January 19 2015.

Jim Skinner reports:


An amazing 20 members of the Friends of Tide Mills, including three new members, held its first meeting of 2015 in cold and damp conditions yeasterday. 12 sacks of rubbish were collected, plus many larger, bulkier items washed ashore as a result of the recent spate of gales. For 20 people to appear on such a cold and damp day in January is fantastic and puts us in good heart for the remainder of the year.

Regular visitors to Tide Mills Beach will note that, due to the recent Environment Agency shingle shifting works, the beach remains extremely steep and unstable. Please take extra care. Our concerns will be communicated to the EA.

To date we have received no further information regarding Network Rail's proposal to replace the existing kissing gates over the railway line with some sort of bridge.

Our next meeting is Sunday the 15th of February (always the third Sunday of each month), meeting at 10.00am at the Waymarker adjacent to the beach at the road leading from the level crossing. At this meeting we will be installing six Ringed Plover Nesting signs, kindly provided by the South Downs National Park Authority. We, and the birds, would very much hope that visitors and their dogs respect the area to be signposted by minimising disturbance. Last year these amazing little birds enjoyed their most successful breeding season in years, so lets hope this year is at least as good.

Our meetings last nominally for two hours, but all are welcome no matter how much time can be spared. Please do join us, we really are seeing major progress now in the care of this wonderful place.

More information from me at brian.skinner2@btinternet.com or our website at www.friendsoftidemills.webs.com

Jim Skinner