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Adopt a park in Essex


lilbrownpony

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Some of you may have seen my ocassional posts asking for help or information to help get geocaching off the ground in the Essex County Parks.

 

After a great meeting with a certain 'party hardcore' and a job list that reaches from here to the north pole I am asking for help again.

 

I am planning to launch Geocaching at Easter in 8 of the Country Parks. I would ideally like someone in each area to adopt a park. This will mean being the local contact for the Site Manager to discuss suitability of cache sites etc.

 

As I said there are 8 parks to start with. 5 cache sites in each park............. all on one day. So could be quite a party............... fancy hog roast anyone!

 

The parks that are available to adopt are:

 

Thorndon

Weald

Belhus

Cudmore Grove

Marsh Farm

Great Notley Discovery Centre

 

This project is developing at quite a pace so know is the time to get in there and mould it how you want it!

Please email me through this website or jo.phillips@essex.gov.uk if you would like to join in.

 

thanks

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Hmm.. you've whetted my appetite. I would be interested in Thorndon or Marsh Farm, but I am not local during normal work hours. So do you have any more details of what you'd require?

 

The country parks are open 7 days a week so I am sure we could fit in around your times.

 

I would like to have a group of people that are real living geocachers who can advise on what you want and where......... sort of like an expert panel.

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Hmm.. you've whetted my appetite. I would be interested in Thorndon or Marsh Farm, but I am not local during normal work hours. So do you have any more details of what you'd require?

 

The country parks are open 7 days a week so I am sure we could fit in around your times.

 

I would like to have a group of people that are real living geocachers who can advise on what you want and where......... sort of like an expert panel.

 

OK, Sign me up then

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Hmm.. you've whetted my appetite. I would be interested in Thorndon or Marsh Farm, but I am not local during normal work hours. So do you have any more details of what you'd require?

 

The country parks are open 7 days a week so I am sure we could fit in around your times.

 

I would like to have a group of people that are real living geocachers who can advise on what you want and where......... sort of like an expert panel.

 

OK, Sign me up then

 

Hurrah... youre in, and what a fine bunch you join too!

I will be in touch to fill you in on the details and where we are up to so far.

 

Many thanks

Jo

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Hiya,

 

I'd be interested in helping with this, although i'm not sure which one is nearest - i'm in Harlow.

 

Also, Thorndon park already has a fair few caches all with details to get the bonus - but i guess you already know about this.

 

Anyway, let me know how i can help and i'll see which one is nearest.

 

Thanks,

 

Becky

 

Hi Thanks for that, Have a look at a map and the locations of the parks and then let me know where you think would be most suitable. I will also have a look close to Harlow and see if there is any ECC land that maybe able to join in with us.

 

With regards to Thorndon, I have thought long and hard about the current caches in parks and there NO PLANS TO REMOVE ANY CACHES. I think, and hope that others will agree with me that the size of Thorndon will be able to take a few more.......... it might just mean that you may have to take your sandwiches with you!

 

Jo

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I have a nice design for a geocoin, can anyone pass on a company that they have used and would recommend.

 

Clare and Becky how far is weald CP from you? Its a beautiful park and huge so plenty of room to play with.

 

Hiya,

 

Weald CP does seem to be the nearest one to us so would be happy to do this one with Clare, we can arrange some time to visit there at some point, is there anything you need us to do in the mean time?

 

Becky

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Haha, found you.

 

See you have been busy Jo. I have talked to steve and I will hopefully be able to help in the new year once i get a couple of bits done and out the way at Notley.All looking good though and have some ideas where to hide some at Notley, Flitch and other small sites.

 

Cheers,

Tom

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Haha, found you.

 

See you have been busy Jo. I have talked to steve and I will hopefully be able to help in the new year once i get a couple of bits done and out the way at Notley.All looking good though and have some ideas where to hide some at Notley, Flitch and other small sites.

 

Cheers,

Tom

 

Hi Tom (Great Notley and Flitch Way Ranger for everyone elses benefit)!

 

Good to see you here..... have a look at www.EACachers.org.uk as well, there is another thread for you to follow.

 

No one has come forward to adopt Braintree yet but fingers crossed.

 

Thorndon, Weald, Cudmore, Danbury and Hadleigh have all been adopted just two to go!

 

I will keep in touch.

 

Jo

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Hi

 

I have sent you a personal message which I hope that you have received.

 

There is another thread running alongside this one on www.eacachers.org.uk. That may answer some of your immediate queries.

 

My email address is Jo.Phillips@essex.gov.uk you are welcome to contact me but please be aware that email contact to that address maybe sporadic over the Christmas break.

 

Jo

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Hi

 

I have sent you a personal message which I hope that you have received.

 

There is another thread running alongside this one on www.eacachers.org.uk. That may answer some of your immediate queries.

 

My email address is Jo.Phillips@essex.gov.uk you are welcome to contact me but please be aware that email contact to that address maybe sporadic over the Christmas break.

 

Jo

 

Hi,

Thanks Jo, I'll look out for your PM. I don't think many Essex cachers see themselves as part of East Anglia.

However this forum covers the whole geocaching community, so I thought it would be good if you could explain what is being proposed so everyone is aware, in the interests of openness and transparency - good public service principles, I'm sure you'll agree.

 

Cheers

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I don't think many Essex cachers see themselves as part of East Anglia.

 

I'd have to agree there.

Essex is not really part of East Anglia which is usually reckoned to be Norfolk and Suffolk with, perhaps, the northern part of Essex. but definitely not down here in the south.

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Hello

 

some of this maybe repeated from previous posts. I have copied it from the East Anglian site so that everyone is receiving the same information. As I always have said anyone is welcome to contact me directly to find out more.

 

Those of you who have kindly volunteered, I appreciate your help enormously. If you havent heard from me for awhile, please dont think that I have disappeared. I am doing this project as an add on to my normal job as I see such great value in it.

 

"I am here to answer some of the questions about geocaching in Essex. I have been working in the country parks on a casual basis for 6 years. In July this year I took over as Education Officer for all of the Country Parks. I felt that I needed something different and a new direction for education and feel that geocaching ticks loads of different boxes in a huge number of different areas............. you guys already know them!

 

So what you read has no hidden agenda. Dependent on funding Geocaching will launch in Essex CP at Easter. The events that follow will depend upon the support it receives. I hope to have some lovely geocoins produced to make the day a bit more exciting, I have a lovely design in the shape of a tree and would like there to be a series of 4, one for each season. Geotrowel has done an amazing job.

 

Hertitage lottery funding is being applied for and will fund someone to work 20 hours per week to train members of the public, DOE, Scouts, school groups etc to use GPS.

Other responsiblities of this role will be to maintain caches and run events.

 

I am happy to talk to anyone about geocaching and the plans if you wish to contact me, my work address it is jo.phillips@essex.gov.uk I will call you back if you leave a number."

Jo

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I don't think many Essex cachers see themselves as part of East Anglia.

 

I'd have to agree there.

Essex is not really part of East Anglia which is usually reckoned to be Norfolk and Suffolk with, perhaps, the northern part of Essex. but definitely not down here in the south.

 

Hi

We have always considered that EA includes Norfolk Suffolk Essex Cambs Beds and Herts as the map on our new Geocoin shows (Available soon).

Dave Admin EACachers

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We have always considered that EA includes Norfolk Suffolk Essex Cambs Beds and Herts as the map on our new Geocoin shows (Available soon).

 

Beds and Herts as well? So that pretty much covers the GC East of England region. Great!

As an "Essex boy" I would not have expected to be included :shocked: but now I know, I'm off to the website to see.

Thanks

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We have always considered that EA includes Norfolk Suffolk Essex Cambs Beds and Herts as the map on our new Geocoin shows (Available soon).

 

Beds and Herts as well? So that pretty much covers the GC East of England region. Great!

As an "Essex boy" I would not have expected to be included :shocked: but now I know, I'm off to the website to see.

Thanks

 

Yep we set the boundries.... Groundspeak just ratified them :shocked::shocked:

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Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire do not lie within East Anglia. The region officially called "East of England" includes them along with Cambs, Norfolf and Suffolk. East Anglia and East of England are not the same thing.

 

Looks like East Anglia Cachers need to change their name to East of England Cachers if they want to lay claim to the extra territory. :shocked:

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Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire do not lie within East Anglia. The region officially called "East of England" includes them along with Cambs, Norfolf and Suffolk. East Anglia and East of England are not the same thing.

 

Looks like East Anglia Cachers need to change their name to East of England Cachers if they want to lay claim to the extra territory. :shocked:

 

'East Anglia' is a state of mind not a geographical boundary. The forum was set up to escape from just this sort of discussion.... We have members in Durham, Lancs, Bristol & New Zealand as well as ALL six 'East Anglian' counties.

To get this back on topic we are happy to help Jo and her team in any way we can as EAST ANGLIAN CACHERS

Happy Christmas

Dave

ps I will leave your EAC Forum membership open in case you want to visit : :shocked:

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Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire do not lie within East Anglia. The region officially called "East of England" includes them along with Cambs, Norfolf and Suffolk. East Anglia and East of England are not the same thing.

 

Looks like East Anglia Cachers need to change their name to East of England Cachers if they want to lay claim to the extra territory. :shocked:

 

'East Anglia' is a state of mind not a geographical boundary. The forum was set up to escape from just this sort of discussion.... We have members in Durham, Lancs, Bristol & New Zealand as well as ALL six 'East Anglian' counties.

 

"East Anglia is a state of mind" :shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

 

So if it's nothing to do with geographical boundaries, why has your geocoin got a huge map of the East England counties over it?

 

4f47f20a-e2f1-42e4-87c2-95794322691a.jpg

Shame, still I suppose you could try to get a refund....

 

Hey, I think I'll set up a South East English Cachers Association which will be open to everyone from Scotland, London and Vietnam, providing they haven't got webbed feet. That would make as much sense.

 

Happy Christmas

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Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire do not lie within East Anglia. The region officially called "East of England" includes them along with Cambs, Norfolf and Suffolk. East Anglia and East of England are not the same thing.

 

Looks like East Anglia Cachers need to change their name to East of England Cachers if they want to lay claim to the extra territory. :shocked:

 

'East Anglia' is a state of mind not a geographical boundary. The forum was set up to escape from just this sort of discussion.... We have members in Durham, Lancs, Bristol & New Zealand as well as ALL six 'East Anglian' counties.

 

"East Anglia is a state of mind" :shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

 

So if it's nothing to do with geographical boundaries, why has your geocoin got a huge map of the East England counties over it?

 

4f47f20a-e2f1-42e4-87c2-95794322691a.jpg

Shame, still I suppose you could try to get a refund....

 

Hey, I think I'll set up a South East English Cachers Association which will be open to everyone from Scotland, London and Vietnam, providing they haven't got webbed feet. That would make as much sense.

 

Happy Christmas

 

I always thought that East Anglia was Norfolk and Suffolk - but sometimes did include Essex and Cambridge. Not really sure what the big deal is though, but it's quite funny seeing what gets some peoples goat! :shocked::shocked:

 

PS - I wouldn't change the coin - it looks really good. You can thank Qichina for the advert and put me down for one! (Me coming from the Essex bit off East Anglia!)

Edited by Nick & Ali
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PS - I wouldn't change the coin - it looks really good. You can thank Qichina for the advert and put me down for one! (Me coming from the Essex bit off East Anglia!)

 

Yes my work here is done..... Just to return this to the topic. Please try to help Jo with her project... It will show Essex County Council and others that most Geocachers care about what we do and hopefully help with permissions in future

Bye

Dave

ps Qichina there already is a SE Cachers forum who just about cover that area..... :shocked:

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Hello everyone

 

I am still here and reading with interest!

 

As you said getting back on topic I do still need someone to help me look after Belhus.

 

I hope that those of you who have been paired up with parks are able to get intouch with the rangers. I have advised them that they need their cache locations by the middle of Feb. If you have offered and I havent yet been intouch please give me a prod. I have been filtering emails and postings and things sometimes get missed and I certainly dont want to miss any offers of help.

 

Dont forget that I will be at the Hadleigh bash on the 11th Jan. Thanks to alfarrow for this one, its a convienient time for me to meet up with some of you and blow away some Christmas cobwebs.

 

lovely looking coin by the way!

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Thank you for offering. It sounds like you should make a good team.

 

Can you let me know if any of you will be at Hadleigh on Sunday?

 

Geotrowel met up with our Ranger at Cudmore on Mersea yesterday and he has been in touch and is full of enthusiam for the project.

 

It may seem like it has gone alittle quite on the forum front but I am still beavering away in the background with the help of some very helpful local cachers.

 

Dont forget that anyone is welcome to contact me with regards to the progress of the project. I am more than happy to keep everyone who is interested involved and up to date.................... typical cacher hey, talk the hind legs off a donkey about it!

 

Jo.Phillips@essex.gov.uk

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