10th Rosie Pepper Memorial Bird Race Update




First it was on, then it was off and, finally, on again. This was due to the vagaries of the English climate (or was it the vagaries of the weather forecasters). Eventually we settled for going ahead as planned on Sunday 11th September in spite of the wind we were likely to encounter.

At 6.30 in the morning Clive Dickson, David Lang, Simon Linington & myself assembled at Barcombe and headed off towards Seaford. At this point in a bird race every thing seems to be fine as we reeled in all the commoner species, many of them spotted from the moving car. Just through the Lewes tunnel we stopped briefly and almost immediately found our first real target - a Peregrine circling overhead.

So far, so good but at Seaford Head, there was a stiff wind blowing off the sea and we then realised that we were in for a tough time. Sea birds were almost nil, confined to a couple of Gannets, and focusing binoculars whilst being buffeted by the wind is not easy. We rapidly moved on to Birling Gap and Beachy Head. West of Birling Gap we did reasonably well, the most notable feature being a huge presence of migrating hirundines (Swallow & Martins).

Other useful records were a few Yellow Wagtails feeding around the feet of grazing cattle and, in a weedy field, Stonechats, Whinchats and Corn Buntings. Elsewhere on the Downs, there was very little else, even though in the lee of the hill it seemed quite sheltered. Most notable were a female Sparrowhawk and a few Whitethroats at Shooters Bottom. Deciding this was not going to be very productive we moved east.

The nature reserve in the Pannel Valley, at the back of Pett Level, is a favourite spot for birdwatchers where the reed beds and scrapes can hold large numbers of waders - but not on this day! The scrapes had dried up and if there were any birds there, they were keeping their heads down. We did hear a few bursts of song from a Cetti's Warbler, two Pochards flew overhead and a distant Buzzard was spotted, but not much to warrant an hour's walking.

The Pett Level pools and surrounding farmland were a lot better and we were able to add more common ducks and several waders such as Curlew, Lapwing and a Black-tailed Godwit as well as Sandwich Tern, Little Grebe, a superb male Marsh Harrier and a Little Egret. Our total now stood at 63, a long way off of our target of 100 so we pushed on to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

As we walked along the path to the first hide we were leaning into the wind. A forlorn Redshank was feeding in one of the scrapes. It was a great relief to enter the hide to escape the wind and rest our weary legs. There were plenty of waders to be seen, but at a distance making identification difficult but we managed to see flocks of Knot, Dunlin and Golden Plover together with a few Common Terns. Also we had much better views of Wheatear and Linnet than we had managed elsewhere.

We moved on around the reserve again to try to get a closer look at the waders, without much success only adding a Ringed Plover to our meagre list, now standing at 68. A picture taken at this point shows three of us relaxing on a bench. The telling point is that Clive is hanging on to the legs of his telescope tripod to stop it being blown over!

After some discussion we decided to move again, right across East Sussex to Weir Wood reservoir where we were fairly certain we could fill a few gaps in our list. In land the wind was not so fresh but the water level was low so the birds were mostly at a distance. We did, however, manage to find an extra nine species including Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Little Stint.

Needing some woodland species our next stop was back at Barcombe in Knowlands Wood and along the old Bluebell line. A Yellowhammer was spotted in the fields and then a single Goldcrest, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and five Bullfinches. Overhead we saw three glorious Ravens, silhouetted against the blue sky - the best birds of the whole day in my opinion.

In desperation we decided to have a look over the hedge into Barcombe Mills Reservoir, with special permission from Harold Stroud, to add another two species. With 86 now in the bag and after 12 hours of endeavour we finally called it a day and retired to Scobells for supper. As a last throw of the dice at about 9 pm David did his impersonation of a Tawny Owl and had an immediate response from a real one - 87. We all slept very well that night.

A big 'Thank you' to all our sponsors. I will let everyone know how much we raise as soon as I have collected it all in.

Robin Pepper


The 10th Rosie Pepper Memorial Bird Race


11th September 2011 is the date when Rosie's Grandad, Robin Pepper and his stalwart companions will embark upon their challenge to spot as many different species of birds as possible in a 24 hour period

They are restricted to the county of East Sussex and would love to spot over 100 different species. This means a very early start, a long day and a very late finish!

If you would like to sponsor Robin and the team, please contact him on 01273 400393. All money raised will go to the REACH fund to help towards the understanding of childhood cancer and blood disorders.



Tuesday 7th December, visit to the Institute of Child Health


Professor Kathryn Pritchard-Jones, Professor of Paediatric Oncology invited a number of people to the laboratories at the Institute of Child Health in order to explain the work currently being undertaken in relation to Wilms Tumors. (The Institute of Child Health is part of UCL University College London).

Everyone who attended had been affected by this disease, having been connected to children who had suffered from it. What follows is in my own words and is quite basic, but there will be a more detailed piece coming from the Institute which I will reproduce here when I have it.

The team are seeking to minimise damaging side effects of treatment by understanding which tumors need to be hit hardest and which will be successfully cured with less harmful chemotherapy. There is a gene called WT1 which is often faulty in Wilms, and Kathy and her team are carrying out a clinical trial which will show whether a drug commonly used along with other chemotherapy drugs is necessary in all patients. If it is not, then this can be removed which will reduce the harmful side effects of treatment. We had the opportunity to meet the Clinical Trial nurses who work at Great Ormond Street.

It is crucial to understand more about the 10% of Wilms tumors that continue to return after treatment. In most cases, standard protocols are successful in reducing these tumors, but more needs to be learned about why they then continue to grow. There is a major study being undertaken in which a huge number of tumor samples are being investigated.

The study is receiving samples from centres across the world and these are being carefully catalogued and inspected. Much of the work revolves around understanding the genetics involved and we were shown gene chips (micro-arrays) and the machines that are used to analyse the genetic makeup of the tumors. This work is incredibly detailed and in simple terms, it involves not only looking at the genetics of the tumor but also of the healthy cells. By comparing and then identifying out of pattern variations in the tumor cells, the scientists can map these variations and build a picture of where efforts need to be focused in order to more successfully treat these more resistant Wilms tumors.

The morning ended with an informal get together which was great as we could all swap fundraising ideas and also get to know a little about one another's stories. What struck me was the difference in timing of all our experiences;some were from 30 years ago and some as recent as a couple of years. What bound us all was a mutual experience of loss and of the need to do something to help prevent others from suffering that same pain.

We came away with a feeling of excitement that, despite the huge task ahead of them, the team at the Institute and all the other centres across the UK and abroad will continue to do all they can to understand this form of cancer. From that understanding will come better treatment, and with that better treatment, children will live to become adults and fewer parents will have to suffer the obscenity of losing their sons and daughters. I was quite awed by the dedication of the team.

SALE AND QUIZ NIGHT RESULTS!!



Well, both exceeded my expectations. The sale was held at my home on a Thursday evening and was to raise funds for not only REACH but also the Sussex Air Ambulance and NSPCC. A variety of goods were sold, mostly Christmas related. Assisted by my friend Jo and my sister Ann, we raised £136 for REACH, £60 for Sussex Air Ambulance and £170 for NSPCC. Not bad for a small scale event! Thanks to Jenny, Emily and Luke for coming along with your stalls and donating, too.

The Quiz Night at the Farmers in Scaynes Hill was a huge success. The previous week, I had been having sleepless nights as it turned out that there had been a misunderstanding over dates with Pamela, the lady who had kindly offered to run the quiz, and she was unable to come. Chas Regan, the landlord of the Sussex Arms in Hove and a family friend, quickly penned the questions and answers for us (his own pub quizzes are famed and very popular every Thursday night), but we still needed someone to call the questions out.

Help came in the form of Sion, whose career as a Headmaster made him the ideal candidate; this was very last minute however, as he only came along to lend us his PA system and ended up being roped into staying for the duration!!

Quite a few people arrived early to sample the excellent pub food, but I was amazed at how suddenly the crowds started to arrive......people were asking where they could sit, there were no chairs in the rooms we were using for the event. Pool room and bar furniture was swiftly moved in but the seats were filled as soon as they were in place! There was literally no room at the Inn, and some teams were forced to sit in the bar.

The next problem was answer sheets and picture round sheets; we had allowed for 16 teams thinking that we would not need that many, but ended up with 25 !! After lots of running up and down stairs to the photocopier by young Megan, we managed to get enough though sadly some teams had to make do with black and white pictures; a bit of a disadvantage.

Finally we were ready........but the sheer size of the area that teams were covering was such that two loudspeakers were not enough to reach out to the bar, and the services of Graham, one of the customers (who was trying to go home!) had to be enlisted to relay the questions and answers. Not ideal, but everyone was very easy going and understanding about it.

As for the night from then on; what can I say? I would sum it up as a gathering of friends; lots of smiles, generosity with the raffle, laughter at Graham's rendition of the questions to the bar teams......just FUN really!

The winners were "Close Encounters" with 39 points. It was a very close encounter indeed as the runners up were "The White Lines" with only one point less.

A lot has happened since 1995; fifteen years is such a long time. In some ways it feels like an age, but in others it feels like yesterday, and there is no doubt that during this evening, there was a distinct 'Rosie feeling' in the air; love and laughter. Matthew now has two more gorgeous children with Voula, Ami is a lovely young woman and a dedicated nurse, and my life has been turned around and I am so happy in my job for the Air Ambulance, and with helping REACH.

It was great to see so many people including those I hadn't seen for many, many years. It is lovely to know that Rosie is really not forgotten.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!! Let's hope we can repeat this at least once a year and next time we will be ready for the crowds! A cheque for £760 has been sent to REACH from these two events.

QUIZ NIGHT


There will be a Quiz Night to raise money for REACH on Friday 12th November 2010 at The Farmers Inn Scaynes Hill, West Sussex.

The quiz starts at 8.30 sharp but arrive early to be sure of a seat! Hot and cold food will be available from the bar so come early and enjoy a meal beforehand!

Teams of up to 4 people are invited, and the cost is just 3 pounds per person. Prizes will be given to the winning team and runners up, and there will be a raffle on the night.

We look forward to seeing you there!!

SUNDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2008



Kate Workman from West Sussex raised £265.00 through a craft stall at the Nutley Christmas Bazaar and at her Line Dance Club in Scaynes Hill. The photo shows Kate and her sister Melanie hard at work in Nutley. The stall sold Christmas decorations made in the Swedish style, along with handmade cards and delicious homemade gingerbread. A huge thank you to Kate for all her hard work!

SUNDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2008

Hi everyone!

I can't believe that the evenings are drawing in so quickly, and there are Advent calendars in the shops! SO.......it must be time to start thinking about the REACH poster scheme again!

Last year we raised just over £4,000 which was fantastic.

Next January 18th would have been Rosie's 21st birthday. I'm really hoping that we can celebrate it by making this the BEST EVER fundraising year from the poster. Please support it and spread the news to everyone you know - your donations could help other children to live to celebrate their 21st birthdays.

You can donate online on the new just giving page (www.justgiving.com/rosiesposy)

The poster scheme is easy to run, just click on the Christmas Poster Link on this site and you can find out all about it. Don't forget....pass the word!!

FRIDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2007

Click on the photo to view full size Hadrian's Wall Trek Late September 2007, Carolyn and Bridget embarked on this to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital’s General Fund. We were both a bit taken aback by the steepness of the trek, we didn’t realise it was listed on the Discover Adventure website as 'Tough' (The Great Wall of China is down as 'Moderate'!!!!).

We braved the cold of the first night in a tent that was on a slight slope, and which would be followed by 16 miles of walking the next day. Carolyn had injured her hand before the weekend, so found it difficult to clamber in and out of the tent. Click on the photo to view full size Bridget got cramp in the middle of the night and did not succeed in extracting herself from the tent without waking Carolyn. Not a good night!

Breakfast was hearty; a full English, so we felt a bit better as we set off for the first day. We were broken in gradually, nothing too taxing at first and a stop at a tea house with proper seats and toilets after a few hours. Little did we know that this unexpected luxury would not be repeated!

The hills grew longer and gradually steeper and the 62 participants eventually spread out, with the leading group constantly grumbling to the leaders that the pace was too slow. We managed to keep in the first third for most of the day and Carolyn would have remained there, I'm sure, but very kindly lagged behind with Bridget for much of the time as the day wore on (helping her over stiles as her dicky hip got worse and worse!). We smiled smugly when one of the grumblers about the slow pace finally dropped behind us!

Suffice to say that Carolyn did really well this day (and the next) though did not find it easy by any means - it was a struggle to keep going at times. Click on the photo to view full size Bridget went on a journey of self discovery and has discovered herself to be a real whiner....close to tears for some of the time - no stamina! She soon found second wind however, on finding out that the lady in front was no less than 74 years old! Humbling.

That night we were treated to a ROAST DINNER no less, cooked on one stove at the back of the mess tent. How they did it, we just don't know! Succulent pork and beef, Yorkshire puddings, new and roast potatoes, carrots, peas and stuffing!! All on a polystyrene plate and eaten with plastic cutlery. It was much needed! Not sure how Carolyn managed to cut through her plate so spectacularly - she had to leave the knife sticking out like a spear, otherwise the gravy would have seeped through the hole!

Another bad night - there was a high wind which threatened to pull up the guy ropes, and when we finally rose at 6 a.m. it was starting to rain. Lovely weather for packing our gear and taking down the tents (not!).

We were on the trail again at 8 a.m. for 11 miles of very, very high terrain. Our guides were, we realised, experts in the understatement. 'Nearly there' and 'Just over the next hill' were the stock replies to our pathetic requests to give up or ask how much longer we had to go.

By lunchtime Bridget was ready to give up, having noticed a toenail going blue. Carolyn’s hand was hurting and she had the start of a sore throat. (What could we expect really, with all that downhill walking and 2 nights in a cold tent??) The Discover Adventure Guide, Greg, assured us that there was only one more steep hill to go up and, after descending the other side; it would be 'fairly flat'.

We should have guessed.....

Click on the photo to view full size Hill after hill after hill faced us. By now we were soaked through as the wind and rain had been relentless all day. A couple of the climbs required hands as well as feet to grip the rock in order to get to the top. But we all did it, including the young girl with a terrible fear of heights.

By now, despite the urge to give up, a feeling was reverberating through the group. We were bonding as a team and were looking after one another. One poignant moment was when we all stopped at the large oak tree that was featured in 'Robin of Sherwood'. Greg asked that we all stand for a moment in silence to remember why we were all here, and in particular those people we were doing this for, who would never be able to undertake this walk. He told us to drink in the beauty of the surroundings. We did this, about 70 people from all backgrounds - standing in silent tribute to the patients of Great Ormond Street as the wind and rain dashed our faces and we looked out at the gusts as they whipped across the distant skyline of hills. When we set off again, many had tears, which could not be masked by the rain on their faces, but we all had a new resolve, which served to see us through to the end.

The pace was faster than usual - this trek was supposed to have taken place in the middle of summer. Days were shorter now, and some people had trains to catch on this final day. However, close to the finish the leaders waited until everyone caught up so that we could all finish together. I was put in mind of the roman warriors scaling the wall in days of old as we all marched across the final hill, a new spring in our step! Our chariots awaited (lovely heated coaches!!) and as we crossed the final stile we were cheered by the Charity reps and the Discover Adventure Guides (the latter we had now forgiven for encouraging us to continue, as we could see what an amazing emotion we would have missed out on, had we failed to complete this challenge).

There were congratulations all round and many tears of joy. 'Elation' would fail to accurately describe the way we all felt. It was the high you only achieve through hard work, determination and the unexpected realisation that you have actually DONE IT!

We had booked into a B&B (many people faced long drives home that same day) and it felt like luxury to eat from a china plate, sitting at a table, and to then sleep in a proper bed - and this after only two days of camping! We drove back to Sussex, with legs that felt like lead, but hearts as light as feathers. The sense of achievement was huge. Will we ever do the Great Wall of China? Watch this space!

WEDNESDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2007

Click on the photo to view full size Fundraising Stall at Southwick Fair - July 07. Thanks to my friend Jan Hammond who let me know about this fair, we set up a stall on the day to raise funds both for REACH and the Great Ormond Street Hospital General Fund (the latter was to boost the money raised for Carolyn and Bridget's Hadrian's Wall Trek). Click on the photo to view full size As you can see, our stall looked great and although the event wasn't perhaps as well attended as usual, we managed to raise over £300! (Click on the photos to see them larger) Helpers on the day were Jan, Carolyn, Bridget and Ann. Thanks eveyone, and to all who supported us!

THURSDAY, 5 JULY 2007

I found this photo of Rosie, taken before she was ill, and thought it would be nice to share it with those of you who visit the site. The main purpose of this newsletter is to say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who took part in and supported the Bird Race. The total raised is now £1,614.57 which is just fantastic! On July 14th a willing band of volunteers, myself included, will be running a stall on Southwick Green as part of the annual charity fair. We will be raising money for REACH as well as for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity's general fund. We've got loads of REAL bargains so if you are in the area please come along to see us. And keep your fingers crossed that the weather cheers up! Bridget

THURSDAY, 31 MAY 2007

Rosie's Grandad and friends have completed yet another Bird Race..... raising over £1,000!! The question is, did they manage to spot over 100 different birds this year.....?? Yes they did :)! A fantastic £4,174.40 was raised from the Christmas Poster Appeal for 2006!! Thanks to all who took part, you really help to make a difference!