UKC

Hi climbing folk, as the manager / owner of Blackwell halt and surrounding area of SSSI land I wanted to inform you of some changes on the site. Not sure if you all know or not but the UK governments genocide of badgers (its not a cull no matter what they say). Has come to the countryside in this area, no permission has been given by ourselves or neighbouring Derbyshire wildlife trust land, for any kind of “cull” activity but we believe some of the local farmers  / land owners may have given permission. Myself and a local Anti-cull group Derbyshire against the cull, have been patrolling the area during the cull season and they have been amazing. One set is now either abandoned or the badgers have been killed not sure which yet. Anyway I will cut to the chase, although there is no public access to the site for climbing or any other activity (neither myself or the BMC have been able to come up with a way this could work due to the access going over railway land, the bit between the gate and steps and might include the steps no one really knows the score and the boundary map is not the best so we don’t want to “poke the railway” and cause a fuss or they may decide to just fence the whole thing thus removing our access or necessitate access compensation etc. we are letting sleeping dogs lie) this is the same policy we are using regarding climbing access we know it goes on but if I am not there I cant see any way of telling you all to bugger off ;-P. Yes there is signage warning of danger, there is signage saying no climbing as it’s a rather silly and dangerous thing to do if you think about it, I would rather sit and enjoy cake thank you very much. Now this is the important part I have installed CCTV and there are wildlife cams up this is to ensure there is no badger culling related trespass and if there is we will try to get them prosecuted, and to see if and where the animals are going, if any images are captured of say perhaps some lost climber totally accidentally wandering into the site the images will not be retained or used in any way,  so I ask you to please just ignore the cams if you see them, please do not reveal their location on public media etc. We are trying to be open and have mutual respect.   Please if you see any suspicious activity, wanky types with traps etc. we would ask you to ring myself Karl 07927657350 and I will deal with it. My final words are lets all just be nice to one another it’s a short life so let’s play nice as my Gran used to say. I am more than happy to be involved with the climbing community and have open discussions with anyone who would like to know anything. Blackwell Halt 

Thanks Karl Charlotte and the dogs Beau (little psychopath) Tilly (lovely flappy dog) and Rowan ( once described as "something you would come across in a dark forest and run away from")

If only more landowners took such a collaborative view to access!

Based on your description of the dogs I am imagining Rowan as some great slavery beast that is best fended off with a link of sausages?

Thanks Karl

Your attitude is so refreshing. I’m sure climbers will respond in the way you have requested.

Neil

Good luck with your work.

We have Badgers behind our house. Often hear that gat at night, digging.

Also my son works for Network Rail on the signalling. Does a lot of night shifts and he tells me they see Badgers frequently near the railway. He reckons is a sort of safe place for them because of the security measures surrounding railway land.

He is a lovely saluki lurcher cross. Rather large and leggy, but the way he stares at you is weird he just stares with no emotion showing, all the other doge have obvious different expressions.  

They Have so far hence the interaction. I do apologise when I am on the land if I have to tell them to leave but my insurance states anyone I give access to the land must have their own insurance as they would not cover me, they don’t like insuring quarries for non company’s so I took what I could get.

Yes that’s what I am hoping I caught one coming from the railway line the other night so hoping that what they have done. I have great video of the badgers behaviours some great ones of them gathering their bedding they do it backwards whilst rolling it with their front paws. We have roe deer, Muntjac, badgers, foxes, Buzzards, owls one rabbit although that was on the higher land.    

Myself answering myself seems weird? anyhow we consider the land to belong to the animals and plants etc. we will never sell it or allow damage to their home. we are or should all be custodians not owners, but that’s the world we live in greed is god.      

Would be good to see the videos

Hum let me see about that, might be nice for people to see them if anyone has any ideas of the best way to do this? drop box etc. I will look into it after work.

Rethinking it and public viewing might bring unwanted attention to an unspoiled area.

How about coming to a Peak area BMC meeting one day (evening of March 8th in the Sir William in Grindleford is the next). You're an example of good landowner practice .... and talks with short wildlife films and conservation efforts go down very well. Normally we have free chips and I'll happily buy you a drink.

YouTube would be the obvious solution. If you're keen not to draw attention, I believe you can upload videos without listing them publicly, so that only people with the link can view them.

Great work Karlos. Thank you for all of this, but especially your efforts against the cull/genocide of badgers. 

As has already been said, your approach towards climbers is very positive and appreciated.

I really enjoyed the rural crime talk a few years ago, something else wildlifey would be good.

Must have their own insurance - what kind of insurance? If it's "just" 3rd party liability then would that provided by BMC membership be sufficient?

Apologies if you've posted the answer to this on a previous thread and well done with the badger and other wildlife support you're doing and your enlightened attitude 👍

True. but rather sad

I am happy to put something together, for a meeting but I would rather not go to a meeting Nothing against you all but I don’t do people very well and lots of people is overwhelming for me. 

Also If people have a project they would like to do an ecology project plants, bee counting doing a Environmental course and need a project etc. I am happy to discuss and facilitate it. We had a team of botanists in and a list of plants is avalable on request.

No worries.

I don’t really know what insurance? I really struggled to get liability insurance at all, I could get business insurance but then I would have to set it up as a business etc. we got in touch with the company the BMC uses, they said they could insure me but it would cost at the very min £1000 PY I don’t have that kinda cash, and if I did I would go on holiday with it. And then even if we do all that there is still the elephant in the quarry, the trespass over railway land which is a criminal offence so pretty sure even if we were insured for climbing and something went wrong I don’t think they would help as they would just say you shouldn’t have trespassed and this invalidates the insurance. so let’s all be quiet, discreet, respectful and go on as we are, blissfully unaware that anything untoward is going off.

I am pretty sure the railway thinks the same, none of us wants to get into a discussion on who owns what and who has access to the SSSI, as without this access any improvements, fencing, grazing keeping back the brambles, taking down dangerous trees etc. become almost imposable. So for them that would be “uncomfortable” and I would have the support of natural England etc. PAIN IN ASS for them. Whenever we encounter each other we just have a nice chat and go on our way, I have even started litter picking for them 😉 a van load of them caught me leaving via the railway (and I had been litter picking as it annoys the hell out of me) all they said was “yeh its ducking disgusting up there, it’s not us it’s the bloody contractors” and “Thanks”