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The Wick Country Park (WCP)
Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:51:00 GMT

The Friends of the Wick Country Park (FoWCP)
Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:38 GMT

Wick Weeders and the Pavilion Gardens
Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:52:49 GMT

Volunteering at The Wick Country Park Tuesday, 17-Dec-2019 14:19:09 GMT

Events Calendar
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Past Events: Reports and Photos
Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:37 GMT

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Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:38 GMT

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Why not Join Us?
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Nature Notes
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The Visitors' Log
Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:51:00 GMT

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Tour with The Ranger.
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History & Development of WCP
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See an on-line Gallery provided by Martin Singleton

Watch the Aerial Video (provided by Keith Savill) [3 mins, 5 secs]

Watch (and listen to) the second Aerial Video (provided by Keith Savill) [3 mins, 20 secs] February 2016

This page was updated on Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:37 GMT

OUR PAST EVENTS

Please see our on-line archive (updated Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:36 GMT) for a complete summary of our past events and activities - back as far as February 2005! On this page we have published additional details from some of our events from recent years.

Page Index

Please click on one of the links in the list below

Annual Reports
Bat Walks
Bird Song Walks
Crickets & Dragonflies
Kites & Classic Cars
Nature Quest
Paws in the Park
Quiz Nights
Skylarks 3K Races
Work Parties
Yule Rambles / January Jaunts

QUIZ NIGHTS

We held our first annual Quiz night in 2011 Unfortunately, since our very succesful event of March 2017, we have been too short of volunteers to make running another one viable.

We described our quiz nights as 'a light hearted quiz for tables of up to eight'. Certainly that 'light hearted' label makes our quiz stand out from others! Our choice of venue - Barnhall Community Centre, Alderney Gardens, Wickford, SS11 7JP - is a good starting point. Add in the experience of our super Quiz-master, Michelle, and the organisational skills of the event co-ordinator, Nikki, plus Mike's wizardry with the spreadsheet and technical stuff, and, well, if you want to read an attendee's first hand account of his experiences, then you can read all about it in the May 2016 edition of our member's Skylarks newsletter.

The Quiz Night - March 3rd 2017

You can find a 'photo story' of the evening here. Additionally, one happy participant has provided a comment for our Visitor's Log page - please see the page link to the left.

Quiz Night - 4th March 2016

You can find a 'photo story' of the evening here.

Quiz Night - 6th March 2015

You can find a 'photo story' of the evening here.

Quiz Night - 4th April 2014

You can find a 'photo story' of the evening here.

Earlier Years

Reports on our quizes from 2012 and 2013 can be found in back numbers of our Skylarks newsletters - issue numbers 33 and 37 respectively. Please see the link to the 'On-line Archive' to the left. We don't seem to have a report on our first ever quiz in 2011!

Here are some photos from Quiz Nights from 2011 to 2013. Unfortunately, we don't have any photos from this era! If you happen to find some of them of your own, then we encourage you to send them to us (contact_us@friendsofthewickcounrtypark.co.uk) so that we can include them here for others to enjoy!

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BIRD SONG WALKS

2019 Event (Sunday 28th April)
A very enjoyable walk, followed by light refeeshments at the Pavilion, was held on April 28th. A photo gallery is available here [ updated on Tuesday, 17-Dec-2019 14:19:21 GMT ].
2018 Event (Sunday 8th April)
A very successful walk was held on April 8th. A photo gallery is available here [ updated on Tuesday, 17-Dec-2019 14:19:21 GMT ].
2017 Event (Sunday 9th April)
This year's event was once again very successful, and blessed by splendid weather. A 'Photo Story' of the day is available here. (Updated Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:39 GMT).
2016 Event (Sunday 10th April)
We had a good turn-out for this our first outdoor event of 2016, and we were lucky that the weather was ideal. A very nice comment from one of the participants was posted on StreetLife, and we have reproduced it on our Visitors Log page - please see the link to the left. A full report on the Walk will appear in issue number 49 of Skylarks, which will be arriving in Members' Inboxes during May. Meanwhile, here are some photos from the Walk.

Setting off - all ages in our group! Looking out for water fowl on the lake A greylag goose - one of a pair spotted The blackthorn blossom looks fabulous against the background of the clear blue sky. And what is that small bird hiding in amongst it?

Blessed by beatiful sunny weather, we managed to see 27 species of birds.
2015 Event (Sunday 12th April)
It was a lovely sunny morning but there was a cold northerly wind when we set out on the Bird Song Walk. Turnout was very good with 28 people attending including Martin Singleton who was our guide for the walk. It was nice to see so many new faces. We were hoping to see some early spring migrants that would be returning from Southern Europe and Africa and we were not disappointed.

As we set off from the Pavilion towards the walkway over the reed beds we could hear a Chiffchaff singing and there were plenty of Robins singing in this area too as there were throughout the walk. A solitary Blackcap was heard here and a couple of Wrens too. As we came out in to the clearing two Blue Tits were spotted and a Crow , one of several seen during the walk, plus one of many Woodpigeons. A brief discussion took place at a sighting of a colourful Finch sat in a distant tree. Was it a Bullfinch? It had a very deep pinkish breast. However, on close inspection the white wing bars identified it as a Chaffinch. We again saw and heard many Robins along the path. As we arrived at the corner of the path, a male and female Blackcap were seen, fantastic! The female bird confused some of us due to its brown cap.

At the bridge that goes over the brook there was lots of bird activity in the large Oak Tree. We had excellent views of a Chiffchaff along with Blue Tits and a Wren. We took a slight detour from the path so we could have a look at the Lake. The water was very choppy but there were three Canada Geese on the water and a fourth was on the Island sat on a nest. There were a couple of Coots and Moorhens too. We walked back to the path behind the lake and were pleased to see two Comma Butterflies looking splendid in the sunshine. The next sighting was a distant Green Woodpecker which was only seen by Martin as the rest of the group were distracted by some very nice Long Tailed Tits. We walked along to the Pillbox and stopped for a few minutes to see what was in the area and a lovely Peacock Butterfly was spotted. Another Chiffchaff was spotted and the tinkling of Goldfinches was heard as they landed in the hedgerow. It was a pleasure to see the first Swallows of the year but only briefly as the wind was blowing them through pretty quickly. As we were looking around another bird was heard which can’t be counted and that was a cockerel crowing!! A bit further along a Blackbird was seen along with a few House Sparrows. As we headed back towards the Pavilion two Greenfinches flew overhead and at least two Collared Doves were seen and a few Starlings. As we stood outside the Pavilion enjoying our tea and biscuits looking out towards the lake a Mute Swan and Mallard were seen and these were our final sightings of the day.

The event leader, Martin, preparing the group for the walk and pointing out birds that might be expected to be seen The group looking at a chiffchaff, blue tits, and a wren in the big old Oak Tree by the bridge Studying the Goldfinches near to the Pillbox. How about that lovely clear blue sky?

Despite the wind we still managed to see 22 species of birds and the butterflies were a bonus too. I’m sure everyone enjoyed the morning. It definitely blew my cobwebs away!

(Written by Marie Singleton)
2014 - Sunday 6th March
The weather was not particularly favourable for the Spring Bird Song Walk, nevertheless 10 hardy souls turned up. The rain delayed the start of play and everyone retreated to the pavilion to enjoy one of Christine’s nice hot drinks and a tasty biscuit as we waited for the rain to stop. Our leader for the walk was Martin Singleton who is a Friend of the Wick Country Park and a Committee Member of the Wickford Wildlife Society. He was ably assisted by Stuart Fleming who has many years of bird watching experience behind him.

Once the rain cleared we set off from the pavilion and as we arrived at the picnic area we could hear the lovely song of a Robin who was perched high up in a nearby tree. We proceeded to the board-walk over the reed-bed where we stopped for a while listening to the birdsong all around us, which was mainly from Chaffinches, Blue Tits and a Blackcap. The Blackcap proved to be elusive to see. There was a warbler busy collecting nesting material and a debate took place as to what this was, the problem was solved when the distinctive call of the Chiff Chaff was heard. As we carried along the path, a Skylark flew overhead and disappeared whilst singing. A Woodpigeon was seen, as well as many Magpies. As we moved into the open area, it was quite windy which kept the smaller birds away. However, we did see a Lesser Black Backed Gull, and some ducks were spotted flying overhead; they were identified as Mallards. Just before we arrived at the bridge, we heard another Robin, which was perched on a branch, it flew off and a Great Tit took its place and started its distinctive call of teacher,teacher. At this point, two large dogs came charging by, and decided to take a swim in the brook. On approaching the lake we could see a number of Black Headed Gulls a couple of Canada Geese - a flock of 10 geese flew over too. On the far bank there was a solitary Grey Heron skulking about looking for food. Two Coots and a Moorhen were also seen at the lake. When we reached the far end of the lake a Herring Gull flew over, and as we carried on walking along the path we saw two Collared Doves. There was a shower at this point which thankfully only lasted a couple of minutes. Three House Sparrows were spotted flitting around in the trees, quite a few Goldfinches were also seen, and a further Blackcap was heard. A Crow decided to land on the top of the Kestrel box and as we walk past yet another Blackcap was heard. Whilst we tried to spot the Blackcap, a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling. Martin went back and spotted the Woodpecker on the post that held the Kestrel box but unfortunately no one else saw it. As we passed the pillbox a Linnet was perched on the branch of a tree and a few more were seen flying overhead. A Greenfinch was also calling. We spotted a few Blackbirds and Starlings at various locations around the Park and one friendly Blackbird hopped along the path and seemed to be leading us back to the pavilion.

The final bird of the day was a Dunnock which was seen on the path to the Car Park.

Despite the poor weather conditions it was an enjoyable morning with 27 species of bird being seen and heard.

Marie Singleton, March 2014
Some Photos from Past Bird Song Walks

MAINTENANCE WORK PARTIES

Litter Blitz, Tuesday February 13th 2018
There was a 'litter blitz' at the Wick Country Park on Tuesday, February 13th, as a result of which bags and bags of rubbish were collected. We would like to thank those individuals who baraved the very cold, albeit sunny, day and kindly gave up their time in the interests of improveing the environment for all visitors and wildlife. The worst locations were the children's playground area, the margins of the lake, the area near the pillbox, and in the hedgerows around the perimeter of the Park.

Most visitors to the Park do as we all would hope they would do - take any rubbish or recycling generated while visiting the park back home with them and disposed of properly. It is a tiny minority of extremely thoughtless and lazy individuals who spoil the Park for everyone else.

These pictures show the scale of the problem: bottles in the lake, rubbish thrown in the bushes - and even a discarded fishing reel! Why oh why are a small number of people so thoughtless, lazy, and inconsiderate?

Here are our youngest - and also less young - helpers with some of the bags of rubbish collected.

The 'Weed and Clean' on Monday February 27th 2017
The objective of this major 'Spring Clean' was, of course, to get the Park into good shape for the Spring. Despite the attempts of the weather to throw a spanner in the works, we had a successful day. We are very grateful for the band of volunteers who undertook several 'fascinating' (??) activities, including wading in the Lake (observing all safety practices, of course), scrambling backwards through the hedges, and braving the inside of the pill-boxes - all because a small number of irresponsible Park visitors cannot be bothered to take their litter, and other waste products, home with them for proper disposal.

The day started at 10.00 with exotic chocolates and biscuits and hot drinks - as all busy days should! Then the various sub-groups set forth! Nikki - as organised as she always is - had a prepared list of tasks that needed to be done. Nobody was forced to do anything they were not happy about. In addition to the big clean, in the garden there was a need for light pruning, weeding and removing dead plants. There were experienced volunteers available to offer all the help and guidance needed.

Committee member Ali, not only donned the waders to tackle the junk in the lake, she also took a camera, and captured some memories of the day in pictures, as below.

The first two pictures relate to the lake - firstly some discarded fishing line, and then volunteer Rebecca on 'bank-side' duties. It is so irresponsible to leave the fishing line around. Last Summer, there was a terrible incident at the Park involving a goose and some discarded line - see this page for the full story.

The next picture shows a discarded cycle tyre that had been thrown into the bushes. One just can't help thinking about the amount of effort that someone had gone to just to dispose of this item illegally!

These two pictures below relate to one of the the pillboxes. It was dark, damp, smelly, and cold in there - but that doesn't seem to deter inconsiderate people from breaking in and leaving piles of rubbish behind. All those black sacks in the second picture were filled from just one pillbox.

Here we have Richard wheeling a barrow of 'collections' back to base. The second picture shows the products of the exercise - so many bags! You do not want to ask about the contents of the red and the blue sack - but I'll tell you anyway. The red sack was used solely for bagged dog waste that, instead of being placed in one of the many bins provided around the Park, had just been thrown anywhere and everywhere. Disgusting!

Just to prove that some gardening was actually done! Marie (foreground) and Sue are seen here attacking the forest of weeds that were growing at the base of the rosa regosa that grow in front of the Pavilion Building. And Dorothy was putting her back into it.

The Big Weed and Clean, November 28th 2016
We invited help with this event - and several volunteers came to take part! Maybe it was the offer of cakes and coffee that helped! Please see the message of thanks from our Chair to those who came to help out:

Well, they say the sun shines on the righteous, so somebody must have done a lot of good deeds because the weather for the Big Weed and Litter Pick was glorious! We could not have hoped for better. Wall to wall bright sunshine, and OK it was pretty chilly but with a warm coat and keeping busy it was lovely. Between the eleven of us we cleared a lot of garden ready for the winter, collected bags and bags of rubbish and spruced up the noticeboards. We kept our spirits and energy levels up with regular breaks for tea, coffee and cake. Based on the amount of chatting and laughter I think not only was a great job done, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves too. I've had several offers from people to come again, so that can't be bad. A huge thank you to all those who turned up, you made a huge difference and the park, visitors , wildlife, committee and Countryside Ranger thank you.

Nikki Gibson
Chair
The Friends of the Wick Country Park

We have a lovely quote from one of the volunteers that day: "I had a really great volunteer day organised by FOWCP. It was an achievement to help clear the garden area of weeds, lovely to meet new people and a fantastic opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise. A really wonderful initiative to help the local community"

The pictures show Margaret, Chris and Sue thinning out the rampant rudbeckia from between the lovely green-stemmed cornus, Mike with a catch of rubbish, and Peter (in the background) and Marie (with the barrow carrying some more bags of rubbish). [It really would make life easier / better for everyone if that small minority of irresponsible Park visitors could take their rubbish home, rather than throw it anywhere.]

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Report on SPRING CLEAN, MARCH 22nd 2015
Our grateful thanks to the small band of volunteers who contributed to the Spring Clean at the Wick Country Park on Tuesday 22nd March. We were rewarded with some splendid warm Spring sunshine. Bags and bags of rubbish were collected - mostly fished out from the lake or from inside the bushes that line the pathways. Thanks to our volunteers, we can all now fully enjoy the Spring foliage and blossom!

Here are some photos of our 'catch'. [No - we didn't 'catch' Wendy: she was one of the 'catchers'!]

Key messages:

It is clear that virtually all visitors to the Park act perfectly responsibly, but, our message is specially for that tiny, but irresponsible, minority: if you were able to bring your FULL bottles, cans, etc to the Park, then are you not also able to take the EMPTIES back home, and dispose of them properly? Why do you have to spoil the enjoyment by others of this lovely Park by throwing your debris into the bushes or into the lake?

It is clear that most dog-walkers at the Park really do follow the Responsible Dog Owner Code, but there are still a few who fail to 'bag it', and some others who do remember that part of the code, but then decide that carrying the proceeds as far as the next disposal bin is an ask too far. The filled bags really DO NOT belong in the bushes!!!

SKYLARKS 3K RACES
In preparation: preamble
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday 17th July 2019
The results for the event held on July 17th 2019 can be viewed here. The overall winner was Crispen Bloomfield. A new record time for a Female runner was set by Alexa Joel in a time of 10:55.810. A photo gallery is available here.
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday 17th April 2019
The results for the event held on April 17th 2019 can be viewed here. The overall winner was Crispen Bloomfield, who broke his own course record with a time of 9 minutes 32.76 seconds! A photo gallery can be viewed here.
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday 18th July 2018
Another successful run, organised by the Pitsea Running Club, was held on the evening of July 18th 2018. The results for the July event can be viewed here. A photo gallery is available here.

The winner, Crispen Bloomfield, very narrowly failed to break his own course record, which therefore still stands at 9 minutes 41 seconds!
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday 18th April 2018
Another successful run, organised by the Pitsea Running Club, was held on the evening of April 18th 2018. The results for the April event can be viewed here, and a photo gallery is available here.
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday July 26th 2017
Once again, Pitsea Running Club, organised another very succesful race on July 26th. The final ranking list can be found here. Special congratulations are in order for 12-year old Rebecca Omer, who not only was the highest ranked girl, she was also the highest ranked Lady!

For a photo story of the event please click here. (Updated Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:36 GMT)
Skylarks 3K Run - Wednesday April 19th 2017
In conjuction with the Pitsea Running Club, another very succesful race was held on April 19th. The final ranking list can be found here.

For a photo story of the event please click here. (Updated Tuesday, 31-Dec-2019 16:29:36 GMT)
WEDNESDAY 20th July 2016
The full results from the July 2016 race can be found here. Summary:

First Man (and overall winner): Sam Nigh
First Lady: Jackie Sibthorp
First Boy (and 4th overall): Freddy Taiani, aged 11
First Girl: Rebecca Omer, aged 11
For a more detailed report on the race, please see issue number 50 of Skylarks, which is available through our 'Skylarks Archive'. Please see the 'Why not join us' link to the left if you would like to be on the mailing list for direct and earlier receipt of our Skylarks Newsletters.
Photo Gallery, Skylarks Race, 20th July 2016

The runners assembling at the start-line.

They're off! Runners of all ages set off at the start of the 3K course around the Park.

The field is spreading out.

One lady runner ..... and her dog.

Two of our volunteer marshalls waiting for the approaching runners.

Finished! The weather was hot, and that refreshing drink was both deserved and needed!

The two people who made it possible - Nikki (on the left), the Chair of the FoWCP, and Peter, a committee member of both FoWCP and The Pitsea Running Club. Peter was the event organiser.

WEDNESDAY 20th April 2016
The full results from the April 2016 race can be found here and a report on the race is available in issue number 49 of Skylarks, which is available through our 'Skylarks Archive'.
SKYLARKS 3k RACE, WEDNESDAY 15th JULY 2015
Our July Race, held on Wednesday 15 July 2015, was once again very popular. These races through our delightful Country Park are organised at the Park by members of the Pitsea Running Club. All proceeds after expenses go towards the further development of the Park. Many - but by no means all - of the entrants come from local Running Clubs / Groups, but we also see a significant number of 'unattached' runners, and this time we also had five power walkers.

'Team Eversley' - a group organised by one of the teachers at Eversley School, Pitsea - was prominent in the ranking list, and, indeed, the overall event winner, who was also the fastest man, was Sam Nigh, the teacher who organises the group. The School's headmistress - Penny Pepper - set a splendid example to the children by entering herself in the race, along with another of the teachers, Elaine Worrall.

The main category winners were:

Leading Male, and 1st overall - Sam Nigh (Team Eversley) - in a time of 10:30:00

Leading Boy, and 4th overall - Joe Payne (17), (Basildon AC) - in a time of 11:37:00

Leading Girl / Female, and 8th overall - Victoria Hiscock (17) (Benfleet Running Club) - in a time of 12:14:00

The full results can be viewed here. Including the five walkers, there were 80 entries, which is three more than the previous record number set in April this year. Chatting afterwards, some of the competitors were heard to comment how much they preferred running around the Park to the more normal road races, which can be a bit hard on the feet.

Both the Pitsea Running Club and the FoWCP organisers are extremely grateful for all the help on the day, with such tasks as registration, marshalling, and refreshments. Without this help, the event could not be held. We are especially grateful for the help from a group of teenagers from the National Citizens’ Service, who helped with registration, and at the finish line, and provided the marshalling at two of the key points; the young marshalls not only cheered on the runners, they also ensured that nobody took an enticing-looking short-cut!

The three photos below show respectively:

the leading runners just after the start

the overall winner, Sam Nigh, at the prize-giving with primary organiser, Peter Bates, and FoWCP Committee Member, Chrissie Lee, and

three other competitors, who clearly very much enjoyed their evening in the Park!

SKYLARKS 3k RACE, April 22nd 2015
After two days of sunshine, Wednesday was cloudy all day, but at 6.30 the sun suddenly came out in time for The Friends’ 3 kilometre race that evening. As the helpers arrived to set up the event, the first keen competitors came to register, and from then up to the scheduled start time of 7.30 p.m. the pavilion was bustling with runners.

Outside, although the sun was shining, there was a keen wind blowing, which was keeping it pleasantly cool for the competitors. The runners could be seen doing an assortment of exercises, including some who set off around the course to warm up! The entries included a devotee of the sport of caniX, in which the runners are harnessed to their dog.

The detailed results can be viewed here. There were 77 runners, which is the largest number since Peter Bates, from the Pitsea Running Club and FoWCP Committee Member, started organising this event for us 10 years ago. The race proceeded on the usual route, which covers most of the main paths around the Park, with the winner crossing the line in under 10 minutes. As the last runners finished the sun was just setting over the trees on another successful event.

Not for the first time, the first Male home was Crispan Bloomfield of Billericay Striders in 9.47, very close to last year’s winning time of 9.42! Second male home was Sam Nigh of Team Eversley in 10.26 in 2nd place overall, and the third male was Keiran McGill, of Benfleet Running Club, in 10.35, making him 4th overall.

The Women were not to be outdone. First home was Hayley Pegg, from Chelmsford Athletics Club, in 12.34, putting her in 12th place overall. Close on her heels was the second female, and overall 14th, Amanda Stevens in 12.41; she is not currently attached to a club. Third female home was Abigail Morgan from Tiptree Road Runners, who ran 13.32, putting her in 19th place overall.

The Boys section for those aged 16 and under, saw some really excellent performances. First boy home was Sam Hirata Flannigan, aged 16, who ran a fast 10.35, putting him in 3rd place overall! Sam is not attached to any club at present but perhaps one will snap him up soon? Second boy home was Joe Payne, aged 16, who runs for Basildon Athletics Club who also completed a good run in 11.41, putting him in 6th place overall. Third boy was Freddy Taiani, of Team Eversley, who ran a time of 12.30 at the young age of 10, putting him in 11th place overall!

Phoebe Oliver, running for Team Eversley, was first in the Girls section; Phoebe was just 9 years old, and ran in 16.45. Second girl was Kate Cook, aged 12, and from the Essex Tri Club and who ran the course in 17.33 to come in 50th overall. Third girl home was Kelsey Clarke, aged 11, who completed in 17.54 to achieve a creditable overall placing of 54th.

Finally mention must be made of the last two entrants to finish. Former committee members Trudie and Hilary chose to power-walk the course, yet they still finished within 9 minutes of the slowest runner!

Altogether, this was a great evening race.

(Contributed by Richard Rowsell)
Photo Gallery April 22nd 2015 Event
Our very grateful thanks to Park Visitor David Piper who has kindly provided a link to his private Photo Gallery here and allowed us to reproduce three of them below.

Ready, steady, .... ... they're off! Running past some of the splendid blackthorn blossom About one third of the way - and already Crispan of the Billericay Striders is striding away from the rest!!

SKYLARKS 3k RACE, July 2014
It was another great evening for the Skylarks 3k race at The Wick Country Park, with nearly 60 runners again, all of whom seemed to enjoy the event - and raising almost £80 for The Friends. Many thanks to all the helpers without your help the race wouldn’t have been the undoubted success that it was.

The prize places were as follows:
First Man - Crispian Bloomfield in 10:01
First Lady - Sarah Jeffery in 12:07
First Boy - Joe Payne in 12:09
First Girl - Chloe Nation in 14:39

A special prize also went to Freddie Taiani age 9 who completed the course in 13:52

See also the report included here.
And finally......

Two more Skylark Race pictures from the past

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NATURE QUEST

Nature Day - Sunday July 22nd 2018
More than 55 children, along with their parents / grandparents, came along to enjoy our latest opportunity for children to explore some of the nature of the Park on Sunday 22nd July 2018. A report, including some pictures from the event, is available - via this link.
Nature Quest- Sunday July 23rd 2017
This year's Nature Quest was once again a roaring success. A photogallery of the day is available via this link. Additionally, we have received some great feedback through our FaceBook page - reproduced on our "Visitor's log" page - see the link to the left.
Nature Quest- Sunday July 24th 2016
'Nature Quest' is one of our 'big three' events of the year at the Park, along with 'Paws' and 'Kites', and it takes an enormous amount of support from a large group of helpers to make it possible, all orchestrated by Nikki, the Chair of FoWCP, and who was 'Event Organiser'. Nature Quest is a FREE family day for children to explore some of the nature of the Park, with a range of different activities to try. A full report on the day can be found by clicking on this link
Nature Quest, July 2015
On 19th July, we held our Nature Quest event, at which our young visitors enjoyed all sorts of nature-related activities, including pond-dipping and bug-hunting in the long grass. Please see the full list of activities below. Once again, a really big 'thank you' to all those who came to participate, and also to our band of helpers, without whom the event could not have been run. We also have an incredible 'happy reunion' story to tell: regular park visitor, Keith, had volunteered to help with the unenviable and energy-sapping task of clearing away after the event, and he got an even better reward for dragging the very heavy gazebo back to its storage home than he possibly could have expected. There, as large as life, was the canoe that had been stolen from his garden more than a year earlier! The canoe had been found by the Park Ranger, Mark, drifting freely in the lake, and despite attempts to find its owner, it had remained unclaimed but in safe keeping ever since. Keith is delighted to have been reunited - and Mark is delighted to have reclaimed the storage space!
List of Activities
The activities enjoyed by our many participants included:

Pond dipping

Bug Hunting

Willow weaving

Candle making / Bees and Bee Keeping

Fishing Game

Origami

Craft Activity

Bird watch game

Plant a seedling

Become a 'Nature Detective'!!!!

Gallery 2015

Pond Dipping

The catch!

More catch!

Bug Hunting

Identifying the bugs

Picnic time!!

Planting seedlings

Planting seedlings, learning about plants' needs

Our newest Bee-keeper!!

Origami

Craft-work

Candle making

Nature detective More nature detectives!!!

Nature Quest July 2014

My first Nature Quest
I went to Nature Quest with my mummy and my brother, he is 2 and I am 5. I met Granny there and helped hand-out their bright yellow jackets; Grandpa gave me a really big sticker which said I was a Nature Detective.

My first challenge was to catch four fish with a rod and hook. It was easy-peasy and I wrote their names down myself.

I liked making the weather chart best, because I like colouring and it was fun. You can see a picture of all the people making them but you can’t see me and Daniel. The pond dipping was fun too, but mummy thought Daniel was going to fall in the water. I caught two types of snail and a tadpole which had actually got legs! Can you see me in the photo?

I made a candle out of bees wax and I could answer the questions about bees all by myself. Actually I guessed one of the answers. I gave my lovely candle to my teacher because I am not going to be in her class any more.

The Willow-man helped me make a star shape. You can see a photo of him helping a little girl. Granny said she would like it for her Christmas tree. I thought the grass-fishing was hard (bug hunting) because I only had a little net and only found a ladybird with 6 spots. Next time I hope I get one of the big nets.

With the Guides I made a bird with ribbon legs and button feet and I also saw a real Guide tent. A man gave me a balloon which looked like a mouse which he could make jump, but mine burst into pieces.

Daniel and I ran around looking for all the bird pictures and the last thing I did was plant a seed. My pot tipped up inside Granny’s bag but she put it together again. I watered it like the man said but it hasn’t grown yet.

I liked Nature Quest and I want to come again next year.

Contributed by Christopher [with a bit of help from Granny (Nikki Gibson)]!
Gallery 2014

Highlights from Earlier Years

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CRICKETS AND DRAGONFLIES

Crickets and Dragonflies: Sunday 9th August 2015
We couldn't have asked for a better weather for this event. The sun was shining and there was a beautiful blue sky. There were 25 children including 3 toddlers in pushchairs along with parents and grandparents. Park Ranger Mark was leading the walk, assisted by Martin, Chris, Marie, Eileen and Pat. We set off on the walk around the Park very optimistic that there would be lots to see. The children/young intrepid explorers were very keen and had their nets and collection boxes at the ready. We were able to identify 18 species which included grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, butterflies, ladybirds, caterpillars and bugs.

The star of the show was the Roesel’s Bush Cricket, which generated lots of 'oohing and aahing'. Only one Dragonfly was seen, but we were unable to positively identify it. The children were happy with what they had caught, although there was some disappointment at times when something they caught managed to escape before it was transferred from the net to the identification box. By the time we had finished everyone was ready for a nice cold drink so we retired to the Pavilion to relax and cool down.
2015 Gallery

A Roesel's Bush Cricket

Heading off

The first sweeps

Park Ranger Mark examining a catch in the sweep net

There is something very interesting here!!

Look what I have caught!!!

.... And me!!!! Wow!!! I did that!!!

Sunday 25th July 2010
We were blessed with yet another warm day and our highest attendance ever of forty five people. The main issue that arose was that due to the high number of people attending we did not have enough nets and magnifying glasses but fortunately everyone was prepared to share so that no one missed out trying to catch either crickets or grasshoppers lurking in the longer grass around the edge of the park. Some of the children found it quite funny watching their parents attempt to recreate their mis-spent youth with not much success. Ranger Mark had already done a recky around the park a bit earlier and was confident we would be able to catch something.

It was not long before one of the younger members of the party who was more adept at using a net caught a Roesels cricket. We continued to move long the path and quickly managed to capture both Meadow & Field grasshoppers although some did manage to escape when trying to extract them from the net
As with previous years we managed to catch sight of the brightly coloured Wasp spider, patiently waiting for its prey to get caught in its web.

It was pleasing to see there were a number of butterflies about, particularly the Gatekeeper & Meadow Brown. Whilst they are fairly common, the increase in numbers is a success for the development of the park. Both are fairly similar in colouring but the Gatekeeper is slightly smaller, more orange and having two white pupils on the eye spots unlike one on the Meadow Brown.

As we headed towards the lake we caught a few Conehead crickets. On reaching the edge Ranger Mark felt that due to fairly strong winds we may not see as many dragonflies/damsel flies as they preferred/were more active in calmer conditions. Sadly the prediction became true and only saw an individual black tailed skimmer. Also a fleeting glimses of Common Blue and Blue Tailed damsel flies. After a while, despite some patience, we were not fortunate enough to see any more species and called it a day, heading back to the pavilion for tea, orange juice & biscuits.
Sunday 16th August 2009
On a warm and sunny afternoon it was great to see both adults and children eagerly arriving to seek out insects around the park. Armed with nets,magnifying glasses and identification charts we set off with the first stop being the dipping pond besides the pavilion. The first spot of the day was a Ruddy Darter resting close to the water's edge. As we went to go onto the bridge a common lizard was seen basking in the afternoon warmth. We stood for a few seconds on the bridge and very soon we spotted our first Emerald Damsel fly flitting across the pond.

With little other action we moved off around the hill, stopping after a few hundred yards in silence to listen for the chirping sounds of both crickets and grasshoppers. With grasshoppers it is the male that makes the sounds to attract the females to mate. With ranger Mark identifying the areas where there was activity, we headed into the longer grass. With nets sweeping it wasn't long before we managed, after a little practice and effort, to catch Field & Meadow Grasshoppers, along with Roesel's & Short Winged Crickets. By use of the magnifying glasses we were able to see the clear and distinctive features on what we had caught.

As we moved towards the Pill Box we saw a clearly pregnant and beautifully coloured Wasp Spider sitting in the middle of an intricately weaved web. Just further along we also caught a glimpse of a beautiful Cinnabar caterpillar.

We then headed towards the lake with the hope of spotting some dragonflies and damsel flies. We were not disappointed as there was an abundance of both the Common Blue Damsel Fly and the Black Tailed Skimmer. Having waited a few minutes we were fortunate to spot to Hawker Dragonflies moving at speed along the edge of the lake, passing by on a couple of occasions before heading off towards the reed beds.

A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was had by both children and adults.
Paul Clarke

Sunday 10th August 2008
Nature lovers who were unable to get to this walk missed a real treat. The weather was kind to us once again and the walk started on a bright, dry, if somewhat breezy note. Among our first finds was a wasp spider. You can see from the photograph how remarkably like a wasp the spider is - reputably to deter predators. One speculates how long it will be before predators become aware of this ploy and start to attack wasps to find out if they are wasps or spiders, with regrettable consequences for the wasp!

Our next few finds were meadow and field grasshoppers and new member, Cliff, suggested a prize for the first person to find a cricket. A few moments later he would have won because he found a Roesel’s bush cricket.

Many other finds followed in quick succession, cone Head cricket (long and short wing), assassin bug, speckled bush cricket, dark bush cricket (male and female) and a suspected common green cricket.

In spite of the moderate breeze that was blowing, a number of butterflies were to be seen. Several meadow browns, a speckled wood, and Martin managed to net an excellent specimen of a large white. A common darter dragonfly was also seen.

Altogether an excellent morning which ended too soon with refreshments in the pavilion, courtesy of Christine and Gill.
Eric Dolby

Gallery - Photos from the past
The pictures below show, left to right, top to bottom:
1 & 2: Sweeping nets through the long grass
3: Examining the sweep net to see what has been caught
4: A green grasshopper, as may be seen in the Wick Country Park
5: Ranger Mark (purple shirt) looks at the catch in a sweep net
6: Mark explaining the catch that has been (temporarily) transferred to a specimen jar for closer study
7: using the reference book to identify the catch

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Kites & Classic Car Display
We held our first ever Kites Festival back in September 2007, and since then it has gradually evolved into the fantastic event we held in 2018. Please click on the links below to see more details of the fun that has been enjoyed over the past years. One of the all-time highlights was the visit from the BBC Essex 'Quest' team in 2016.
Sunday 8th September 2019
You can find a photo story of the day here.
Sunday 16th September 2018
You can find a photo story of the day here.
Sunday 17th September 2017
You can find a photo story of the day here.
Sunday 11th September 2016
You can find a photo story of the day here.
Sunday 13th September 2015
You can find a photo story of the day here.
Sunday 14th September 2014 (Written by Nikki Gibson)
You can find a story of the day here.
Earlier Years
Reports on our Kite Festivals since 2007 can be found in back numbers of our Skylarks newsletters - issue numbers 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, and 39. Please see the link to the 'On-line Archive' to the left.

Here are some pictures taken in the period 2007 to 2013.

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PAWS IN THE PARK

PAWS 2017
Thank you to all those who came to PAWS on June 11th. We do hope that you all had as much fun as those of us involved in making it all happen. We offer our heartfelt thanks to our superb Judge, Linda, to the stall-holders, and to the large number of volunteers both on the day, and behind the scenes, who enabled it all to happen. A full 'photo story' of the day is available here. If you have photos of your own that you would like to see included on this website, please forward a copy to web@friendsofthewickcountrypark.co.uk.

Meanwhile, here are the results from the day.

Winners Dog/Owner

Most Handsome Dog: Merlin/Wendy

Best Veteran: Madge/Lyndsey

Prettiest Bitch: Ellie/Jackie

Dog most like its owner: Mabel/Caitlin

Cutest Puppy: Arthur/Danielle

Best Child Handler: Nora/Ollie

Most Appealing Scruff: Hudson/Alison<

Best Rescue: Ted/Rob

Waggiest Tail: Pebbles/Milly

Best in Show: Ted/Rob

PAWS 2016
Thanks very much to everyone who came to the event on June 12th - show entrants, spectators, stallholders, our many helpers, and especially to our judge, Linda, and compere, Michelle. Despite the rain we are regarding the event up as a great success! A photo gallery from the day is now available on this page. A report on the event has been included in the August 2016 edition of The Skylarks Newsletter, which now available on this website on our On-line Arhive - please see the link to the left.
PAWS 2015

Thanks everyone for helping to make our 2015 event the best ever!!!!
Many thanks to all participants and attendees on the day, who all contributed to making it what it was - a great family day out! We would like to offer a special vote of thanks to our stall holders and to our catering outlets, not to mention Linda, our judge, Michelle, our compère, and Chris, our 'sound system' manager. The committee would also like to thank all our other volunteers who helped with setting out and clearing away, and with kitchen duties, the tombola, car-parking, the plants and books stalls, and the small matter of the Registration Desk. Without the support of our assistants it wouldn't have been possible to run this event. It was worth all the blood, sweat, and tears just to see all the smiling faces and exuberant dogs. Even the weather was perfect. The event has been covered by the Gazette. We are pleased to note that positive comments have been posted on Wickford Streetlife and on our FaceBook page.
Class Winners

Most Handsome Dog: 12 year old Harvey owned by Valerie Dean (also Best in Show)

Best Veteran: 12 year old Jack owned by Lynne Robinson. [The eldest dog in this class was a very healthy 15 year old, Finn, owned by Tara Evans.]

Prettiest Bitch: 5 year old Millie owned by Emily Palmer

Child Handler: Harrison Austin with his dog 2 year old Dexter

Most lovable dog: 12month old Skye owned by Eva

Best 6 legs: 3 year old Silver with his owner Charlie King. [It was disappointing that more men weren't prepared to roll up their trousers and have their legs judged alongside those of their dogs - but we hope that next year they won't be so reticent!]

Cutest Puppy: 13 week Ruby owned by Mark Kinsey (28 entries)

Best Rescue: 4 year old Milo owned by Karen Davies

Dog most like its owner: 12 year old Daisy owned by Charlotte Swain

Altogether there were 170 dogs entered in the various classes.

In the lunchtime break, the spectators were rewarded with a stunning display by the award-winning Essex Flyball Team. So what is 'Flyball' you ask? Pairs of well-trained dogs compete against each other by 'flying' down the course over a series of hurdles to the far end, where they pick up a ball and 'fly' back, without dropping the ball or missing any hurdles. It has to be seen to be believed! Please see http://essexflyball.webs.com/ for further information about this group, which trains its dogs at The Wick Country Park, where it can be seen practising on most Sunday mornings.

Alongside the arena attractions, there were many commercial and charity stalls, including refreshment outlets, and opportunities for the public to have a go at the 'Doggie Challenge' and also on the Flyball course. For the children, there was a quiz based on working dogs, with information sheets about categories such as Guide Dogs for the Blind and Mountain Rescue Dogs displayed in amongst the attractions, both to inform and to help them with the quiz.

PS The committee of The Friends of the Wick Country Park is always on the look-out for new volunteers to help us to keep our events running in the future.
Paws 2015 Photo Gallery

Registration

Some of the Dogs at the Event

Judging

The Crowds Watching

Rosette Winners!!!

Craft Activity and Marking the Quiz

The Doggie Challenge

It was such a hot day.....

Flyball in action

Linda, The Judge, and Harvey, the "Best in Show" winner, with his handler, Valerie Dean

Report from the Past - PAWS June 2014
You may wonder what is barking-ly loud, has hundreds of legs and all types of fur? You’d be right if you guessed The Paws in the Park event at The Wick Country Park on Sunday 8 June.

All the Friends hoped the good weather of the week would last…and it did! A glorious day helped bring in over 600 visitors to enjoy the dog show, dog display team, stalls and activities.

The Friends arrived early to set up. Marquees now hold no fear and with good team effort assembly time now comes in at under half an hour! There were 4 tents to put up for reception, registration, plants and books as well as the doggy obstacle course; the arena and parking to organise; tombola; craft stall plus the vital tea, coffee and biscuits for the refreshment area – not forgetting water bowls for the very thirsty dogs of course.

Stallholders arrived on time and as the crowds started to gather the classes filled up extremely quickly. As usual the kick off class for “most handsome dog” was oversubscribed. Always popular, the doggie contestants showing off in this class are always seen as a great start to the event.

There are such a mix of breeds to be seen – including Italian Spinone, English Springer Spaniel and Canadian Huskies. All that was missing was a French poodle!

Another popular class is “cutest puppy” which never fails in drawing “ooohhs” and “aahhhs” from the audience. A case of David and Goliath, it was amusing to see the very tiny Chihuahua pup lined up beside the 10-month old St. Bernard which was almost the size of a small horse!

Halfway through the day Billericay Dog Display Team gave a fantastic demonstration of dog obedience and tricks. Spectators were amazed by the range of hand signals, whistles and secret code words which ensured the dogs did as they were told and behaved - always with wagging tails of course. Plus seeing an Alsatian take a drink from a bottle using a straw is quite extraordinary!

The hardest class to judge must be “Best Rescue”. The owners are asked by the judge to give a brief overview of the dog’s background and how the dog came to be rescued. These stories are naturally upsetting but to see the dogs now happy and trusting after lots of care is very uplifting. Both dogs and owners are ALL winners.

Our judge did an excellent job in assessing the dogs and colourful rosettes were awarded from 6th place to 1st. Well done to all the winners listed below and a special mention to Jodie who brought along Jet for the fourth year in a row to finally win “Scruffiest Dog” and ultimately “best in show”.

It was a great day and thanks go to all the stall holders for their support and generosity in helping FOWCP make “Paws in the Park” 2014 another great event.

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YULE RAMBLES / JANUARY JAUNTS

January Jaunt & AGM Sunday 25th January 2018
Unfortunately, the weather was so appalling that we decided to cancel the planned jaunt around the Park, and instead went straight into the 'Mince Pies and Mulled Wine' and informal chats amongst the 18 attendees. Except we had to subsitute Fruit Pies for the Mince Pies! With everyone feeling nice and relaxed we got down to the business of the AGM. Sadly this was Nikki’s last meeting as Chairperson and Membership Secretary of the Friends of the Wick Country Park. It goes without saying that all members, committee members, and visitors to the Park are extremely grateful to Nikki for all the hard work she had put in over the previous 13 years. Not only were we be losing Nikki, but Dorothy, our faithful Treasurer, had also decided to retire and would be hanging up her Account Ledger Books. Richard our very ‘Handy Man’ (never to be seen without a screwdriver or some other tool) had also decided to retire as a Committee Member. Nikki's final report to the AGM is available via this link.

Mark, the Ranger, reported that the Kestrel box had been a success with a pair taking residence and raising young. He hopes that sometime in the future Bat boxes will be installed around the park. Fly tipping has virtually ceased due to the main gates to the park being closed in the evenings.

The election of the Committee took place and we would like to welcome Hannah, Hazel and Alan who are our new Committee Members.

By the time the AGM was over, the snow had stopped and Mark the Ranger and four members braved the cold and walked around the Park. However, for most of us it was goodbye, and we headed home to our warm houses!
January Jaunt & AGM Sunday 15th January 2017
Eighteen participants joined Park Ranger Mark for a gentle stroll around the Park, though the grey, damp, miserable weather and the lure of the mince pies, mulled wine, not to mention the AGM, persuaded us to take a bit of a short-cut back to the Pavilion! We were commenting just how beautiful and peaceful the Park looked, even though it was not exactly sun-bathing weather! A full report on the day will appear in the February issue of 'Skylarks' - our quarterly newsletter sent free to all members of FOWCP. Meanwhile a photo gallery of the day is taking shape on this page (updated Wednesday, 15-Jan-2020 17:41:05 GMT).
Yule Ramble & AGM, 13th December 2015
Thank you to all those who joined the Park Ranger, Mark, on our Yule Ramble on December 13th. The weather was very overcast, with a hint of drizzle, and those conditions made bird watching difficult. Never-the-less, full marks to Martin Singleton for his identification of a juvenile Mediterranean Gull that was 'lurking' amongst a large flock of Black Headed Gulls that were resting on the banks of the lake. Afterwards, back in the warmth of the Pavilion, committee member Chrissie served delicious mince pies and mulled wine to all partipants. Yes - the Christmas season had definitely started!

Mark explains, Martin spots.... Scanning the lake for....

... a large flock of wintering Black-headed Gulls. But in amongst them, Martin spotted a juvenile Mediterranean Gull Martin verifying his interesting spot.

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ANNUAL REPORTS

The Chair's Annual Report, 2017
Nikki's summary of the year can be found here
The Chair's Annual Report, 2016
Nikki's summary of the year can be found here
The Chair's Annual Report, 2015
Nikki's summary of the year can be found here

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BAT WALKS

Bat Walk, May 20th 2017
This event was a late addition to the calendar. A group of 16 participants arrived at the Park at 8.45 p.m. to enjoy a bat walk around the Park, to be led by Ella, from The Essex Bat Group. The weather was bright and dry, though it was a bit windy. As Ella explained, windy conditions are not ideal for bat detecting, as the insects on which they feed need to seek shelter. Before the walk started, Ella showed us some rescued bats. These bats were too damaged to release back into the wild but never-the-less they were very much alive, and she handled one of them so we could all see it up close and personal. If you were to enlarge a picture of its mouth 100 times, you would have been looking at something very, very scary, but life-size, it was extremely cute!

Ella distributed some Bat Detectors amongst the group. We set off, walking around the perimeter of the Park anti-clockwise. At first the bat detectors all remained completely silent.... As we rounded the far corner of the East (left hand) field, heading down towards the old oak tree, we had glimpses of bats in flight - and the detectors burst into life! It was, by then, about 30 minutes after sunset, which Ella said is usually about 'first emergence' time. We stopped there for quite a while, fascinated by the aerial antics of these tiny mammals.

We left the old oak tree via the path by the side of the brook, then doubled-back on ourselves onto the other side of the brook, heading towards the lake and the bridge by the oak tree. Absolutely zilch there. But as we went round the bend just past the oak tree, pandemonium broke out, and for a length of about 50 metres, there were bats both seen and detected flying everywhere. The detectors can pick up different species of bats depending on the echo frequencies they emit. Ella said that the vast majority of them were common pipistrelles, but she thought that one was a rarer brown long eared bat. We continued on round the lake, but cut back towards the pavilion along the grass-cut path between the two halves of the wooded hills, but didn't find anything else.

Our Chair, Nikki, reports that she has had plenty of positive feedback on the event, and we are currently looking to see whether it is possible to repeat it later in the year.

For further information bats, bat conservation, and related topics, please see the Essex Bat Group website

Bat Walk, Friday 29th September
After our first-ever bat walk held on May 20th 2017, another was held on Friday 29th September starting at 6.30 pm. A full report on the walk will be found in the November 2017 edition of our quarterly newsletter, Skylarks - available from a link in this page.

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If the winter blues are getting you down, cheer yourself by looking back at a Summer of Fun at the Country Park!
Here are some reminders of those lovely Summer days at the Wick Country Park....

Paws in the Park

Nature Quest

Crickets & Dragonflies

The Kite Festival & Classic Car Display


Setting off - all ages in our group!	Looking out for water fowl on the lake	A greylag goose - one of a pair spotted	The blackthorn blossom looks fabulous against the background of the clear blue sky. And what is that small bird hiding in amongst it?


The event leader, Martin, preparing the group for the walk and pointing out birds that might be expected to be seen	The group looking at a chiffchaff, blue tits, and a wren in the big old Oak Tree by the bridge	Studying the Goldfinches near to the Pillbox. How about that lovely clear blue sky?

The runners assembling at the start-line.
They're off! Runners of all ages set off at the start of the 3K course around the Park.
The field is spreading out.
One lady runner ..... and her dog.
Two of our volunteer marshalls waiting for the approaching runners.
Finished! The weather was hot, and that refreshing drink was both deserved and needed!
The two people who made it possible - Nikki (on the left), the Chair of the FoWCP, and Peter, a committee member of both FoWCP and The Pitsea Running Club. Peter was the event organiser.


Ready, steady, ....	... they're off! Running past some of the splendid blackthorn blossom	About one third of the way - and already Crispan of the Billericay Striders is striding away from the rest!!


Pond Dipping	The catch!	More catch!

Bug Hunting	Identifying the bugs	Picnic time!!

Planting seedlings	Planting seedlings, learning about plants' needs	Our newest Bee-keeper!!

Origami	Craft-work	Candle making

Nature detective	More nature detectives!!!


A Roesel's Bush Cricket	Heading off	The first sweeps

Park Ranger Mark examining a catch in the sweep net	There is something very interesting here!!	Look what I have caught!!!

.... And me!!!!	Wow!!!	I did that!!!

Winners	Dog/Owner
Most Handsome Dog:	Merlin/Wendy
Best Veteran:	Madge/Lyndsey
Prettiest Bitch:	Ellie/Jackie
Dog most like its owner:	Mabel/Caitlin
Cutest Puppy:	Arthur/Danielle
Best Child Handler:	Nora/Ollie
Most Appealing Scruff:	Hudson/Alison<
Best Rescue:	Ted/Rob
Waggiest Tail:	Pebbles/Milly

Best in Show:	Ted/Rob

Mark explains, Martin spots....		Scanning the lake for....
... a large flock of wintering Black-headed Gulls. But in amongst them, Martin spotted a juvenile Mediterranean Gull		Martin verifying his interesting spot.