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© Broom
by Abi Stubbs
---- Events for all the family ---- | |
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February 2012 |
St George Strollers February Walks
Wed 29th February Discover the Dings St George Strollers More information and contact details can be seen in the Strollers Winter 2012 Leaflet.
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March 2012 |
Saturday 3rd March 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Saturday 24th March 11am-2pm
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Thursday 29th March 7.15pm - MeetingAt Summerhill Methodist Church - See our Meetings page for more details. |
St George Strollers March Walks
Wed 28th March Stapleton to St George |
April 2012 |
Friday 6th April
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Saturday 7th April 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Saturday 14th April 6.00am
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May 2012 |
Saturday 5th May 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Sunday 20th May 10.30am – noon
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Thursday 31st May 7.15pm - MeetingAt Summerhill Methodist Church - See our Meetings page for more details. |
June 2012 |
Saturday 2nd June 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Saturday 16th June from 6.00pm
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July 2012 |
Saturday 7th July 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Wednesday 11th July 7.00 - 8.30pm
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Thursday 12th July 7.15pm - MeetingAt Summerhill Methodist Church - See our Meetings page for more details. |
Wednesday 25th July 7.00pm - Evening Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Sunday 29th July from 10.30am
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August 2012 |
Saturday 4th August 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Wednesday 22nd August 7.00pm - Evening Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
September 2012 |
Saturday 1st September 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Sunday 23rd September 10.00am - 4.00pm
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October 2012 |
Thursday 4th October 7.15pm - MeetingAt Summerhill Methodist Church - See our Meetings page for more details. Saturday 6th October 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Sunday 14th October from 2.00pm
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Saturday 20th October 2.00 - 4.00pm
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November 2012 |
Saturday 3rd November 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Sunday 4th November 10.30am
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December 2012 |
Saturday 1st December 10.00am - Work PartyMeet at the corner of Greendown - See our Work Parties page for more details. |
Thursday 6th December 7.15 - 9.00pm
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Mon 13th February City Walls Walk
Friends of Troopers Hill will have a display at this event with the latest news on our 
Friends of Troopers Hill will be helping out at this annual service organised by local churches.
Join 
Walk through Troopers Hill Woods with tree expert Tony Titchen and learn about the different trees and how they can be identified. Tony last led a walk for us in 2007 and we are pleased to be able to welcome him back.
A summer evening of music on
Troopers Hill.
Join Rob Acton-Campbell for a tour
of Troopers Hill talking about the fascinating history of the hill and the surrounding area.
Join the Bristol School of Tai Chi
for a spectacular demonstration
and a 1 hour introductory class
with gentle exercise for all ages.
Afterwards join us for a picnic on
the hill.
A guided walk through local green
spaces with the opportunity for
lunch at 
A fun event on Troopers Hill Field
for dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Join us for a fun and unusual
opening ceremony followed by craft
activities and a walking storytelling
event, both suitable for all ages.
Join expert Justin Smith in a hunt
for mushrooms and toadstools on
Troopers Hill.
Past Events | |
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To give you an impression of some of the events we have organised in the past, details are given below, together with links to photographs.
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Saturday 4th February - Forest ClubUnfortunately, due to illness we had to cancel this Forest Club. We hope to arrange more in the future. Photos of last year's sucessful event can be seen here. |
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St George Strollers Walks - January 2012
Fri 27th January Meadow Vale |
Brandon Hill Walk on FlickrMeadow Vale Walk on Flickr |
Thursday 8th December 2011
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St George Strollers Walks - December 2011
Tues 13th December Christmas Walk |
Harbourside Walk on FlickrChristmas Walk on Flickr |
St George Strollers Walks - November 2011
Friday 11th November Remembrance Walk
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Remembrance Walk on Flickr |
Sun 30th October 2011 - Fungi Foray
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Wed 26th & Thur 27th October - Forest ClubThanks to a wonderful primary school teacher, Isabel, who volunteered her services for free, we were able to offer half term activities for 7-9 year olds in Troopers Hill woodland. |
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Sun 9th October 2011 - Family Fun Dog Show
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St George Strollers Walks - October 2011
Wednesday 19th October Wild City Walk - A visit to South Bristol's Hengrove Mounds, which used to be an airfield but is now a major area for wildlife. Thanks to Paula from the Wild City Project for leading this walk and telling us about the site.
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Cock Rd Ramble on FlickrWild City Walk on Flickr |
Fri 2nd Sept 2011 - Troopers Twilight Tour
Rob's 'Brief History of Troopers Hill' and more information is available on our Hill History page. |
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St George Strollers Walks - September 2011
Monday 12th September Hanham History Walk - An exploration of Hanham with Roy Crew |
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Sat 13th August 2011 - Family Fun Picnic
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St George Strollers Walks - August 2011
Wed 24th Aug Wick Golden Valley - A short bus trip for a walk in this wonderful Local Nature Reserve in South Glos followed by lunch in the local pub. |
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Fri 22nd July 2011 - Purple Prowl
However Rupert was able to show us some of the wonderful range of flora and fauna on the hill and explain why it is one of the most important sites in Britain for the dotted bee fly and other invertebrates. One of the butterflies we saw was a small skipper which meant we then moved on to talking about the Essex Skipper photographed on 1st July. This is a butterfly that appears to be moving west across southern England, perhaps due to climate change. Rupert was also able to tell us how much the heather has spread across the hill in the years since he started monitoring the site in the 1980s. Back then he was recording each small patch and there was a fear that it would disapear from the hill altogether. We know from Elizabeth Emra that the area was known for its 'purple shade of heath and yellow spots of broom' in the 1830s so the loss of this habitat, which in the past covered a much larger area, would have been a big loss to Bristol's biodiversity. |
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Sun 17th July 2011 - Tai Chi on the HillDue to the morning rain we had to cancel this event, we had hoped to rearrange it for later in the year but unfortunately this has not been possible. We will try again in 2012. |
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St George Strollers Walks - July 2011
Mon 4th July Willsbridge Wander - a short bus trip followed by an exploration of Willsbridge LNR in hot sunshine. |
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Saturday 25th June - Music on the Hill
The Gasworks Singers, led by Dee Jarlett, are 30 enthusiastic members of the massive 160-strong Gasworks Choir, the first community choir of its kind in Bristol. The Gasworks Singers perform acappella and their diverse repertoire includes songs from different eras, continents and cultures, many of which are arranged by Dee and her co-director Ali Orbaum. They have delighted audiences at Trowbridge Village Pump Festival, Ashton Court Festival, Priddy, Larmer Tree Festival and now Troopers Hill. They have performed bi-annually at St George’s Bristol for over a decade, together with their larger sister The Gasworks Choir. At Christmas they appeared on BBC1 Points West, singing Slade’s Christmas hit! |
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Tue 21st June 2011 - St George Strollers WalkThe first of the group's regular walks was a 'Soltice Saunter' visiting, St George Park, Royate Hill LNR and Eastville Park. |
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Mon 23rd May 2011 - St George Strollers Taster WalkThis second taster walk for the St George Strollers visited Magpie Bottom followed by refreshments at Wesley Memorial Church Hall. |
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Sunday 22nd May 2011 - Avon Valley WalkA guided walk through the valleys of the Avon and the Brislington Brook on a very windy day but the showers kept away and there was some welcome bursts of sunshine. After exploring Troopers Hill Woods we walked down Lamb Hill to the river before walking through St Anne's Woods and Nighhtingale Valley. A loop around Eastwood Farm Local Nature Reserve was then followed by an excellent lunch at Beeses Riverside Bar & Tea Gardens After lunch we then crossed on the ferry to walk up through Conham Vale to Dundridge Park and back to Troopers Hill.
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Wed 11th May 2011 - St George Strollers Launch WalkThis first walk for the St George Strollers included St George Park and Avonview followed by refreshments at St George Labour Club. |
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Friday 22nd April 2011 - Good Friday ServiceThe traditional Good Friday Service on Troopers Hill is organised by Churches Together in East Bristol. The procession started from Summerhill Methodist Church at 11.30am and came to Troopers Hill via the main road, The Avenue and Malvern Rd. Friends of Troopers Hill were pleased to help out and we also took the opportunity to talk to those attending about the work that we are proposing to improve existing steps and paths on Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve. |
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Dawn Chorus Walk
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Thurday 20th January 2011 - Tree Planting
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Sunday 7th November 2010 - Fungi ForayThis was the fourth time that Justin Smith had led us round Troopers Hill in search of fungi. There was again a good turn out on a cold morning. We found a good range of different fungi - Justin's report on what we found can be seen here: |
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Kite Making and Flying
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Family Fun Dog Show
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Family Fun Picnic
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Tai Chi on the Hill
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Music on the Hill
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Avon Valley Walk
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Dawn Chorus Walk
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Good Friday Service
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Lichens, mosses and liverworts walk
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Saturday 5th December - Play Area OpeningThe official opening of the new Troopers Hill Play area coinsided with the BBC's 'Tree O'Clock' tree planting record attempt. This gave us the chance to join in with this record attempt as we planted some hazel whips to form the outside of the new maze structure. |
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Sunday 11th October - Family Fun Dog ShowOur second dog show, again run by Friends of Troopers Hill and Bristol Parks with support from HEART pet rescue. The event was free of charge due to the continuing support of Beeses Bar & Tea Gardens. The morning rain stopped just before we were due to start and we then had a dry afternoon, apart from one heavy shower which led to the 'how many people can you get in a gazebo challenge'. Our local dog warden and PCSOs came along, as did the PDSA and CAT protection. Lucas Vets provided the judges and some of the prizes. As well as the 10 classes in the main ring, our fun scurry was also running all afternoon. New for this year we had a water challenge, where the winning dog retrieved 6 toys from the paddling pool and lots of others had fun splashing around. A big tank you to Julie, Kit and Susan for all the work they put in organising the event and to everyone who came along to help, despite the damp morning. |
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Sun 6th September - History WalkA short walk around the hill talking about the history of the hill and the surrounding area. There was a good mix of people with some new to the area and some who remembered the hill and some of the cottages that stood nearby from when they were young. |
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Sat 8th August - Bugs & BeastiesAfter last year's wash out and a very wet July, we were especially pleased to have perfect weather for this year's Bugs & Beasties event. Rupert Higgins again led an ethusiastic group of children armed with nets and bug pots to find some of the Hill's smallest inhabitants. |
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Sundays 12th & 26th July, 2nd & 9th August
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Saturday 20th June - Music on the Hill
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Sunday 17th May 2009 - Wildlife WalkWe awoke to heavy rain but fortunately it stopped just before the walk was due to start. A small group who had braved the weather were joined by Rupert Higgins of Wessex Ecological Consultancy for a look at the wildlife of Troopers Hill. |
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Sunday 19th April 2009 - Avon Valley WalkFriends of Troopers Hill joined with the South Bristol Riverscapes Project for our annual exploration of some of the wonderful sites in our part of the Avon Valley.
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Friday 10th April 2009 - Good Friday ServiceThe traditional Good Friday Service on Troopers Hill is organised by Churches Together in East Bristol. The procession started from Summerhill Methodist Church at 11.30am and came to Troopers Hill via the main road, The Avenue and Malvern Rd. Friends of Troopers Hill were pleased to help out by organising an Easter Egg hunt for the children after the service. We also set up a display in our gazebo tell visitors about the hill, its wildlife and history. Despite some light rain showers there was a good turn out for this annual event. |
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Sunday 2nd November 2008 - Fungi ForayWe were again led by Justin Smith for this tour of Troopers Hill and Troopers Hill Woodland looking for fungi. It was a dry morning after a very wet night following a cold week with several nights of frost. Although the weather wasn't ideal we found many different types of fungi - Justin's report on what we found is here: |
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Friday 31st October - Through the Seasons WalkOur last Through the Seasons walk was blessed with glorious sunshine. A small but enthusiastic group join Rob to explore the hill and the woodland while learning about the site's history and wildlife. We were rewarded with a wonderful view of a green woodpecker. |
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Thursday 16th October - Owl ProwlExpert Ian McGuire took over 30 people on a moon-lit hunt for owls. Although local residents often hear owls over the hill at night we didn't hear any on this occassion. However, Ian was able to tell everyone a lot about owls and their habitat and was able to introduce everyone to his own owl at the end of the walk. |
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Sunday 12th October - Family Fun Dog ShowA great afternoon event run by Friends of Troopers Hill and Bristol Parks with support from HEART pet rescue. The afternoon was blessed by fanastic weather and we had excellent support from Gavin our assistant CPM at Bristol Parks, the dog warden, the PCSOs, the RSPCA, PDSA, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Lucas Vets and the public. A special thank you to to Julie for all her hard work in running the classes. Held on Troopers Hill Field the afternoon featured lots of fun classes with rosettes and prizes for the winning dogs. Our thanks to Beeses' Bar and Tea Gardens for their kind donation that allowed us to put on this event free of charge and to Lucas Vets for sponsoring the rosettes and judging.
Our fun scurry was also running all afternoon. Whether or not you own a dog we would be pleased to get your views about dogs on Troopers Hill. You can download a copy of our survey form here: Friends of Troopers Hill Dogs Survey |
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Sunday 5th October - Avon Valley WalkFriends of Troopers Hill and Nature in the City again joined with the Bristol Living Rivers Project for what has now become an annual exploration of some of the wonderful sites in our part of the Avon Valley. Despite the heavy early morning rain 13 people joined us at Conham for a 10am start. Due to the weather we had to restrict the walk to the north side of the river and so visited Conham, Dundridge Park, Troopers Hill and Troopers Hill Woods. We were also fortunate to get permission to visit the eighteenth century Bath House that is hidden in the woodland not far from Troopers Hill and features in a video on our Video Project page. You can see the planned route of the walk and information about some of the sites by clicking on the link below - we hope to be able to do the full walk next year. A Nature in the City Event and part of 'Wildwaters' see www.wildwaters.org.uk for details of other events. ▲ |
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Sunday 10th August - Tai Chi on the HillFunded by Bristol Primary Care Trust
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Saturday 9th August - Family Fun PicnicUnfortunately this year's Family event for the weekend of the Balloon Fiesta, which was to have featured a Bugs and Beaties hunt had to be cancelled due to the weather. |
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Friday 25th July - Through the Seasons WalkFor our third Through the Seasons walk this year the 'purple shade of heath' was really looking at it best. |
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Sunday 20th July - Tai Chi on the HillFunded by Bristol Primary Care Trust
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Sunday 29th June - Tai Chi on the HillFunded by Bristol Primary Care Trust
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Saturday 28th June - Music on the Hill
The music was performed by the South Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra (SoGYJO) who put on a wonderful performance that was enjoyed by a very appreciative audience. SoGYJO is organised as part of the South Gloucestershire Music Service and receives financial support from the Rosemary Bugden Charitable Trust. Our thanks to Greg Mort for additional photographs of both this event and Trooping the Hill. ▲ |
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Saturday 28th June - Trooping the Hill
This was a fun, interactive performance that whisked us on a journey through time and space sharing stories, music and song inspired by Troopers Hill. More details & photos of Trooping the Hill >> |
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Sunday 8th June - Tai Chi on the HillFunded by Bristol Primary Care Trust
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Friday 25th April - Through the Seasons WalkThe second of four relaxed Friday strolls over the hill this year. One of the features of Troopers Hill that you will not find anywhere else in Bristol is the wild broom. Broom has bright yellow flowers in the Spring and was giving a wonderful display, though the cold spring meant that it was not as far advanced as at this time last year. We were able to use the new steps on the path through Troopers Hill Woods that have been built by two year-10 pupils from John Cabot Academy who were taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. We were also pleased to be joined by two members of staff from local schools who came to find out more about the hill with the aim of getting local school children involved in some projects on the hill later in the year. |
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Sunday 30th March - Early Bird Walk
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Friday 21st March - Good Friday ServiceThe traditional Good Friday Service on Troopers Hill is organised by Churches Together in East Bristol. The procession started from Summerhill Methodist Church at 11.30am and came to Troopers Hill via the main road, The Avenue and Malvern Rd. Friends of Troopers Hill were be on hand on the hill to tell visitors about the hill, its wildlife and history. |
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Sunday 2nd March - Geology WalkLocal geomorphologist Eileen Stonebridge took us on a tour of discovery on Troopers Hill to learn more about the 300 million years of history hidden in the rocks. Eileen provided much of the content of our Geology Leaflet and was a very entertaining and enthusiastic speaker on a sunny Sunday morning. |
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Friday 1st February 2008 - Through the Seasons WalkOur series of Friday strolls over the hill proved so popular last year that we decided to run them again in 2008. On a bright and sunny February morning, we attracted several people who had not been to the hill for many years. As well as describing the history and wildlife this month's walk was a chance to look at the work that had been carried out in accordance with the Troopers Hill LNR Management Planby Bristol Parks over the winter to protect the heathland and grassland from encroaching bramble and scrub. |
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Friday 7th December - Through the Seasons WalkFor our final Friday meander over Troopers Hill for this year we were lucky to have a dry morning after a very wet and windy night, though there was a cold wind. Even at this time of year this is still some colour on the hill, the gorse was in flower and we saw a late flowering golden rod. There was also a colourful jay in the gully. We were pleased to be joined by 3 different walking for health groups. |
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Sunday 14th October - Kite Flying EventFor the second year running we managed to choose a day without wind for trying to fly kites. Unbelievably there was even less wind than last year. After some early attempts when a slight breeze appeared, all thoughts of kite flying demonstrations were put to one side as we watched smoke in the distance rise straight up. |
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Sunday 7th October - Fungi ForayLed by Justin Smith this tour of Troopers Hill and the adjacent woodland found 24 different species. Considering the dry weather so far this autumn this was far more than the organisers had predicted!. Over 40 people joined us, many who were visiting Troopers Hill for the first time. The event was organised as part of the hugely successful Nature in the City Project and given its popularity we hope that Justin will join us for another foray next year. |
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Saturday 22nd September - Troopers Hill Discovery Day
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Sunday 9th September - Avon Valley Walk
The weather was ideal with lots of sunshine but not too warm for a walk of just under 6 miles with some steep sets of steps. |
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Friday 7th September - Through the Seasons WalkOur third Friday walk was blessed with warm sunshine and blue skies. Some of the heather was still in flower and there was plenty of the yellow golden rod. Some of the broom had also got confused with the seasons and was showing its yellow flowers. Some of the walkers were making their first visit to the hill, others were regular visitors but we hope that everyone learnt something new.
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Thur 30th August - Aero-Bat-icsHaving seen bats flying at the end of the two BRERC Workshops in the week before this event we were hopeful that they would put on a good display again this evening. Over forty people joined us on a dry but slightly breezy evening and Avon Bat Group had kindly loaned some bat detectors, but unfortunately most of the bats kept away. There were a couple of brief sightings as bats flew overhead but none of the aerial displays that we have sometimes seen over the hill.
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Saturday 11th August - Family Fun Picnic
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Throughout the summer 2007
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Saturday 30th June - Music on the HillFortunately the rain was forecast well in advance, so although we were disappointed to have to cancel this event we were able to make the descision on the Thursday and give people plenty of notice. Radio Bristol described it as a wise descision when they reported it on the morning show. We hope to see you all next year! |
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Friday 1st June - Through the Seasons WalkAnother dry day for the second of four short Friday walks to explore Troopers Hill, its history and wildlife. |
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Thur 24th May - Tree Gazing WalkTree spotting on Troopers Hill LNR, Troopers Hill Field and in Crews Hole Woodland on a wonderful sunny evening. |
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Friday 6th April - Good Friday ServiceThis year's Good Friday service on Troopers Hill, organised by local churches, was blessed with great weather and again saw a great turn out. Friends of Troopers Hill again had a gazebo and display on the site in order to spread the word about Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve. |
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Friday 2nd March - Through the Seasons WalkWe were blessed with wonderful early spring sunshine for the first of four short Friday walks to explore Troopers Hill, its history and wildlife. |
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Thursday 1st March - CABE Space Conference VisitFriends of Troopers Hill were delighted to be asked to show Troopers Hill to some of the delagates to the CABE Space Conference being held in Bristol. We were able to talk about our activities on the hill and how we work with Bristol Parks. Our visitors were from Parks departments around the country and seemed to be impressed with what we have achieved over the last 3 years.
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Thursday 15th February 2007 - Quiz Night & Raffle
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Wed 11th January Brandon Hill
Tuesday 7th December Harbourside Walk
Wednesday 2nd November St George Park Walk & Planning Meeting
After a wet night it was dry and mild as a group of nearly 30 were led over Troopers Hill by local expert Justin Smith in search of fungi. Despite the dry autumn we again found a good selection of fungi that once again highlighted the importance of Troopers Hill to biodiversity in Bristol.
A great turn out on a disappointingly damp October afternoon. There were lots of entries for all the classes and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. A special thank you to 
Monday 10th October Cock Rd Ramble -
A wander around the Cock Rd Ridge Open Space, ending with a visit to the cafe in Grimsbury Farm for tea and coffee.
On a warm dry evening just under 30 local residents joined us for a stroll around the hill to learn about its history from Rob Acton-Campbell.
Friday 30th September Partnership Walk - With other walking groups from across Bristol on a
walk through Nightingale Valley and St. Annes
Woods.
A great afternoon. After a juggling workshop with Jacky from 
Thur 11th Aug Troopers Hill - A wet evening, but a good turnout for the Strollers first evening walk. As well as Troopers Hill, we visited Dundridge Park.
This was a chance to join wildlife expert Rupert Higgins to learn about the unique flora and fauna of Troopers Hill. Rupert has been involved with Troopers Hill for many years and has a great deal of knowledge about its plant life and the bugs & beasties that live here. As forecast the afternoon showers had cleared and we set out on what looked like a lovely evening for a walk around the hill. Unfortunately the Bristol weather proved that it cannot be taken for granted and after an hour or so we had some very heavy showers so only a stalwart few completed the walk.
Wed 20th July Avon Aquatic Wander - A walk around Wyatts View Open Space and Netham Park was followed by a return boat trip on historic boat Redshank to Beeses Riverside Bar and Tea Gardens to enjoy a singing event as part of the 
A very enjoyable evening with music from the 
On a summer evening that was much warmer than forcast some 200 people of all ages enjoyed the music from the 
Friends of Troopers Hill and Details of earlier Events >>
