Community Involvement

Its sometimes strange how the right things just seem to occur at the right time for me. As I was feeling tender, I cancelled my planned trip and decided to get on with some office work and the dreaded housework. While I am house trained, I often ignore that training.

Having got some of the important stuff out of the way, I put together the rough cut for the next cooking Video, and reviewed what was ready for the following one too. Realising that there were parts that I needed to re-shoot, I made a list of shopping I needed. Having missed the free supermarket bus and the fact that I wanted to get the ingredients from the small shops, I headed in to Consett. As well as getting everything cheaper there, I avoided buying stuff that I did not need.

As I was at the crossing after having visited the butchers waiting for the man to flash, I know that illegal in some places but here its the indication to cross, there was a strikingly beautiful woman on the other side. Was it my imagination or was she looking at me? I checked my flies just in case. As I crossed she half crossed and came back after me and asked if I was Wood Mouse. Well she used my real name, but that would just confuse. It turned out that she was the great niece of the woman whose dog I used to take for a stroll. It was her spotting my pony tail that made her sure that I was me. Now I am getting confused.

We had a brief chat and she thanked me for helping her Great Aunt. All I did was let her dog follow me, sniff me and slobber over me. This woman had come up to deal with some of the legal stuff relating to the sale of the house and while I had spoken to her on the phone I had never met her before. So this meeting was pure chance. Had I wanted I could have got a lift back but she did not know how long she would be in the solicitors, so I declined and went for a coffee as in stopping to talk I had missed the bus and had to wait nearly an hour for the next one.

While I was hanging around, I could not avoid overhearing part of a conversation that two people were having. The man was complaining about the opening of a new church, or church building. While there were aspects of his complaints that I would agree with, if involved, there was an aspect of his comments that appeared racist. I did not get involved in the conversation even though I was tempted to challenge the possibly racist comments about why there was an African drummer at this opening. As the Bishop of Durham is ethnicity African, that could well be the reason there. But equally the man was complaining that the local children were not involved nor the community. That appeared to me to be wrong, as simply no organisation, be it a Church, a Business or a service, can survive with community involvement. While my journalistic nose was twitching to find out more, I wanted to avoid getting involved in other peoples problems.

While still mulling over the possible exclusion of the community from the opening of this church, I saw someone I knew get on the Bus. After exchanging pleasantries we chatted and I heard some news that should have alarmed me but strangely excited me, that a local wood is up for sale.

Unless I win the lottery, or I sell all the grandmothers in the village, I can not buy the wood myself, but as the wood is well used and has many wildlife gems there, I can see the chance for community involvement. In fact I could see ways I could help and I will be seeking out the people that want to do something about protecting the wood to offer my assistance if they want and need it.

So while one mishap with a dog mistaking me for a trampoline meant that I did not follow my plans, had I followed those plans I would have missed to important human encounters today. On Saturday I will have an opportunity to meet the folks who will be trying to do something about these local woods that could be at risk, and I will offer to help if I can. I don't want to take over nor do I want to be in charge, but I hope my previous conservation experience and sheer bloody mindedness can be of use to them. Further I think that the greater the community is involved the better the chances of obtaining a solution that people will be happy with.

Even if my involvement will be at the fringes, saving and protecting this woodland will be something I can get my teeth into. It will also have the benefit of protecting the Badgers that I love.