UKC

BMC access negotiations for climbers and walkers really benefit from us being seen to be engaged custodians of the places we love. For example, the ring ouzel work around Stanage and Burbage buys the BMC a lot of credibility with other user groups throughout the country. By coming along on Saturday you can help demonstrate that engaged-custodian ethos. 
The Stanage Forum Open Meeting is your chance to hear updates on the management for the North Lees Estate (basically Stanage), and to ask questions and have input into it. I can see how this might sound fairly dry, and I can’t promise that it will exactly be adrenaline-fuelled (although there will be entertainment in the form of photos, history, and archaeology from the area!). And just in case that isn’t persuasive enough – I’ll be on tea duty and will serve you a nice cuppa.
 

It's at 2pm on Saturday the 13th October at the Hathersage Methodist Church Hall.

Link to the poster: https://www.flickr.com/photos/161377224@N08/45180869102/

I'm in! And in case anyone needs any extra incentive, I will point out that it's located conveniently close to Outside, so can be combined with buying yourself some shiny gear as a reward for doing your civic duty.

Or at least a panini.

I'm sad I can't make it, the one I attended a couple of years back was worthwhile on several levels - not least for the various talks from other groups interested in Stanage. 

For those who are sitting on the fence, I can't begin to express just how important it is for climbers to be seen attending - it reflects very well on us and how much we care about the site.

Can't promise free tea/coffee, but judging from the forecast it's not like there's going to be much better going on outside!

I'll try and make it again, and this time I'm an actual BMC member (last year I was just a bloke who went to BMC meetings but hadn't actually joined). 

Gratuitous thread bump!

It's going to be chucking it down, you're not going to be missing anything outside ...

Cheers slab_happy - you best me to it!

Annoyingly, it now looks like it is now slap bang in the middle of the only weather window of the weekend. Yesterday the forecast for Sunday was ok, now it's appalling. But civic duty and all that...

See you there. I'll be the bodyguard.

... do I need one?

For the prez....

Oh, I see..

(I met the Prez at the Women's Climbing Symposium!)

I think the climbers seemed to completely dominate the turn out this year! Lots of BMC shirts in evidence, and not just the BMC president.

My impression was that there much less discussion than last year, in part because if felt like the PDNP hadn't really done much in the last year in terms of Stanage and North Lees Estate - it seems that reorganisation, staff changes and maybe funding issues has kept the national park from doing much.

I hadn't heard about someone smashing up the toilets by the Plantation car park - bizarre. Who thinks "let's drive out to some smelly public bogs in the middle of nowhere and attack them with a sledge hammer"!? But it sounds like the PDNP are going to get them fixed soon because they had the foresight to take out toilet insurance! So good on them.

It sounded like the Ring Ouzels are doing well and climbers/BMC volunteers have been central to that. Kudos to all who were involved in that.

Thanks for the update for those who weren't in attendance.

Indeed much less discussion than last year - also possibly a a result of less in the way of controversial (i.e. sacking off the Stanage Sticker and revealing the parking enforcement plan) plans by the PDNP and more in the way of collaboration with all stakeholders (local residents, farmers / local businesses, and recreational users).

Still plenty of work to be done though so it was great to see the BMC / climber turnout today - thanks all.

Thanks for the update.  Glad to hear there was a good turnout.  I was hoping to nip across after work, but it dragged on (and on) a bit too long this morning.

One point we maybe should have raised in the discussion on Ring Ousels is that they did less well in the year of foot and mouth. The research stats certainly demonstated  that the current arrangements, on arguably the busiest crag in the UK, has seen as many successful fledgings as anywhere. That such arrangements have worked so well and the Ring Ousels cope, as long as the proximity of the nest itself isn't being disturbed (and might even benefit from a wider human presence keeping predators away), is probably still not that well known in the wider climbing group who use Stanage.

 But it sounds like the PDNP are going to get them fixed soon because they had the foresight to take out toilet insurance! 

Turd party?

Sorry...