SW, FoPB, Par Community Association, Cornwall Council, Parish Council, Sensory Trust and Park Leisure as well as the Sustainable Tourism Officer, the Ranger, Paul Mason, and 2 County Councillors) have been doing fine work putting together an application for funding, initially for creating a circular path connecting the western car park , orchid meadow, Sustrans route and holiday park from the western gate across the haul road. The application to the Seaside Towns Fund has been successful and more work than originally planned may be possible, hopefully including some more seating. The work will include a permanent surface to the path, replacing the boardwalk (that is currently in urgent need of repair) with a causeway and improving the surface of the western car park. Our congratulations and thanks to the Access Group.
29th December 2011
We received the following message via Facebook and thought it worth passing this on to you all:
"I had my car broken into today whilst windsurfing between 11am and 3pm. It happened in the main car park just round the corner by the tables on the grass. If anyone happened to notice anything or anyone acting odd please could you let me know and of course be careful and vigilant if using the beach for sports or dog walking. There were phones in car but they chose to steal other things. Nothing is safe so if possible keep your car clear, it Is a bad time of year for these horrible acts done by mindless thugs. Chris Riddell."
A timely reminder to make sure your cars are locked and not tucked out of sight of passersby. If you did see anything, please do contact us and we'll pass the information along.
2nd December 2011
Lots of bits of news....
Serco collected two dead porpoises from the beach on Wednesday and the Marine Strandings Network collected a dead dolphin then too. The wind and tides have washed up an awful lot recently so do be careful down at the strandline. Don't forget our "What to do if..." web page for information on who to call in what circumstance.
We are hoping to have a get together for everyone in January at Tywardreath to ward off any post holiday season blues, details to be announced as soon as we can!
The rain and tides have been playing havoc with blocking the Polmear stream at London Rock, par for the course these days really.
1st December 2011 Part 2
Once again a sterling effort from the volunteers on Sunday (27th Nov) at the work party held at the reed bed path. We had a good sized group who got on with hacking out brambles from the reed bed path and begun weaving the "living screen" - as it fills out this will let us watch the wildlife while keeping us hidden. Next session will be at the end of January.
1st December 2011 Part 1
The quiz night on 17th December with David Stephens was again, a resounding success. Everyone had a good time and we raised £101 too! Our thanks to everyone who made the evening possible, especially to David, Carolyn and Bob and the raffle prize donators. The winners of the quiz were the Pedigree Chums, just 3 points ahead of the Golantites so it was a close run thing.
2nd November 2011 - part 3
Another hot off the email press to say that this afternoon the Environment Agency gave the All Clear to the pond and the tape and notices will be coming down immediately.
2nd November 2011 - part 2
Hot off the press (well, email)...the ranger Paul has just heard that the Environment Agency will be carrying out clearance works on Polmear Stream, starting in the next few days (but probably on Monday). They intend to follow the stream down beyond the sluice gates as far as the sea - maybe even clearing the sand bank at the beach. This work will require a large swing shovel machine as well as a tractor and a lorry to take the material away from the lower part of the stream. It may be a bit smelly for a while but it will be worth it.
2nd November 2011 - part 1
Lots of little bits of news today....
The work party to clear brambles in the west end field went well. The rain held off which is always a bonus! Thank you to everyone who came out to help. The next session will be on Sunday 27th November.
You may have read about the water spout that ripped through Polruan Harbour on Saturday night. Seven boats were sunk and we have been warned to keep an eye out on what gets washed up on Par beach - most notably - please BEWARE OF ANY FLARES washing up. If you see a flare PLEASE call 999 and request the coastguard, who will act on the information given. The area needs to be marked in some way and if possible, for someone responsible to stay nearby to keep people away and to hand control of it over.
The Polmear stream has blocked, unblocked with diggers and blocked again repeatedly lately. A discussion is due to start between some Cornwall Council officers and the Environment Agency on the best way forward as the current method of clearing is clearly not sustainable and the money might be better spent on another method of keeping the stream open and running freely. Usual warnings apply - if the stream is blocked and stagnant, keep yourselves and your dogs out of it (due to the increased risk of Weil's disease).
The pond is once again full. The water quality is being checked regularly and the last test showed "acceptable levels" for blue/green algae. Two satisfactory samples are needed before an "all clear" is issued . While it is not believed to be a problem to any fish that remain, it could still be a problem for any dogs lapping the water, so if the tape and signs remain, then keep your dogs away from the water.
We are pleased to say that the Student Kitesurfer Association will be back for the 2nd National Slider Jam on Par Beach over the weekend of 12th and 13th November. It will be a great opportunity to go and watch the sport, let's hope they have enough (but not too much!) wind this time around.
And finally, but by no means least, our next Quiz Night with David Stephens is on Thursday 17th November. Last time we filled Gott Hall so if you want to be sure to get a table, do book in advance.
19th October 2011
The Par Sands Local Nature Reserve Management Strategy/Plan has been issued in draft form for consultation.
This pdf can be read on our website - it is a sizeable file so it will take a while to load,also, as it is 85 pages long you may not wish to print it out!
It will remain on our Documents page if you wish to look at it in the future (most recent documents are at the bottom of the page).
If you wish to comment please channel these through mikeatpolmear @ yahoo.co.uk (no spaces in the email address).
19th October 2011
Yesterday afternoon Cornwall Council taped off most of the lake and put new notices up warning of the blue green algae, it's the same warning as before; do not go in the water or let your pets drink it. The Polmear stream is still blocked and now the river is taking on the blue green haze that we see in the lake which is not good.
On a cheerier note recently Adrian has twice spotted a kingfisher in the vicinity of the Polmear stream so keep your eyes open for it.
3rd October 2011 Part 2
Tim and Janie Bullen came down to the beach to run another photography session for us on Sunday and the weather was glorious. The theme was landscapes and both Tim and Janie spent time helping us out with hints and tips on how to get better compositions. During "after session" coffee we could be found in a huddle taking macro shots of scorch marks on a picnic table, all great fun! Thank you to both of you, we're looking forward to the next session already. 
3rd October 2011 Part 1
The Polmear stream was dug out recently and it was still free flowing on Sunday. Keep an eye on it though as the spring tides have since caused it to block again. Keep yourselves and dogs out of any still water.
The AGM business bit went smoothly on Wednesday evening. Thank you to everyone who came along and to those who made it happen - including Carolyn and Bob for doing the refreshments. We are still on the look out for someone to be Secretary so do contact us if you are happy to volunteer yourself (or someone else!). Mike was re-elected Chair and we have new blood on the committee - welcome to you Teresa.
After the business bit we had an illustrated talk on beach management from Jolyon Sharpe, accompanied by David Attwell, Senior Countryside Officer which was both interesting, entertaining and well worth staying on for. A thank you to Jolyon and David too.
24th September 2011
Don't forget the work party tomorrow form 10am, this is a council event related to the cycle trail and the west end, Jon Cripps (cycle trail officer) and Paul the Ranger will both be there. Details on our Events page as you do need to book if you want to join in (say you're from FoPB).
Paul the Ranger has been able to authorize the clearing of the sand that's blocking the running of Polmear Stream, more details when we have them.
Another "don't forget" is for the photography session on Sunday 2nd October, again see our Events page for details.
15th September 2011
The large yellow buoy that's sponsored by Sams at Polkerris has landed at Par Beach again, from all that stormy weather. We expect it to be collected soon.
The high and rough tides have blocked the Polmear Stream again. Paul the Ranger will be coming to check it out and put a plan in place but in the meantime please don't let your children/dogs/yourselves paddle or play in the water as standing water carries the increased risk of Weil's disease.
11th September 2011
Despite the disappointing turn out at the Bat Talk on Friday we were treated to a fascinating insight into the world of bats by Sue and Chris Harlow who run a Bat Hospital at Threemilestone on the outskirts of Truro. They even brought some along for us to see close up, the show being stolen by Norman the Noctule who serenaded us during the evening. Unfortunately the weather was against us (again!) and the Bat Walk could not take place as it would be very unlikely that there would be any bats out hunting for insects. Many thanks to Sue & Chris and their little furry friends for taking the time to come and talk to us and show some of the many pictures they have.
5th September 2011
We are busy working on the next newsletter and organizing upcoming events. This Friday evening we have the Bat Talk from 7:30pm at Gott, details on our events page it stands to be a good evening. We're doing the MCS beach clean (litter pick) from 10am on Saturday 17th September.
I'll leave you with this photo that was sent in, of a 3 master out in the bay (thanks Adrian).
25th August 2011
We have raised over £500 so far towards the bench fund and hope to raise more and get some matched funding.
We have had a couple of concerned emails or rather emails this week from concerned persons so for the record - we know nothing about a dog ban on Par beach. Dogs are welcome on the beach all year round and we hope that everyone will clear up after their own dog (there are plenty of dog mess bins around the site - bright red so easy to spot) so that we don't lose the priviledge. Do please keep them away from the pond while the water quality in there is questionable at best. We will ofcourse shout out if we hear of anything. We would NOT support a dog ban.
19th August 2011
The Gents toilets are open again which is good news as are the minor repairs to the access road which has hopefully prevented some of the potholes from becoming a menace.
Less good news is a report that there is Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam growing in the meadow at the west end. Paul the ranger has been notified and it will be dealt with promptly.
16th August 2011
Sunday's Seaweed Project group was small but oh so very hard working. We achieved most of our aims by the huge efforts from Sue, Brian, Colin & Sandra - THANK YOU. Mike's trolley had a bit of a wheel issue - rebelling at its hard labour of late and unfortunately we hear that Brian took a nasty fall from his bike later on, we hope you're healing quickly Brian. Jan turned the seaweed in the bins by her herself on Saturday (another thank you!). Please do get in touch if you can help with the seaweed compost project.
In other news it seems the Par Beach toilets are not on top form (again), the Gents has a closed sign (with apology) on it for the time being. We'll keep you informed.
Paul the Ranger has said that enough ragwort has been pulled today so tomorrow's ragwort pull will be at Luxulyan Valley instead, details on our Events page.
12th August 2011
Please continue to keep away from the pond water and don't feed the birds.
We have seaweed collecting to do on Sunday morning and ragwort pulling on Tuesday and Wednesday next week if you'd like to come along and help.
4th August 2011
RIght, the pollution in the pond/lake is "due to an Algal Bloom which is quite natural at this time of year". The advice is "do NOT let your pets or children enter the water, or allow your pets to drink it. Coming in to contact with the water can cause mild irritation to the skin". It can also cause eye irritations and stomach upsets.
You may have seen news of the algae on the Norfolk Broads and at reservoirs in Hastings and Pembrokeshire recently (the BBC, Daily Mail and The Sun have also reported on it). The algae gives off a toxin as it decays ad this is hazardous to wild animals, livestock and pets - the fish deaths are an early warning, so please keep your pets, children and yourselves out of it. If you see the streams looking the same (blue/green/murky/dead fish) then stay away from them and let us and/or the authorities know.
The sea water on the beach is not affected by this and is still of excellent quality so safe to bathe in.
3rd August 2011
Here's the notice from the Council about the duck pond/lake "Suspected Pollution Incident. The sea remains a high quality bathing water and the rest of the beach is not affected".
Sadly today it looks worse out at the pond. More dead fish and the water is blue/green colour which is never a good thing for wildlife. We do not have definite information of the toxicity of Par Beach lake/pool/pond, but it would be wise to keep away from the water entirely, and keep your dogs on a lead whilst in the vicinity of the lake. We are doing our best to exchange information with the powers that be and will keep you updated.
PLEASE do NOT let your dogs, children (or indeed yourselves!) play with the dead fish.
2nd August 2011
We have heard from the Environment Agency that fish are dying in the duck pond and that they are monitoring the water quality. This is most likely due to the persistent low water levels that the pool has had all summer (the fish would not have enough water and so not enough oxygen) It is something we had already flagged as a potential problem.
The sluice gates have been cleared (see earlier News item) so that they are working again but it's possible that it's a silt bar that is stopping the flow of water from Polmear Stream in to the pool.
In the meantime, we ask you to please read the warning signs that have been put up and comply with the instructions/recommendations. We will ofcourse update you when we have more information.
31st July 2011
We had a good turn out of 30 people for the Star Gazing session last night, a big thank you to Kit Williams for doing this for us and to Sue for helping out.
Three bags of rubbish were collected by Beatta (Hungarian student) this morning at the west end of the beach, all the information will be used for her dissertation. Unfortunately we also had cause to clear away half a dozen full "dog do" bags (a litter picker stick was used for those, eurgh!). Please pick up after your dogs and use the dog bins around the site.
We're working with Paul the Ranger about the motorbike rider seen riding over the dunes, and discussions are being started with the local police too. If you see this please report to us times and descriptions so that we can follow this up.
The public toilets are fixed and open again which is good news.
28th July 2011
What a fantastic afternoon at the beach it was!
A huge thanks to Groundwork and to the Cadbury Spots and Stripes team, namely Ricky Bush, Lyndy, Nicola and Darren, who were noticeably hot and tired by the end of the games but were debating cooling off in the sea and still smiling broadly. The team wanted to say thank you for the help they received from Tom and Kate.
Lots of fun was had by youngsters and adults alike with tug of war, tower blocks, sack races and other games, nearly 200 people came down to join in.
The sun shone, the wind was calm and the tide obligingly high enough for cooling off in without a long trek out to get to the water. For the competitive souls amongst us, the afternoon was won by the Stripes team. More photos will be added soon.
27th July 2011
Gosh, it's been a bit quiet around here of late.
Right.
Tomorrow is the Cadbury Spots and Stripes games session on the beach. Free to all and it's from 2:30pm for a couple of hours, it promises to be lots of fun so do come along. More details on our Events page.
The public toilets at the beach are closed as they need repairs (according to a sign that has been put up). Serco are not responsible for sorting this out but they have contacted a Cornwall Council officer for us, who may be able to sort this out quickly.
Work has been carried out clearing the sluice gates and they are now working again which is excellent news.
Don't forget it's Star Gazing with Kit Williams on Saturday evening at the beach - so hope for clear skies please, more details on our Events page (ofcourse!).
7th July (part 2) 2011
Are you ready for the Big Butterfly Count?
Launched last year by Butterfly Conservation with 100,000 people taking part and 210,000 butterflies counted, this years Big Butterfly Count is between 16th July and 7th August 2011. All you need is to simply count the butterflies you see in a 15 minute period within those dates and then submit your results. There's a fantastic butterfly i.d. sheet for you to download from their website. This project is backed by Sir David Attenborough and Alan Titchmarsh MBE and is well worth participating in.
7th July 2011
Seaweed Project - Owen Smith, from Plymouth University, gave an interesting and enthusiastic talk yesterday evening at the newly refurbished Tywardreath Village Hall. Starting with basic information on seaweed, which by the way, is not a plant as such, he continued with enlightening the audience of the uses to which seaweed can be put – and it is not just plant food.
The history of people using seaweed to enhance plant and crop production is a long one and the the Friends of Par Beach project to turn the ‘plant’ into useful compost for gardeners appeared to be the only one in the UK currently. This community project relies upon local people getting involved, and several of the audience signed up to assist with such tasks as collecting seaweed, turning the compost and taking the temperature of the compost bins. When the results of scientific tests and analysis are completed, the resulting compost will become available.
Local people and visitors will know Par Beach receives a lot of seaweed, which, although being a natural phenomenon, is not particularly attractive. The current system of scraping the beach is considered too efficient as it does more damage than good to the beach ecology. One way of keeping the beach ‘clean’ is to clear seaweed by hand, and the resulting compost is just a bonus.
Thank you to Owen for coming along to give the talk and in fact to everyone who came and helped to make the evening a success. We'll see some of you down by the compost bins soon!
Tonight is the Parish Council meeting, do go along if you're interested about the footpaths around the beach area.
29th June 2011
We spoke with the Environment Agency again last week, and they are now doing some work on the Polmear stream. They are aware that the "flood flap"/sluice gate is jammed open at the moment and hope to sort this out as well as dredge the silt trap and clear the pipes. If this gets sorted then the duck pond stands a better chance of refilling.
We mentioned that a Bee Orchid has been found on our patch, in fact we've since spotted 7 of them! If you're a member of Friends of Par Beach you should have an email about them in your inbox. Below is a photo from Mike Freemantle:
26th June 2011
What a fantastic morning it turned in to. The fog took a while to clear, but it cleared to deep blue skies and hot sunshine. We had a good group of volunteers today who worked hard to help Bea to count her litter and help Jane to get the first two seaweed compost bins filled. We are very grateful for the hard (and hot) work that everyone put in and to help today.
We'd also like to thank Parkway Timber Company Ltd for donating the sacks of sawdust we needed to layer with the seaweed.
22nd June 2011
Footpaths - On Thursday 7th July, Mike Eastwood, Programmes Manager, Environment Dept., Cornwall Council will be attending the Tywardreath and Par Parish Council meeting to talk about the regularisation of the footpaths on Par Beach. Cllr. David Hughes had a very positive meeting with Mike Eastwood last week and it would be excellent to have a good turnout at this meeting from locals or indeed any interested people. 7pm start at the Par Running Track Pavilion, please come if you can.
We have two work parties this Sunday; collecting fresh seaweed for the seaweed composting project and helping a student with a litter/plastics project. Both start 10am at the western car park.
21st June 2011
Two new picnic benches have been installed on the picnic green area by the main car park which is rather good news. By the way, parking is now being charged at a £2.10 daily rate between about 9am and 4pm'ish.
The sluice gates (which helps regulate flow of water to/from the pool, Polmear stream and the sea) still do not seem to be working. We hope to speak to both the Environment Agency and Serco (again) on Thursday to see if anything can be done to improve the water levels of the pool. We are very concerned at the low levels which cannot be good for the wildlife that depend on it.
It has been reported that there is a Bee Orchid on our patch. Photo to come soon. Keep your eyes peeled for this special little plant and do please be careful when you're out and about on the local nature reserve so it and others don't get squished! While we're on the subject of wildlife, it is thought that we have three pairs of Cetti's Warblers this year which is fantastic news.
19th June 2011
Friends of Par Beach received an update from Eco-Bos yesterday:
Eco-Bos, as highlighted in this week’s St Austell Voice, has begun to turn its attention towards the Par docks site. There have been some preliminary site investigation works and surveys at the site and this will help inform the masterplanning process.
The image used by the Voice is one of an artist’s impression that was recently exhibited at the Royal Cornwall Show – more to give an indication of what may appear on site as opposed to a realistic representation of our current proposals. The masterplans for the site remain at a very early stage (subject to changes in response to survey data) and will appear in draft form when public consultation begins towards the end of summer and in to the autumn. As with the Eco-Bos proposals for West Carclaze and Baal, we anticipate that there will be further changes to the masterplan and any associated designs as a response to feedback from the local community.
Eco-Bos has attended recent St Blaise Town Council meetings to explain how the planning process will be undertaken. We are keen to maintain the positive relationship that we have with the Town Council and local Cornwall Councillors and will continue to respond to any questions or comments that they may have. Likewise, we intend to keep organisations such as the Friends of Par beach up to speed with the progression of our proposals and we will let you know the dates, times and venues of public consultation sessions at the first available opportunity.
At this stage Eco-Bos anticipates that an outline application for Par will be submitted to Cornwall Council towards the end of the year. Further detail for the site will be worked up in due course and will require further planning processes to achieve the necessary consents. In the meantime should you have any questions relating to the above please do get in touch.
16th June 2011
A few small updates;
Paul Mason (the ranger) has had a call from the Environment Agency regarding the water levels in the pond. They have cleared around the sluice gates in the hope that some water may find its way into the pond, which is as much as they can do at present. Attempting to divert water from the stream to the pond may well have detrimental effects on the reed beds down stream so all we can do at present is to pray for more rain to get the water levels back up.
The gorse on the dunes at the west end is still very brown and dry, so this is just to warn people that smoking and/or barbecues = fire hazards (i.e. please be extra careful and vigilant). In the Cornish Guardian it was reported that the fire brigade have been down there once already as a small area of gorse was set on fire recently and we notice another small patch has burned on the eastern area near the cliffs.
You may have spotted a 5ft yellow buoy on the beach, this belongs to Sams on the Beach at Polkerris and washed up on Par beach after coming loose. Sam's were hoping to take it back to Polkerris last night.
We have had a report that a lone motorcyclist has been seen going in and out of the dunes during the evening, the bike looks like it is homemade and with no registration (so no insurance, tax etc). Besides the unsafe/illegal nature of the bike, this kind of activity is not allowed on Par beach - it will destroy the dunes and put people and wildlife at risk. We have no qualms about providing photographic evidence to the authorities, and if you spot someone riding motorbikes over the dunes or beach, please do report it to the police.
Mike (our chairman) is back home from his epic bike ride, he is looking really well and doesn't appear to be walking like John Wayne (which was a bit of a surprise!). Mike will be sending in a report about his journey soon so we can look forward to reading that. The 2nd photo below is of his bike's odomoeter showing that he has ridden 1,103.3 miles on the journey. Mike is already talking about ideas for the Next Big Trip, the phrase 'glutton for punishment' springs to mind...
9th June 2011
A huge congratulations to Mike and the other Tired Cyclists and their support team as yesterday evening they arrived at John O'Groats having cycled all the way from Penzance. Rumour has it that they're not cycling home. Well done.
5th June 2011
A big thank you to Matt Ward for leading the bird walk for us and to everyone who made it happen. We had a good group of people join in and it was an interesting and leisurely couple of hours spent. John Page reports:
"Eleven people and two very well behaved dogs turned up for our Bird Walk with Matt Ward this morning. Matt was on hand to identify and tell us about some of the birds that can be seen around the Par Beach area. Apart for the usual suspects on and by the pond we were able to observe chiffchaffs, chaffinches, song thrushes, blackbirds, reed buntings, goldfinches, swallows, kestrels, greenfinches, dunnocks and a heron was seen down by Par River. It was all very informative and was enjoyed by all. Many thanks to Matt who stepped in to be there for us and of course there was tea/coffee and biscuits waiting for us at the end of the walk, always a welcome feature of our 'get togethers' on the beach. The intention is to hold more 'Bird Walks' in the autumn and New Year, watch our website for news of forthcoming 'events'."
A couple of other things (well, three):
* Cornwall Council has put new parking signs up - photo to come, but it looks like they're not instigating the parking charges advertised late last year as the sign states parking is £2.10 (sign also includes some rules for car park behaviour).
* The water level in the duck pond/lake is VERY low. It might be a good idea if people didn't walk on the dried up banks by the rushes and reeds as wildfowl and birds are probably nesting in there. So just be a bit thoughtful and try to give them some space!
* Mike and the other Tired Cyclists have completed 863 miles as I type. They are currently on the A9 near Loch Moy, having been over the Cairngorms and heading towards Inverness (live tracking map here). This is an amazing effort by the all and don't forget the more you sponsor Mike The Chairman for, the more money we'll have for beach benches.
4th June 2011
Friends of Par Beach and Four Turnings Garage, Fowey announce a Young People's Wild Flower Poster Competition. This runs from now until 10th September 2011. We aim to encourage and entice young people who are up to 14 years old to visit Par beach to discover and photograph some of the amazing wild flowers that live there. The competition is to take photographs and then to display them on a hand made attractive poster.
We provide a reference sheet of species to help you find the plants, and you photograph six different ones from the list between June and September.
Four Turnings Garage has kindly donated a prize, some of the flowers are in bloom already so you've not a moment to lose. See the competition page for more information.
2nd June 2011
The RSPB is running "Make Your Nature Count" between 4th and 12th June. It is a one hour survey of your garden or park on any day between those dates. They would like you to note not only the birds you see but also animals such as badgers, bats or frogs. More details are on the Make Your Nature Count website.
2nd June 2011
A quick photo from Adrian for you - one of the beach taken from The Mount. Do send in your photos for us to include on here, or indeed enter our photo competition.
31st May 2011
Today the Ranger, Paul Mason worked with the BTCV group clearing the footpath from the small car park by toilets car park, to the beach. Both of the paths leading from these car parks have now been improved so have a look if you're passing. The main car park has been flattened out a bit again too.
On Sunday, Beatta (our Hungarian university student working on plastics/litter) carried out her first litter pick with the help of Adrian and a volunteer. Two black bin bags were filled from a 100m stretch of beach at the western end. All the finds were recorded and she'll be back again on Sunday 26th June to do it all again. Do pop down to help if you can, it won't take long.
Mike and the other Tired Cyclists are over halfway up to John O'Groats now with 647 miles done and 431 left to go at the time of typing. The live map shows everyone north of Newcastle Upon Tyne heading towards Northumberland National Park.
27th May 2011
We're pleased to announce that Par Beach has gained MCS (Marine Conservation Society) Recommended Status, something that only 65% of the beaches in the South West can boast. This gets Par Beach in to the Good Beach Guide. You can read more about the Good Beach Guide on their website.
On a different subject, the Events page has had an update today, so please go peek.
Mike and the other Tired Cyclists are 398 miles down with 680 miles to go and don't seem to be far from Stoke on Trent and Alton Towers. Tomorrow they're faced with over 5000 feet of uphill pedal action (rather them than me) so let's hope the wind direction is helpful and the rain holds off.
22nd May 2011
Mike is currently at Street, nr Okehampton on the long ride up to John O'Groats. Live map update is here, You can catch up with their blog to read who fell of where and other news. Do please sponsor Mike if you can and show your support for both the massive effort that this is taking, and for the ultimate benefit of Friends of Par Beach being able to buy benches for Par Beach.
16th May 2011
On May 19th I shall be setting off on a cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats, taking a ‘leisurely’ 3 weeks to complete the 1100 mile route that I have chosen.
The second highest priority from visitors to our stand on Par Beach Community Day was to add more seating on the dunes and beach. This turns out to be a very expensive exercise and Friends of Par Beach need to raise money that can be ring-fenced in our accounts and used to attract matched funding from other sources. We need your help, both by sponsoring me yourself and to ask friends and neighbours to do so as well so that we can kick-start some work that will really be of benefit to the community.
Mike "The Chair" Freemantle
(Find the sponsorship form on our Downloads page (last in the list) and follow Mike's progress on their Tired Cyclists website).
  | Friends of Par Beach are supported by the Co-operative Membership Community Fund, |  |
