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2011.

01/01/2011  Working late last night and was disturbed by the fireworks, guess that must have been midnight, continued working until about 1.30am did not get up until late, but what the heck,  Happy New Year.

07/01/2011  I have contacted Steve Clifton of Natural England regarding the clearance of Sherwood Forest to comply with the directive issued stating all forests be brought up to standard by 2010,  at the pace Nottinghamshire County Council are going it will be 2017 at the very earliest before the Forest is cleared of the old Visitor Centre.

09/01/2011  Changed our cover picture to show Kim our model for the Major Oak Photography Group, she is really beautiful.  If you wish to work with Kim you will have to join the FoSF Photography Group.

10/01/2011  Just had news from one of our advertisers,  they have received an enquiry as a result of advertising on this site,  the nature of the enquiry is substantial and also confidential,  what I can say however is that am pleased we could attract potential business for one of our clients.

Sudden Oak Death continues it's relentless march forward.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12135822

12/01 2011  Two bits of serious Gloom on the Horizon,  first of all Edwinstowe is to loose it's fire station,  result Ollerton will have to cover and it will take three times longer to respond to any incident,  that we can do without.

Second > Nott's C.C. who manage Sherwood Forest are in violation of a Government directive to bring all forests up to standard by 2010.  This means that the visitor centre that is situated in the forest has to be demolished,  now a lot of people have worked very hard to see their patch brought up to standard, I remember Bilhaugh Forest in late 2009 workmen were busy clearing the forest of the Army Training Camp and working anything up to 8 or 9 o' clock at night to see that they were compliant,  but not this lot with Sherwood Forest all we get are pathetic excuses.  So what can happen,.............

1. Natural England can step in and purchase the forest because of the Councils failure to comply.  As Government policy stands at the moment Sherwood Forest would be put up for sale as the Government wish to sell all Forests off.

2.  The Council can be ordered to demolish the old visitor centre and will have to make do with half a dozen portacabins in Naishes Field across the road from the Forest.

3.  Natural England can concede defeat, and we go on listening to the same old stupid eyewash !

18/01/2011  Completed the installation of our display board in Edwinstowe,  still having problems with software.  I noticed the Lime Tree Pantry has closed it's shop on the Main Street  ( Will miss their Cornish Pasties ), another Black Hole that needs to be filled before the tourist season,  although having said that I managed a couple of hours in the forest and the car park was not exactly empty.

19/01 2011  Chased Nott's C.C. re bus stop in Forest Car park,  still waiting for funds, so it's down to the next financial years budget to provide the funding to rectify the matter,  in the mean time all us old creaking fogies can suffer,  till one of us breaks a limb falling off the Bus because the drop to the road surface is to great to manage.  ( First enquiry about this was in MAY last year )

22/01/2011  Stop H.M.Gov' from selling our forests off, this is sheer Westminster lunacy,  and a no win all the way round.  Please make your voice heard,  the forests are one of our National Treasures somewhere where everyone can enjoy themselves.  We have seen what can happen with UK Coal the land is plundered and we end up with Business Parks and Housing Estates.  Please help to stop this NOW,  thank you Aidie.

24/01/2011  Received an eMail today from Natural England,  they are prepared to bide their time with Nott's C.C. regarding the New Visitor Centre,  so a compulsory purchase of Sherwood Forest will not be made.  They have made certain stipulations regarding this and are looking for some works to start straight away,  how long this lasts is another matter before we see another change of direction and more excuses.

29/01/2011  Just received word from America our servers have been upgraded again !  The new specification is not only impressive but also looks very expensive,.  We are now running on 8 core Xeon processors with Quad based Ram,  smart,  bet Spock would be pleased.  I am finding myself getting increasingly busy with one issue or event after another,  if you have time to spare and have a business background give me a call on 0740 417 6453 ... Thanks, Aidie.  Setting the wheels in motion for two Church services in February.

31/01/2011  Please help 38 degrees with their campaign it is important for all of us, it's our Heritage they are selling off.  These guys are working their butts off for us,  please give them the help they need.     http://www.38degrees.org.uk/

01/02/2011  Never have I known so much solid support for one issue in all my life as that I have witnessed for the anti Government campaign

" Save the Forests " 

Facebook is buzzing with activity,  please get on there and join us by showing your support and make your voice heard.  Thank you Aidie.

02/02/2011  400,000 people have now signed up to the petition objecting to the Forests sell off.

03/02/2011  A reply this morning from my MP Mr Christopher Leslie for Nottingham East, he is firmly opposed to the Governments planned sell off of Forests describing it as " Environmental vandalism "
Cheers,
Aidie.

04/02/2011  Just received word from Mr Steve Clifton ( Natural England ) re the New Visitor Centre,  While Natural England are not happy about works being delayed for three years the County Council have been asked to make preparation for the removal of the old Visitor Centre if only on paper,  this should involve the obtaining of Planning Permission and environmental impact assessments.  Natural England have also requested that the Council retain funding for this exercise.

08/02/2011  Had a busy day in Edwinstowe and met the Vicar of St Edmunds the Reverend Alan Scrivener,  we had a talk about Major Oak Day and how we could best move forward to advance it.  Prayers will be said for Hayman on the 20th of this month in Church, all are welcome to attend.

09/02/2011  There are a lot of serious issues surrounding Sherwood Forest and it's management, I aim to bring these issues into the limelight over the next few weeks to help you realise just how bad the Forest can get.  Most visitors to the Forest are overwhelmed by it's sheer magnitude and splendour but cannot see just what the real problems are.  A series of questions regarding the forest are to be put before the management you can make your mind up from there.

10/02/2011  Have just received an eMail from the Reverend Allan Scrivener of St Edmunds Church in Mansfield Woodhouse, Allan has written a prayer for Hayman Rooke to be said in St Edmunds Church on Sunday 20th February ...........

14/02/2011  Email just in from Chris Leslie's office,  a Woodland Walk to demonstrate to the Government the opposition to the planned Forests sell off is being held in Sherwood Pines.  Meet at the visitor centre 9.30am  for a short 2 mile walk on the white route.

15/02/2011  There is a new movement happening with the save the forests campaign,  the latest on the Grapevine from our pet ferret Sydney is a huge protest march to be organised in London,  another new idea to get the message across is to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree to signify opposition to the Governments plans to sell off the Forests.  Rock on Sid !

17/02/2011  Up early this morning, surprise as I had a busy night, eMail box full of " Cameron does U-Turn in Forest sell off "  To be announced on Friday.  Due to go on Radio Nottingham in a few minutes.

20/02/2011  I was in St Edmunds Church for Holy Communion this morning,  ended being hauled up before the congregation to say a few words about Major Oak Day.  I may have discovered Hayman's House in Mansfield Woodhouse, need to contact the owners first. After Church it was a lazy day with plenty of rest.

23/02/2011  Out on the Hayman Rooke trail to-day,  loads of information plus a dissertation written by Ms Pamela McInally,  Pamela if you are reading this please could you get in touch with me, Cheers Adrian.

27/02/2011  Mr Paul Harris of Sherwood Pines Cycles joins us to-day as a supporter and Advertiser,  I sincerely trust we can bring some more business Paul's way and look forward to a repeat booking for next year, welcome to the Mad House Paul.  Yes our stats have exceeded all records this month it is hoped this upward trend continues as anticipated.

08/03/2011  In the Forest all day accompanied by Roger,  despite the Hat I got sunburn, not something you think about in March,  my cheeks were burning as I was driving back home in the car.  Have some splendid shots for the day.

Copyright Mr Roger Tremlett / Welsh Woollen Mills.

15/03/2011  My work with the FoSF takes me into a lot of different sectors of the Community,  so it was with great pleasure that I was invited to sit in on rehearsals of the Major Oak Chorus.  We are so often accustomed to listening to songs with instrumental accompaniment that this evening was so unique for me.  Listening to a Barbershop Harmony Choir was something special  I know we will be hearing a lot more from the Major Oak Choir.

Website _____  http://www.majoroakchorus.net/

20/03/2011  In the Forest yesterday and the day before,  manage some great shots in both visible and Infrared spectrums,  yesterday I cracked my ankle , it's rather sore this morning and sort of put the top hat on next weeks planned adventures.  One of the Rangers in Sherwood Forest " Andrew is retiring at the end of this month after working there for 35 years,  Andrew has been a good friend to us and the Forest, he will be missed with his pleasant manner and vast knowledge of the Forest.  Enjoy your retirement Andrew.

21/03/2011  It is my great pleasure this evening to welcome Mr Roger Tremlett as Governor to the Friends of Sherwood Forest,  Roger has many good qualities and a wealth of experience in electrical engineering and is a very keen Photographer dabbling in Infrared and HDR techniques.  Welcome to the FoSF Roger. 

I forgot to mention with all the excitement and pain that one of the Ancient Oaks " Old Stumpy " has been given a new lease of life,  surrounding trees have been felled to allow more light on to this Oak,  "Old Stumpy" has many relations in the Forest as you will find.  It's a shame that only yards away Ancient Oaks have Birch trees growing out of their roots,  that sounds like gross neglect to me, and a dammed disgrace to the forest.  Why on earth they have Birches felled where there is no immediate harm caused and then ignore the Ancient Oaks is beyond me,  one of those affected is in all probability the most charismatic tree in the Forest the "Witches Oven", they are totally neglected with scrub growing all the way round and saplings gaining more ground from the Oak as every year passes.  Make your own mind up on this one.  It would be nice if someone could take a close look at this with us and help finance the preservation of these magnificent trees, a lot of which will come into leaf during the summer. Aidie.

24/03/2011  Couple of hours to spare over lunch time so I just sat in the Forest soaking up the vibes,  greeted by several dogs and their owners and even a Sherwood Forest Tree Rabbit.  I think we are going to have a long hot summer.

31/03/2011  Andrew retires today after 35 years service as a Forest Ranger,  we wish him all the best for the future and look forward to one or two new books on Sherwood Forest.  Best wishes Andy from everyone at the FoSF.

01/04/2011  Back to Sherwood Forest to complete a risk assessment for Mast Photography > You could say we are going up in the world,  Ugh !

20/04/2011  On the Campaign trail again,  the Government are planning on scrapping amongst other things the Wildlife and Countryside Act,  the one single piece of legislation our green spaces depends on and those Clowns in Westminster want to put the pen through it.  Campaign details here ...

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/dont-scrap-environment-laws  your help in supporting this campaign would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks > Aidie.

22/04/2011  Managed a quick visit to Sherwood Forest yesterday,  the Birch trees are putting a lot of green up but the Oaks as usual are way behind,  could be anything up to another month before they are out in full leaf.  The Bracken continues to lay dormant with the remnants of last years crop colouring the ground,  how much will surface this year is debatable as large areas were sprayed with herbicide last year.

29/04/2011  An eMail arrived this morning from 38 Degrees,  I've converted it to PDF format for you all to read,  this looks like a bid by the Government to stimulate industry by removing Statutes from the books that protect not only us as individuals but the environment.  The abolition of these Acts will pave the way for Industry to slip under the net and make it easier to operate >>>>------->  Make no mistake on this one !

20/05/2011 Nottinghamshire now has it's own flag,  it's got my vote.

    >>>>--------> Complete with St Georges Cross and Robin Hood.

BBC Download for a full size Jpeg .......  http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/nottinghamshire_flag.jpg

Details >>>>--------> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-13337196

Toxic caterpillars and Oaks don't mix >>>>-------->    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13454449

27/05/2011  VEOLIA lost the fight for an ERF at Rufford Colliery, there is going to be some serious celebrating tonight in Rainworth.
Congratulations to all involved in the Battle for a cleaner and better environment.

24/06/2011  A while since I was in here but the wheels are still turning,  the Major Oak Photography Club ( MOPC ) is nearing opening, but here is my first rush video of Sherwood Forest >>>>--------> There will be more to follow.

28/06/2011  Please be careful when out walking, >>-------->  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13903085   Adders BITE.

02/07/2011  Back in the Forest today shooting wildlife with two cameras at the same time,  it's more comical than you realise,  if those critters get any more tame than they are they will be taking the bird food out of my rucksack.

02/10/2011  A while since I have been in here again, been very busy with the MOPC ( Major Oak Photography Club ).  Travelling up to Yorkshire and other events, however I was in the Forest on the 29th of last month with a new Panoramic rig giving it a real testing and coming out with flying colours,  more about that later.  Nice to see some Autumn colour as well.

04/10/2011  I have severed all links with Facebook due the unnecessary and unwarranted intrusion of the F/B apps menace makes on your browsing on this site.  Any site with links back to Facebook will attract this Demon,  imaging what it would be like if tens or hundreds of other sites followed suit,  your browser would be covered with these tiny stupid messages inviting you to log the page on to the offending site.  All sites depend on back links, Zuckerberg is cutting his own throat with this and is already under investigation in Australia regarding this practice.

11/11/2011.

   Remembrance Day  

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
we will remember them.

13/11/2011.   Remembrance Sunday.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15710473

28/11/2011.  The Forest is now closing down for the winter ( Metaphorically speaking )  The oaks are hanging on to the last of their leaves and all the bracken is dying back in readiness for the frosts and snow to come,  that for me as a Photographer brings great excitement with the prospect of creating new images and exercising new photographic techniques.  The Photography Club is well and truly open for membership,  our last visit to London has raised the prospect of some new and interesting work in the Metropolis.  The day was very busy and we kept to schedule for the entire day returning home very late at night and totally shattered.

17th November The Cenotaph London by Adrian Wilson.

31/12/2011  I have to bid a fond farewell to 2011 rather belatedly due to technical problems beyond my control,  Our servers were upgraded and that is not always good news.  I trust you have made your New Years resolutions and that your wishes come true.  All the best for now and next year Aidie.

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