What an amazingly successful Open Doors Day at Ruperra
Home Farm on Saturday 3rd!
I had wakened up in the morning with a sense of dread in
view of the weather forecast. This year we had told people that they could pay
at the door for their cakes. Perhaps no one would come!
But they came and they came wearing wellies and rain
coats to go on ‘The Walk’ and under the excellent guidance of Clive Elsbury,
Chris Bramble, Oliver and Zach, they even
got the dripping wet walkers back to the farm at the scheduled time!
There was reassuring support from Welsh politicians,
Wayne David MP, Hefin David AM and Jeff Cuthbert, Police Commissioner for Gwent,
now attending his first event as RCPT’s new president. We were able to thank Councillor
Amanda McConnell, the new chair of Bedwas Trethomas and Machen Community Council,
which had given us grant aid along with Caerphilly Town Council, and Draethen
Rudry and Waterloo Community Council.
It’s so good to know that people care about saving the
countryside despite Brexit and the continuing scarcity of Welsh public income.
The lovely music provided by the the South Wales Clarinet
Choir, who had never played in a barn before, combined with the delicious
cakes, filled up any internal or emotional parts left neglected!
The amount of voluntary help this year has been
phenomenal and we must acknowledge those who added to our usual RCPT team –
namely members of Caerphilly conservation groups who all rolled up their
sleeves- Lynn Gazal, Kirsty Luff, Andrew Price, Clive Elsbury, Fiona Lewis, Chris
and Carole Brimble, Oliver and Zach and others who had worked behind the scenes.
