The Coquetmouth Group: Brian and Norma Arthur, Ruth Hawkins, Ann Dawson, Sue Swanston, Julian King, Diane and John - a couple visiting from Hexham, Ann Cashmore, Janet Jackson, Atholl Swanston, Mike Pratt (Northumberland Wildlife Trust), Roger Cashmore.
Image by: Sandra King
The group, led by Atholl and Sue Swanston, met at The Hermitage Inn, Warkworth for many years before moving its meeting place to St. Mark’s URC Church Hall in Amble in 1997.
Its membership remained steady at around 30 members, with an occasional dip in numbers and occasional rise to over 40.
Annually, the Group held seven indoor and three outdoor meetings, covering a huge variety of interest including flowers, birds, animals, sea-creatures and has welcomed many speakers, most of whom offered their time free of charge.
Over the years, the Group has supported the work of the Trust and especially its Hauxley team from assistance with the development of the reserve, a donation of £500 by the group added to a legacy of one of the members - George Coultas and a donation of £1000 for noticeboards around the Druridge Bay reserve. Although the Group has now ended, its members will still be regular visitors to the new Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre and most welcome by all Centre staff and volunteers.
Speaking about the end of the Coquetmouth Group, Sandra King Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chair said: “I can't thank Sue and Atholl enough for their longstanding support for the Coquetmouth Group.
“Between them they have spent almost 60 years organising, and chairing the Group. I have always been struck by their knowledge of, and passion for, our local wildlife - between them there is not much they don't know about wildlife in Northumberland! On behalf of everyone at Northumberland Wildlife Trust I wish them all the very best for the future.”
